“Happy Birthday” Kevin Costner On January 18, 1955, Kevin Costner is born in the United States. He is a well-known actor, filmmaker, and musician. Among other things, he has won two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two SAG Awards.
Kevin Costner is without a doubt one of the most talented performers working today. with many people engaged in heated online discussions about them. Fortunately, we’re here to discuss all of those films at the same time as we honor a man who has accomplished more in a single lifetime than some have in many. To honor Kevin Costner’s 67th birthday, we’ve compiled a list of ten of his most hit films.
We take a look at his top films and television shows.
1. Silverado (1985)
Silverado is a good time with an intriguing storyline and a wide cast in what was for some Costner’s first prominent performance. Four unfairly done cowboys ride into Silverado, each with a particular chip on their shoulder, to pay their dues, earn their riches, and reclaim what is rightfully theirs. After having his sequences deleted from the 1980s success of The Big Chill, director/writer Lawrence Kasdan promised Costner that he would make it up to him with this film. The character he landed was the most bizarre and entertaining we’ve seen Costner play (aside from the less well-received Fandango from the same year), and it made many viewers wonder, “Who was he and when can I see him again?”
2. The Untouchables (1987)
Sean Connery won an Oscar for his performance in Brian De Palma’s sweeping gangster epic, and Kevin Costner and Andy Garcia got their big breaks. Costner plays Elliott Ness, the crusading Treasury Officer at war with the bootleggers in 1930s Chicago, opposite a baseball-wielding Robert De Niro as Al Capone. Costner is the perfect contrast, the silent crusader caught in a maelstrom of blood, guns, and drink, with an evocative score by Italian composer Ennio Morricone, Connery at his irascible best, and visual stylist extraordinaire De Palma at the top of his game.
3. There’s No Way Out (1987)
A once again outstanding cast is emphasized by an extraordinarily well-written story that twists and turns in all the right ways in the thrilling and multi-faceted action thriller No Way Out. Navy Lt. Tom Farrell (Costner) is subjected to a witch hunt after cold, calculating politician David Brice (Gene Hackman) inadvertently kills his eccentric and gorgeous mistress Susan (Sean Young). This film is masterfully thrilling and intriguing to a startling degree in what could be considered numerous genres – romance, thriller, drama, action, criminal, espionage, political, and so on. Despite acting in nine films between 1985 and 1989, Costner offers one of his strongest performances, sealing his place in film history as one of the greats of the 1980s and securing parts for years to come.
4. Bull Durham (1988)
Bull Durham follows players in the minor leagues as they teach us that baseball is about more than simply playing it. It is his strongest and most real performance, as well as a smart film overall. Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon) has a tradition of selecting one Durham Bulls player each season and teaching them the ways of romance and literature in order to improve their baseball performance, but she runs into trouble when she meets minor league veteran Crash Davis (Costner), who throws her entire strategy off with his no-nonsense approach. With outstanding performances by Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, and Tim Robbins, we are immersed in a romantic comedy that transcends the genre. Costner’s performance is so amusing, charming, and sincere that it makes for his most memorable and finest film to date, aside from its creative screenplay and original plot.
5. Dances with Wolves (1990)
Dances with Wolves is a western-style civil war drama that is one of Costner’s best performances and arguably his best-directed picture. It might be seen as a love letter to the American frontier and a bygone period. When a Civil Battle officer, John Dunbar (Costner), witnesses the horrors of war and the devastation his people create, he decides to spend the rest of his life with a Native American tribe. The narration and sequence of events are beautiful and exciting to participate in from the perspective of this lost and recovered-in exile Lt. Dunbar. While the acting in this picture is excellent (especially Costner’s, because he is the main focus), he makes a stunning directorial debut with what will undoubtedly be his best film since The Postman, which was not well received.
6. Field of Dreams (1989)
Field of Dreams is a wonderful narrative of an Iowa farmer inspired to create something extraordinary, dubbed “my generation’s A Wonderful Life” by the guy himself (Costner). When Ray Kinsella (Costner) receives inspiration from a distant voice saying, “If you build it, he will come,” (Mandela Effect: “If you build it, they will come,”) he is forced to turn his ordinary cornfield into a baseball diamond. We see the vision of a guy motivated by what some termed craziness but which turns out to be one of the most fanciful baseball movies of the century, based on the 1982 novel Shoeless Joe, which is largely based on a true storey. Costner is a terrific fit for this part, and it’s difficult to imagine anyone else making this film as enjoyable and satisfying as he does.
7. The Bodyguard (1992)
While some may be surprised that The Bodyguard is on the list at all, for those who appreciate the performances and chemistry between the two stars, it is a guilty pleasure. Rachel Marron (Whitney Houston) is a huge pop artist who has amassed a fervent and dangerous fan base, causing her to employ former secret service agent Frank Farmer (Costner) as her personal bodyguard. While this film accomplishes its goals as a theatrical romance drama, it has been met with mixed reviews. Nonetheless, the undeniable chemistry between Costner and Houston, as well as Costner’s laid-back yet cool portrayal, are what elevate this film. Not to mention the well-crafted storey by veteran screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, who has collaborated with Costner on many of his most memorable performances.
8. JFK(1991)
Costner stars alongside Gary Oldman, Jack Lemmon, and Tommy Lee Jones as New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison, who is tasked with uncovering the truth behind President John F. Kennedy’s killing. The notoriously divisive film, directed by Oliver Stone, courted controversy by accusing then-Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson of complicity. The director was accused by American publications of distorting historical facts in order to ensure the film’s success.
9. Tin Cup (1996)
Tin Cup is a golf film about love, pride, and (of course) a comeback, with a beautifully crafted script and a strong ensemble of characters. Roy McAvoy (Costner) is a washed-up, trailer-dwelling former pro golfer who chooses to compete for the PGA Tour title after meeting his rival’s lovely fiancée and attempting to win her heart. This is a terrific go-to for a good time if you want to watch Costner in a great, funny, and distinctive performance. This DVD, a staple for recreational golfers everywhere, will have you playing entire courses with just your 7 iron to see how far you can get.
10. Yellowstone (2018 – present)
As John Dutton, a sixth-generation patriarch owning the United States’ largest continuous ranch, a grizzled Costner embraces old age. This modern Western stars Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, and Wes Bentley as Dutton’s dysfunctional family, and was written by Taylor Sheridan, who also wrote Sicario and Hell or High Water. It’s dramatic, gritty, and violent as the Duttons attempt to defend their property from those who threaten it.
