What a Character

I have a confession to make. When things get tough, I don’t always seek solace in my friends, family, or even my husband. In fact, there is another man.

I am not proud of this truth, but it’s time I own up to it. You see, in times of emotional overload I find myself turning to Kevin Costner. Well, not Kevin Costner exactly…Kevin Costner films.

Until fairly recently, I never thought of myself as much of a fan of the actor let alone acknowledged his filmography as an anodyne. I’m not sure how it happened (that’s what they always say, isn’t it?), but over the years it became clear. No matter how bad things are, a good Costner flick is sure-fire means to make things better for 2 hours...or more in the case of JFK.

While I’d be hard pressed to name a favorite overall film (because the honest answer is “it depends”), there is certainly one thing I can rank. Three things, actually. And those are the “Top 3 Kevin Costner Characters I’d Fall for in Real Life.”

So without further build up, I bring you this list borne out of boredom with the nonmovie-like constraints of everyday living.

3. Jim Garrison* (JFK): I not only dig the Ronsirs, sir, but the worldview you see through them: shit yeah, it’s a conspiracy! You’re a seeker of Truth & Justice. You can recognize faults in the system, but still believe in its principles. You have faith, but will never drink the Kool-Aid. As a natural leader and maverick, you possess bold ideas and the ability to execute them (prosecutor joke). But while your tenacity is a turn-on, you seem all too susceptible to the slippery slope into all-out stubbornness. Plus, you overwork your staff. Pass.

2. Ray Kinsella (Field of Dreams): What is not to love? You are warm, loving, nurturing, and know when to follow your intuition. You are the catalyst for second chances: yours, your family’s (even the dead ones), Mann’s, Moonlight Graham’s, Shoeless Joe’s, etc. And, Goddamn it, you love you some baseball. My only hesitancy is that sans supernatural intervention, you would have eventually grown deeply dissatisfied with your life. We can’t go around depending on the supernatural, can we? And you kinda did put your livelihood at risk with all that dream-chasing. What if the “voice” turned out to be complications from a brain tumor? Oooh, I smell an alternate ending.

1. Crash Davis (Bull Durham): Ah, yes...the intelligent, witty, sexy catcher who’s a straight-shooter to boot. Bet you didn’t see this coming. You’re a man of knowledge and experience but, more importantly, experiences. You accept your lot as the “player to be named later” today with an understanding that you are working for tomorrow. No doubt you’ll be back in the “show”...as a manager. And that suits you better anyhow. You teach without preaching and you can make your point understood even to the numbest of skulls. You’re cool on the surface, but inside you’re white-hot with passion about what matters to you. Oh, Crash...your character is probably just as “realistic” as Ray Kinsella’s, but with a mouth that can (at the very least) dish dialog like this, who gives a shit?

We all deserve a bit of fantasy.

* Yeah, I know this is based on a real person. This analysis applies strictly to the movie Garrison.