A Perfect World

Written by: John Jay Hancock Starring: Kevin Costner, Clint, TJ Lowther, Laura Dern

A great picture of stunning simplicity and impact. Costner, dripping star power, is extraordinary, and so is Lowther as the little boy drawn into Costner's world. Clint directs the brilliant script by Hancock with a fine eye and a perfect sense of timing and pace. The film is so good I feel quibbly about criticizing anything; if there is a weak link it's Dern's underwritten role and Clint's own performance--not bad but just a 1963 version of the aging hero he played in In the “Line of Fire.” It was original then but has lost its edge. Still, that's nitpicking; the film is a must see. A sad, funny, gripping tragicomedy that is also very real. (12/8/93)