Kevin Costner enjoys movies, and consequently he tries to make films that he will like, even though the critics and audiences do not always agree with him.
But the star, who said he is not a science-fiction buff, believes audiences will appreciate his new futuristic Western "The Postman" for its story. The film is based on David Brin's 1985 novel of the same name."When I find a great story, I want to make it into a movie," the star said during a press conference in Los Angeles to publicize the movie, which opens nationwide on Christmas Day. "This is definitely a great story.
"What I like about certain films are their situations - how they play out. (Good movies) also have vivid characters and lively dialogue. And I think the types of scripts I seek out have those elements in them."
Then again, the actor/director admits to liking "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery," and believes the costly sci-fi epic "Waterworld," in which he starred, was unjustly maligned by the media.
"What can I say? I guess I've always marched to the beat of my own drummer and tried to make decisions to please myself, not just pander to the critics," said Costner, who calls himself an "unconventional" filmmaker.
Like "Waterworld," the $80 million "Postman" has already taken a beating in media outlets, based both on the track record for Costner's past couple of movies (which haven't exactly set the box office onfire) and for its long running time ("The Postman" clocks in at nearly three hours).
But Costner passionately defends the film's length. "To me, (the length) is just perfect. Frankly, I don't know of any way how I could have made it shorter.
"I guess you could cut out all of the little sidebars, those scenes that give the characters some of their motivations. What would that accomplish, though? My movie might be too long to fit into your dinner plans, but when it's a really good movie, you don't care - you don't want it to ever end."
Besides, he said, no one complained about the length of the last movie he directed and starred in, "Dances With Wolves." The Oscar-winning epic Western, about a disillusioned Union soldier who finds peace with the Lakota Sioux Indians, was more than three hours long.
In fact, Costner believes the character he plays in "The Postman," an unnamed drifter who inspires a town to revolt against a despot when he impersonates a member of the long-lost U.S. Postal Service, has a lot in common with Lt. John Dunbar, his "Dances With Wolves" character. Both are classic examples of the cinematic "loner."
"The loner is a great character in American cinema," he said. "He has no connection with the past and it's interesting how he can't deal with others when they try to get close to him."
Interpersonal relationships are a definite problem for his "Postman" character, whose closest involvement is with his faithful mule, Bill.
As he continues his masquerade as a mail carrier, the character becomes involved with a recently widowed farmer, Abby (newcomer Olivia Williams), and an orphan named Ford Lincoln Mercury (Larenz Tate, from "Menace II Society") who idolizes him and who reorganizes a Pony Express-style mail-relay system.
"Abby and `The Postman' have a very interesting relationship. Their feelings are strong for each other but they keep denying them," Williams said during roundtable interviews in Los Angeles.
Williams, known for her stagework in England, said she was attracted to the part of Abby because she isn't a stereotypical female. (Abby and "The Postman" meet when she asks the handsome stranger to father a child for her and her husband.)
"She's a strong, determined woman who sticks up for herself. She also has a strong, if peculiar, moral code," she said.
Both Tate and Williams noted that there aren't many unknown actors who would turn down a chance to work with Costner on a movie anyway.
One other thing the film shares in common with "Dances With Wolves" is its visual style. Though it is set in the not-too-distant future, "The Postman" actually looks more like a Civil War re-enactment than "Star Wars."
The film takes place in the year 2013, when wars have reduced mankind to a more primitive state. Modern conveniences, such as telephones, automobiles and television, no longer exist. And according to Costner and his co-star, Tate, the premise isn't too far-fetched.
"We should be ashamed of ourselves for not being grateful for all of our blessings," Costner said. "But unfortunately you usually don't miss something until it's gone."
The movie "shows us that we should not take for granted the things we have today," Tate said in a separate interview. "We don't know what the future holds, but if anything, I think the movie shows that we don't have to have war and greed to survive."