Few actors have enjoyed Kevin Costner’s success. The Academy Award winner has entertained audiences since the mid-1980s and has amassed quite a portfolio, which you can view below by taking a look at the best Kevin Costner movies. While he has had his share of blemishes during his lengthy career, Costner always seems to bounce back with a strong performance or directorial work that reminds you why he’s ranked among the most popular stars of his generation.
His latest venture, the epic western Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, is now in theaters and is an exciting, old-fashioned throwback to classic filmmaking. If you head out to see Horizon and desire more Costner greatness, I’ve compiled a list of the actor’s best movies in order of year of release.
Bull Durham (1988)
By the time he starred in Ron Shelton’s sports classic Bull Durham, Costner was already a star. As Crash Davis, the experienced minor league catcher assigned to mentor an aspiring pitcher (Tim Robbins), Costner exudes the relaxed charisma that would characterize his career and propel him to superstardom. There’s a reason Bull Durham lingers in the public psyche as one of the great sports films — it offers an authentic, witty, and even romantic look at the nuances and struggles of life in the minors, which is also why it makes out list of the best Kevin Costner movies.
Field of Dreams (1989)
Costner’s big break arrived in the 1985 Western Silverado, a role that landed him starring gigs in The Untouchables, No Way Out, and the aforementioned Bull Durham. From the mid-80s until the early 90s, Costner was king, capable of carrying romantic comedies and dramatic thrillers without breaking a sweat.
In 1989, almost as if to prove his unstoppable abilities, he climbed aboard Phil Alden Robinson’s Field of Dreams and once again proved his mettle as everyman Ray Kinsella, who builds a baseball field at the behest of a mysterious voice. His actions allow the great “Shoeless” Joe Jackson to return from the afterlife to play baseball again alongside other former disgraced ballplayers.
Ostensibly a spiritual odyssey about fathers and sons wrapped in good old-fashioned American, Field of Dreams remains one of my all-time favorite motion pictures. The last third is pure cinema. What a score by James Horner!
Dances with Wolves (1990)
Never one to back down from an impossible challenge, Costner decided to take his talents behind the camera for the western epic Dances with Wolves. Another motion picture gem, this stirring blockbuster follows Lieutenant John Dunbar (Costner) as he attempts to build a relationship with a Sioux tribe during the Civil War. Costner took home Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director for his efforts, and rightfully so. Dances with Wolves is a stunning achievement with a powerful message about love, friendship, and acceptance. It’s old school in the best possible way and easily the actor’s most accomplished creative venture. Not only is it one of the best Kevin Costner movies, it also features an incredible score by John Barry!
JFK (1991)
Hot off the heels of Oscar glory, Costner teamed up with Oliver Stone for the controversial thriller JFK, which examines John F. Kennedy’s assassination from the perspective of New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison. Stone leans hard into the conspiracies surrounding JFK’s death and presents several thought-provoking ideas to ensure viewers walk away with a more cautious view of the government. Still, the maestro also presents a captivating thriller loaded with stars, including Academy Award nominee Tommy Lee Jones, and features creative editing that ramps up the intensity and places viewers amid a deadly conspiracy. What a score by John Williams!
Tin Cup (1996)
Another favorite of mine, Tin Cup, reteams Costner with Bull Durham director Ron Shelton. Except this time, the dynamic duo tackles the complex world of golf. Costner stars as the titular Tin Cup, a former pro golfer-turned-burnout vying for the affections of a psychologist (Rene Russo). Armed with a sharp script and a solid supporting cast, including scene-stealer Cheech Marin and the always-capable Don Johnson, Tin Cup offers a unique deconstruction of the sports myth, told from the perspective of a man striving for love and happiness in a dog-eat-dog world — the latest of the best Kevin Costner movies.
BONUS: Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
Yeah, yeah, Robin Hood is dumb, and Costner was obviously miscast in the role. But man, Kevin Reynold’s high-spirited adventure is a lot of fun. It helps to have an exceptional Alan Rickman to chew up the scenery and a bevy of supporting talent, including Morgan Freeman and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. Ignore Costner’s surfer-bro accent, and you’ll have a blast with Prince of Thieves.
