Costner vs. Gibson and Eastwood the Guru

In my passion to understand the value of Kevin Costner and how I have ignored and even mocked his worth as an actor, I have decided that I must explore his relationship with Mel Gibson.

I see their careers as having many similarities. First of all they are very close in age and they have both had movie careers which have turned into Director/Producer/Actor winning them both oscars. They seemed to have both emulated Clint Eastwood, who began as an actor and transformed into a Director/Producer/Actor and an Acadamy Award machine. But Eastwood's path seems to be the most unscathed. He seems to have avoided all contraversy and minimal failure. I almost see Clint Eastwood as their guru. The man they both want to be, but there have been some bumps in the road for both of them trying to attain the success and consistency that Eastwood has attained.

Who is Gibson to Costner?

It is impossible to talk about the greatness of Costner without discussing the collegues he is compared to. The bar that we have been holding him up to. I remember thinking how good of an actor Mel Gibson was in Hamlet. I think Robin Hood came out that same year and I was disappointed. I have found that Costner and Gibson have had comparable careers. Gibson seems to have surpassed Costner in fame and prestige. For some reason though, I don't get the impression that Costner is in anyway bothered by Mel's great success, while his has waned.

Costner has even come to the defense of Gibson:

Costner: Leave Mel Alone [KJL ]

An NBC press release:

BURBANK, Calif. – February 27, 2004– In an interview with "Access Hollywood," actor Kevin Costner says that people "shouldn't be attacking" Mel Gibson for his film "The Passion of the Christ." The interview airs on "Access Hollywood," Friday, February 27, 2004 (check local listings for time and station).

Costner says that Gibson doesn't deserve all the criticism that he is receiving for his film "The Passion of the Christ," which depicts Jesus' last hours. "We shouldn't be attacking a filmmaker like Mel Gibson who, number one, is an honorable filmmaker...and probably questioned himself more than anybody even knows. So, like leave him alone."

I'm wondering if in my quest to understand Costner if I need to understand those he feels are honorable film makers? I see now in order to understand Costner, I also need to understand Gibson.

How can I be more like Costner?

About a month ago I didn't even consider Kevin Costner as a star. I thought of him as a has been, I looked down on Kevin Costner. I thought of him as an egotistical void of narcissism. This is insane since the man has achieved more in his life than I will ever imagine. But I was so put off by his humorless nature, his immature insight and need to make epic films with Tom Petty cameos. I felt removed from him, emotionally detached. I remember a time when I loved Costner. My favorite memory of his films are of his fun loving Jake in Silverado and the insight of hope from Field of Dreams. I have often whispered to myself in challenging times, that if I built something people wanted, that people in fact, would come. I found after having spent time and money on his consistently disappointing performances in movies (especially his robotic love scenes) and after having spent an entire day in the theater watching The Postman, I found my faith and attachment to Costner had been broken.

But all that has changed for me, since Kevin Coster has emerged as someone who cares more about the environment than being a politician. He has become what he has represented in films all along. The loner, the underdog, who in the end delivers what we all need. This time it happened for real. Costner did build the oil separating machine and the BP Disaster did come.

How did I not realize Costner's potential all along? Was I so disappointed with him because he was representative of my shortcomings? How did I lose my way and not realize the potential and greatness of Kevin Coster? How did I not see his Passion?

I am going to retrace the steps of Kevin Costner and try and find what I need to find in my daily life, The Passion of the Coster.

Who is Kevin Costner

Kevin Costner
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search
Kevin Costner Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor, musician, producer, director, and businessman. He has been nominated for three BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Awards, won two Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. Costner's roles include Lt. John J. Dunbar in the film Dances with Wolves, Jim Garrison in JFK, Ray Kinsella in Field of Dreams, and Eliot Ness in The Untouchables.

Kevin Costner's Website