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A Perfect World

Play trailer Poster for A Perfect World PG-13 1993 2h 17m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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77% Tomatometer 31 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Butch (Kevin Costner), an escaped state prisoner from a Texas jail, kidnaps Philip (T.J. Lowther), a young, impressionable boy. As they embark on a trip across the American Southwest together, a surprising bond grows between the convict and his captive, even as law enforcement forces slowly catch up with them. An honorable Texas Ranger, Red Garnett (Clint Eastwood), understands Butch has a heart of gold, but must pursue him anyway out of duty to the law and a desire to protect the child.
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A Perfect World

A Perfect World

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Critics Consensus

Despite some formulaic touches, Clint Eastwood's haunting, ambiguous crime drama is smart and gritty, and features a bravura performance from Kevin Costner as a prison escapee on the run.

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Critics Reviews

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David Ansen Newsweek 04/07/2008
Hancock's surface-skimming script is too formulaic for the job. There's enough material here for a crisp 90-minute entertainment. At 2+ hours, the leisurely, mildly engaging A Perfect World barely sputters across the finish line. Go to Full Review
Peter Travers Rolling Stone 06/06/2001
In going beyond chase-yarn duty, Eastwood and Costner do themselves proud. Go to Full Review
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 01/01/2000
4/4
This is a movie that surprises you. Go to Full Review
Walter Chaw Film Freak Central 11/26/2013
4/4
It's an American masterpiece. Go to Full Review
John J. Puccio Movie Metropolis 06/08/2012
7/10
It will not please everyone because it presents things in shades of gray and takes few easy outs. Go to Full Review
Peter Canavese Groucho Reviews 06/05/2012
3.5/4
Tells the tale of an escaped convict and his eight-year-old hostage and, in the process, considers the cycles of disappointment wrought on sons by questionable fathers: abusive ones, absent ones, even a well-meaning "daddy state." [Blu-ray] Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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br R @RT77135911 5d One of my all time favorite movies. Outstanding acting, a simple but powerful story. See more bob c @RT46426964 Oct 27 Pretty good chase movie full of ambiguities. See more Jerod S @jeroduptown Sep 12 Languishing story of Costner kidnapping a boy when he escapes from prison. Part crime, part rite of passage and part redemption, it would've been just about right at 90 minutes...not over 2 hours. See more thiago s @Thiagostone Aug 30 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more D L. @LastWord Jun 21 All you need to know this film is absolutely heartbreaking and haunting. Possibly Kevin Costner’s best performance. See more ALEX P @RT40098579 04/16/2025 Impossível ficar indiferente a este filme See more Read all reviews
A Perfect World

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Movie Info

Synopsis Butch (Kevin Costner), an escaped state prisoner from a Texas jail, kidnaps Philip (T.J. Lowther), a young, impressionable boy. As they embark on a trip across the American Southwest together, a surprising bond grows between the convict and his captive, even as law enforcement forces slowly catch up with them. An honorable Texas Ranger, Red Garnett (Clint Eastwood), understands Butch has a heart of gold, but must pursue him anyway out of duty to the law and a desire to protect the child.
Director
Clint Eastwood
Producer
Clint Eastwood, Mark Johnson, David Valdes
Screenwriter
John Lee Hancock
Distributor
Warner Bros., Warner Home Vídeo
Production Co
Malpaso Company, Warner Brothers
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 24, 1993, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 24, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$29.7M
Runtime
2h 17m
Sound Mix
Surround
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