In 1992, Clint Eastwood and the Warner producers visited Kevin Costner at his property in Santa Barbara, California. The purpose of the meeting: To persuade the player to replace Butch Haynes, a bandit who had just escaped from prison in Huntsville, Texas in 1963, a few days before President John Fitzgerald Kennedy visited Dallas. While on the run, this perpetually guilty hitman kidnaps 8-year-old Phillip (TJ Lowther), whose mother is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The dangerous and impulsive man is chased by Red Garnett, the seasoned and determined Texas Ranger whom Clint Eastwood wants to play. The interview is gentle but tense. Cold, as usual, Clint explains to his host that it has to be. “An unpredictable gangster, a real villain: Bodyguard fans might not like this movie…”
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Costner listens, but wonders: Could he be believable in such a counterintuitive role? Because by embodying the sinister Butch Haynes, the former defender of the Indians dancing with the wolves and eye-catching protection protection He risks tarnishing his image as America’s favorite hero. Another pitfall: the actor knows about the unfortunate reputation of his interlocutor, who in his films is a workaholic, hot-tempered and despotic. He shares his doubts with Eastwood, who dispels their uncertainty with a shocking formula, the secret of which he knows: “You’re a good actor. You’ll either be great if you work hard or you don’t work hard enough and it’ll be a disaster.” The quit was enough to convince Kevin Costner: “I’m going to be Butch Haynes!”
dramatic intensity
Filming begins three months later on a road to Austin, Texas. It should continue in the vast fields of South Carolina and Alabama. And there are no walks in the park. Working with the same team for thirty years, Clint Eastwood does not let anything go. Some scenes shot in the passenger compartment of a car between Kevin Costner and the young TJ Lowther are repeated twenty times due to lighting problems. When the star actor proposes a few changes to the script, they are often rejected by an icy director. Costner is making money and isolating himself to work hard on his text and concentrate better all the time. As the days went by, the actor managed to get into Butch Haynes’ head: his gaze became harder, his smiles more mysterious… His acting also gained a dramatic intensity. And when she breaks through the armor and attaches to her young partner, it becomes overwhelming. Clint Eastwood happily witnesses this metamorphosis behind his camera. Conquered at the end of filming, the director pleases Kevin Costner with the most beautiful compliments: “You reminded me of Steve McQueen in some shots…”
A perfect world: Monday 12 June at 21:10 at France 3
Jean-Baptiste Drouet
Source: Programme Television
Joseph Fearn is an entertainment and television aficionado who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for what’s hot in the world of TV, Joseph keeps his readers informed about the latest trends and must-see shows.
