G-S-T Top 10 – Favorite Kevin Costner Films

I don’t think this is news to anyone but Kevin Costner is just one of my favorite actors. He’s not the finest thespian in history but he is just a solid entertainer. Personally I could watch any of his movies all day long. So with that I thought I’d forgo the Quick 5 and instead open this up a full to a Top 10…yes he has made more than 5 really good movies. This is for all you haters out there:)

———————————————————————————————————————————–

Open Range – Not the first KC film that comes to mind but this I believe is his very best. It has such a grand scale to it and a pretty engaging story, colorful characters and simply great back and forth banter made that much better by Robert Duvall. Moreover Costner directed this which, to me, was just as visually stunning and well crafted as his efforts in Dances With Wolves…too bad the academy didn’t recognize it. But man with an Unforgiven type pace I wasn’t expecting the awesome shoot out in the finale. Give Costner a shotgun…and you’ve got instant bad-ass.

———————————————————————————————————————————–

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves – While it was the film with his worst accent (forgoing one completely if you ask me) it is the most action packed in his resume. Taking a new (at the time) look at the Robin Hood legend this was just a fun film. Complimented by an all around great cast (including Freeman and the be all end all baddie Alan Rickman) and a score from Michael Kamen Costner took the tale of Robin Hood and nearly turned him into a superhero. Sure his hair quaff is laughable but he still sells the story convincingly And little side note for all you G-S-T readers, this began my appreciation for Bryan Adams music.

———————————————————————————————————————————–

Field of Dreams– Yes the most quotable sports movie (aside from Caddyshack) that really isn’t a sports movie. It’s a road trip movie with a supernatural twist (yeah, I would have liked to hear that pitch to the studio executives) but this has incredible amounts of heart. Costner, again, as the everyman Ray Kinsella is faced with the choice of follow his heart or follow reason. In a film like this, the heart wins every time. One of most satisfying ending that now that I’m a little older consistently bring out the waterworks.

———————————————————————————————————————————–

Mr. Brooks – Now it’s not often you can have such a likable actor play a villain and have it work. Well work it did and Costner, like flipping a switch, turned off all the charm he just exudes and became a calculating sociopath. In a match up between Patrick Bateman and Earl Brooks, I’d bet the farm on Brook. Chilling and so evil it’s good this flat out amazes me.

———————————————————————————————————————————–

Dances with Wolves – Great epics don’t come along very often and this really is one for the ages. But this movie is no joke and is as impacting as it is long. You really want to enjoy this? Then cancel your appointments and pack a lunch…and maybe dinner too depending on when you start it. A 4 hour sweeping drama has surprising amounts of nothing going on, but this will still keep you riveted to the screen. Costner not only does a hell of a job on screen but off it to serving as Director. All the effort paid off and won him a good number of deserving Oscars. Damn this is just an astounding film and one of my favorite epics of all time.

———————————————————————————————————————————–

For Love of the Game – Sam Raimi really stepped away from genres he is known to makes this very emotional and touching film. Another in what could be called a series of Costner sports films, here KC plays the lead (again) in a baseball movie (again) except this movie is much more emotional and less about “look at me, I’m the hero in this film”. Its a love story told in flashbacks and is as sweet as it is touching. Still not as emotional as Field of Dreams but it comes close. KC really drives this home…but then again, doesn’t he always?

———————————————————————————————————————————–

Tin Cup – Oh the tale of likable, happy go lucky, “nothing bothers me” golf has-been Roy ‘Tin Cup’ MacAvoy. Now that I think about it, this movie should get more playing time in my house. But this is the one film that I think shows how KC would act in real life…just a fun loving and, at times, wise-ass kind of guy. Costner plays so well off just about anybody. Some of his exchanges with Cheech Marin keep me laughing for days as well as his one liners.

———————————————————————————————————————————–

Wyatt Earp – In what is the lesser appreciated story of the famous law man (I mean it is hard to beat the Kurt Russell film) Costner shines in this thoughtful and yet darker approach to the event leading up the infamous events at the OK Corral. I’ve heard people call it boring and compared to Tombstone I will agree with you, but while Kilmer makes the best Doc Holiday, Costner makes the best Earp. Although no one will ever be the better Jack Burton Mr Russell…that’s all you.

———————————————————————————————————————————–

Silverado – This is the “young Costner Western” (at least that’s what I call it) and is what I believe set him on his quest to make that Oscar Winning other Western of his. Sure this is pretty much Danny Glover and Kevin Klein’s vehicle but with Costner in the supporting role it allowed him to have some fun and yuck it up. Its a different film in his resume but one where he is just fun to watch.

———————————————————————————————————————————–

Fandango – I figured I’d finish this off with his earliest films. Only recently seeing this I didn’t have nostalgia as a factor and as a result I really enjoyed it outright. Costner is the perfect everyman and someone you could see doing what you’d do in the situations. One great buddy film/road trip movie, this also features some great music and this is KC’s first film with friend and fellow filmmaker Kevin Reynolds. The two later teamed up for Robin Hood, and though these films share nothing in common, take it as useless trivia for your next dinner party.

———————————————————————————————————————————–

So while I’d love to turn this Top 10 into a Top 20, I’ll simply close this with a few candidates in the Honorable Mention category. While I could say “anything except 3000 Miles to Graceland” and yes, that list would include Waterworld, I’ll limit it to 3: The Guardian (Off the Shelf review coming soon), The Upside of Anger and The Untouchables. Those are additional films I love to watch when I’m in a Costner mood.

How about you?? What are your favorites?? Anyone excited about his upcoming films, The Company Men and Learning Italian or A Little War of Our Own??