One thing you can say about Kevin Costner and his movies is that he always seems to play the reluctant individual that doesn’t always want to get involved at first but ends up being pivotal to the story right from the start or at one point in the film. It’s not a bad part to play really since it speaks to a lot of us out there. We don’t want to get involved right away, but when push comes to shove and we don’t see a of choice then we’ll finally do something and pick a side. His characters aren’t always strong initially but they do come through in a pinch a lot of times and eventually become one of the strongest people in the film if they’re not already. His reluctance is even endearing sometimes since it paints the picture of a man that isn’t really happy with what he’s doing but doesn’t want to change it for fear of what might replace the life he already has.
Here are a few of the best movies he’s been in to prove that point.
5. The Untouchables
Despite the fact that this movie is almost pure fiction it’s still fun enough to watch since it pits some of the greatest actors of our time with one another and stirs the pot until it’s a fine mess of emotion and bloodshed that becomes a story that you have to check to make sure it’s not real. This version of Elliott Ness is consumed by the need to take down Capone and in doing so assembles a group that comprises some of the greatest minds on the force coupled with experience and a youthful vigor that allow them to put a serious dent in Capone’s business and eventually send him to prison. Of course if it was real the legend would be blown even more out of proportion.
4. Mr. Brooks
You don’t get to see Costner play a truly evil person all the time since he tends to play the neutral party or the hero more often than not. But in this film there’s no denying it, he’s the bad guy in just about every sense of the word. He kills because it excites him and yet he fights with his imaginary friend, which is in no way his conscience, when it comes to his desire to stop killing. Yet when he does try to give himself up and have someone kill him the instincts he’s operated with all movie and before it obviously still kick in and prevent him from dying in such a manner. The only problem comes at the end of the movie when the nightmares concerning the fact that his daughter might be just like him start to kick in.
3. Field of Dreams
When you start hearing voices it’s not usually something to worry over too much since it can happen, stress being what it is and all that. But when the voices don’t go away and they keep trying to get you to do something, then it might be time to either do something or check yourself in a mental ward. Of course Ray doesn’t do this since he’s a firm believer it would seem in following those voices that seem to be telling him, guiding him, or coercing him into something. The clues that he follows might not make a lot of sense to anyone else but they do happen to help him and propel his course forward as he eventually comes around to realizing that he needed to mend the relationship between himself and his father.
2. Dances With Wolves
A lot of movies involving Native Americans get blown out of proportion but this one was given the type of treatment that seems far more fair than many others despite the fact that some people did have an issue with it. Showing that a white man was responsible for their survival and their ability to change however was something of a risk that might have backfired had the film not been so widely accepted. After all in this day and age it’s safe to say that being white and having anything to say about Native Americans is opening a person up for an enormous amount of criticism that one might not see coming.
1. Bull Durham
If you have someone that’s been in the pros and is willing to give you advice then it’s a good idea to be quiet and listen. Of course younger men don’t do this as often which means it’s going to be a long season in terms of baseball. Crash however is a patient man for the most part but he’ll tell it like it is and not mince words with his younger pitcher in an attempt to get his head on straight so that he can start winning ballgames.
Costner is a great actor, but he does kind of limit himself sometimes.
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