By Ray Bennett
I’ve been a fan of Kevin Costner, who turns 70 today, since ‘Silverado’ and I’ve liked most of his movies since then even ‘Waterworld’. I was pleased to find that he’s good company back in 2003. He took time out from shooting Mike Binder’s ‘The Upside of Anger’ in London to pay tribute to Paul Newman and his 1967 film ‘Cool Hand Luke’ (pictured below) at an Indyssey Entertainment’s Grand Classics charity screening.
The monthly movie tributes at the Electric Cinema on Portobello Road in Notting Hill, co-sponsored by Sky Movies, benefitted the British Film Institute and featured filmmakers speaking about films they treasured.
Mike Binder, a friend of my good L.A. pal John De Simio, introduced me to Costner at the event. “It’s very difficult trying to occupy the place that Newman, and people like Gary Cooper, Spencer Tracy and Steve McQueen filled,” Costner told me. “These are the men whose shoulders we stand on.”
He joked that today test-screen audiences would insist that Newman’s character had to live at the end of “Cool Hand Luke” – “Studios used to be run by entrepreneurs. They made movies they loved and they didn’t change endings. They don’t love their movies today the way they used to.”
Speaking of his about-to-be released western ‘Open Range”, Costner said: ‘It’s not in fashion, especially if you’re trying to make a “comeback”. I don’t feel that way but I’ve heard it said. I’ve had very high and very low moments trying to make original movies. Trying to make an original movie is really hard and whenever I watch a classic movie, I realise that I have to do better.’