5 Kevin Costner Western Sagas You Must Watch While Waiting For Actor’s ‘Horizon: The American Saga’

Kevin Costner unveiled his passion project ‘Horizon: The American Saga’ at Cannes amid much fanfare

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Koimoi.com Team
- May 22, 2024 | 12:10 PM IST
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Kevin Costner unveiled his passion project ‘Horizon: The American Saga’ at Cannes amid much fanfare. The first installment of the four-part epic Western saga was received by a standing ovation of around seven minutes.

After his film was given a warm welcome, the Hollywood veteran who is returning to the director’s seat with the movie, said to the applauding crowd, “I’m sorry you had to clap that long for me to understand that I should speak.”

He continued, “Such good people. Such a good moment, not just for me, but for the actors that came with me, for people who believed in me who continued to work. It’s a funny business, and I’m so glad I found it. There’s no place like here. I’ll never forget this — either will my children,” per Variety.

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Kevin Costner and Sienna Miller-starrer Western drama is hitting the theaters in July. in the meantime, you can check out five other Western films starring the ‘Yellowstone’ star that would prepare you for ‘Horizon: The American Saga’.

Let Him Go (2020) (IMDb – 6.7)

Kevin Costner’s neo-western film ‘Let Him Go’ was released during the COVID-19 pandemic and has all the features of a memorable watch. The Thomas Bezucha directorial starring Costner and Diane Lane in the lead roles is the theatrical adaptation of Larry Watson’s 2013 novel of the same name. While ‘Let Him Go’ is a neo-western film, it has all the classical elements of a Western, including its plot and manner of execution.

The film follows the journey of a retired sheriff from Montana, George (played by Costner), and his wife Margaret (played by Lane) to rescue their grandson Jimmy from a dangerous family. After the death of the elderly couple’s son, their widowed daughter-in-law Lorna (played by Kayli Carter) marries a man for security. Little did she know about the perils of marrying the man who would later abuse her. Upon a chance meeting with her former daughter-in-law, Margaret gets wind of the situation. She urges her husband to embark on a mission to bring them back home when Lorna’s new husband flees away with the family.

What ensues next is the tumultuous journey to save Lorna and her son Jimmy from the clutches of the outlawed family.

The Highwaymen (2019) (IMDb – 6.9)

In the 21st century, Kevin Costner appeared in another Western project in John Lee Hancock’s directorial ‘The Highwaymen’. Costner and Woody Harrelson play the roles of two former Texas Rangers Frank Hamer and Maney Gault in the period drama. Set in 1934, Hamer and Gault attempt to track down the infamous criminals Bonnie and Clyde.

Staying true to its title, the film is set across various locations in Missouri, Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma, the buddy-cop thriller follows the journey of the two men in pursuit of the miscreants.

Apart from Costner and Harrelson, John Carroll Lynch, Thomas Mann, Kim Dickens, W. Earl Brown, William Sadler, Kathy Bates, David Furr, and Josh Caras appear in other important roles.

Silverado (1985) (IMDb – 7.2)

One of the first films in Costner’s career and the production that launched Costner into stardom is ‘Silverado’. Though the 69-year-old actor did not headline the film and got a smaller role, his limited screen-timing was enough to endear Costner to the audience.

Recalling his skirt-chasing, gun-wielding character of Jake, Costner once shared with Cowboys & Indians magazine, “Being awarded that part was just a total gift.” He added, “It was a career-making role, a scene-stealing role. It’s like, you always take what you have and you try to stay on focus. But Larry wrote it so beautifully — along with his brother, Mark Kasdan — that the character was designed to just jump off the page.”

Apart from a few gaffes, including his serape blown over by the wind, Costner enjoyed the shooting process. He continued, “I was happy every day in my life out there. I was doing exactly what I knew I was going to be doing after reading the script. So it was just a fabulous time. And it was a fabulous role for me. And I knew what it was going to do for my career.”

Indeed, the film went on to bag two nominations at the 58th Academy Awards.

A Perfect World (1993) (IMDb – 7.5)

Costner’s 1993 classic ‘A Perfect World’ boasts a perfect cast similar to the film’s title. Oscar winner Clint Eastwood partnered with Kevin Costner to narrate the story of convicts Robert “Butch” Haynes (Costner) and Terry Pugh (Keith Szarabajka). Butch and Terry escape from the Huntsville penitentiary in 1963 takes a theatrical turn when they take an eight-year-old boy Phillip Perry (T. J. Lowther) hostage.

Eastwood (essaying the role of a Texas Ranger) joins the pursuit in search of the escaped convicts. The film thus progresses into a tale of redemption as Butch and Perry embark on a journey toward New Mexico.

Dances With Wolves (1990) (IMDb – 8.0)

‘Dances With Wolves’, one of his most successful films, marks his directorial debut. The quintessential Western drama earned 12 nominations at the 63rd Academy Awards, out of which it took home 7, including Best Picture, and Best Director for Costner.

The period drama, adapted from the 1988 novel of the same name by Michael Blake, follows the journey of Union Army Lieutenant John J. Dunbar (Costner) in 1863. Dunbar embarks on a journey to the American frontier – mainly present-day Kansas – with the intention of finding a military post. However, his meeting with the Sioux tribe changed the course of his life and history. Upon meeting them, Dunbar falls in love with the tribe and renounces the American way of living to become an honorary member of the tribe.

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