The Postman (1997)

A nameless drifter dons a postman's uniform and bag of mail as he begins a quest to inspire hope to the survivors living in post-apocalyptic America.

Director:

Kevin Costner

Writers:

David Brin (novel), Eric Roth (screenplay)

Stars:

Kevin Costner, Will Patton, Larenz Tate

7 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kevin Costner	...	The Postman
Will Patton	...	General Bethlehem
Larenz Tate	...	Ford Lincoln Mercury
Olivia Williams	...	Abby
James Russo	...	Idaho
Daniel von Bargen	...	Pineview Sheriff Briscoe
Tom Petty	...	Bridge City Mayor
Scott Bairstow	...	Luke
Giovanni Ribisi	...	Bandit 20
Roberta Maxwell	...	Irene March
Joe Santos	...	Colonel Getty
Ron McLarty	...	Old George
Peggy Lipton	...	Ellen March
Brian Anthony Wilson	...	Woody
Todd Allen	...	Gibbs

Storyline

2013,Post-Apocalyptic America. An unnamed wanderer retrieves a Postman's uniform and undelivered bag of mail. He decides to pose as a postman and deliver the mail to a nearby town, bluffing that the United States government has been reinstated and tricking the town into feeding him. However, he reluctantly becomes a symbol of hope to the townspeople there who begin to remember the world that once was and giving them the courage to stand up to a tyrannical warlord and his army.

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Plot Keywords:

year 2043 | year 2013 | woman | worst picture razzie winner | drifter | 

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Taglines:

The year is 2013. One man walked in off the horizon and hope came with him.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and some sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

El mensajero

Filming Locations:

Amado, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,260,324, 28 December 1997, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$17,626,234

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tig Productions, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

177 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Behind-the-scenes images from location shooting were broadcast live over the Internet.

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Goofs

The main character assumes his role because he found an old abandoned mail truck containing the remains of a long dead mailman and pilfered the uniform from the skeleton. The problem here is the condition of the clothing he takes. When a person dies, the body goes through many stages of decomposition on its way to being merely a skeleton. As the tissues break down, many chemicals and enzymes are released, including the hydrochloric acid of the digestive system. In the final stages of decomposition, this is referred to as liquefacation or liquiescence. Given enough time and a suitable environment this combination of byproducts, with the addition of the bacteria that will inevitably emerge, would make any cloth or fabric (with the exception of treated leather products) not only disgustingly filthy, but also so weakened from exposure to what amounts to a corrosive liquid, that the fibers would tear apart from any stresses put on them. Even the act of taking the jacket off of the remains (and certainly that of putting the jacket on himself) would have pulled the fabric apart.

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Quotes

The Postman: Uh... Strangers... I hate this. Do they want to share what they got or take what you got? Do you say 'hi' or do you blow them away?

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Connections

Referenced in Movie Stars: Mothers & Brothers (1999)

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Soundtracks

The Next Big Thing
Written by Jono Manson, Joe Flood and Jeffrey Barr
Produced and Performed by Jono Manson
Courtesy of Paradigm Records

User Reviews

My wife won't talk to me anymore...

"The Postman" finally came to Bulgaria recently. Like in the US, I guess, it didn't spend much time in theaters and was quickly available on video. Fortunately for my wife and me, we recently bought a VCR. Last Friday night, we rented "The Postman" and settled in to see it.

Well, to make a long story short, my wife was mad at me later. "You knew it would be like this? Why didn't you tell me?" and "Why did you make me sit there for three hours and watch it?" were examples of what she had to say. Now she doesn't want to watch movies with me anymore, since I made her suffer through "The Postman".

I knew that the movie had received bad reviews, but I wanted to form my own opinion anyway (sometime this fall, I'll probably even rent "Spice World"). That's why I rented it. While I don't regret seeing the movie, I'm bummed that my wife doesn't want to see any more movies with me.

If Kevin Costner is reading this now, I'm wondering if he can help. You see, I spent $255 for the VCR, which is a lot of money in Bulgaria, so that my wife and I could watch movies together. Now, because of "The Postman", she doesn't want to do this anymore, and I'm stuck with a $255 paperweight.

About the movie...well, it was dopey, corny, and looooooooooooong. What else is there to say about it?