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Kevin Costner

For Kevin Costner, picking hits is not 'Black or White'

Bryan Alexander
USA TODAY

CARPINTERIA, Calif. — Kevin Costner says he wasn't thinking about current events when he decided to make the movie Black or White.

But it's hard not to see its racial relevance after a string of recent events — from the August shooting of unarmed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., to the outcry earlier this month over a slate of all-white actors being nominated for Oscars.

"I wasn't trying to feel the pulse of the country," says Costner. "But I knew it. If you have your eyes wide open you can see this divide widening, probably more than the 1960s. It's really horrible, if you think about it."

Costner, 60, who has taken artistic risks in the past, says he fell in love with the Black or White script by Mike Binder, and chuckles as he thinks back on his battle to get the film into theaters. It opens Friday. "I'm swinging for the fences again," he says with a smile.

Jillian Estell is Kevin Costner's biracial granddaughter, in a scene from "Black or White."

The movie tells the story of a grieving white widower (Costner) taking solo care of his biracial granddaughter after his wife's death. The drama takes a racially charged turn after the child's African-American grandmother (Octavia Spencer) demands she be brought up by her biological father, leading to a brutal custody battle.

Costner believes his role as the flawed Elliot Anderson, who overcomes his own racial prejudices (he even blurts the N-word), is one way of bringing a dialog to serious social issues.

"It does what a movie can do, it creates a talking point without trying to," he says. "We gotta understand we are all in this together. We do need to move forward."

Costner firmly believes in the film's commercial value. But he had a tough time getting studio backing because of its contentious story line.

"They acknowledged it was good. But, the truth is, they wouldn't make it," he says.

So he and wife, Christine Baumgartner, put down $9 million of their own money to make the film. Not surprising for an actor and filmmaker who has rightfully earned a reputation of taking the hard road and predominantly finding success.

Kevin Costner reflects on his most memorable roles outside his home in Carpinteria, Calif.

"Out there in the world I can be seen as a kook, but I'm not," says Costner. "My problem is, I don't fall out of love with things. If I love them, I love them."

Sitting on the deck at his ocean-side home in Carpinteria, Calif., outside of Santa Barbara, scanning the water for a pod of dolphins that make frequent passes, Costner discusses his body of tough but rewarding work.

The Big Chill (1983): Costner's flashback scenes as the dead friend Alex were cut from the hit film, save for a unrecognizable glimpse of his corpse being dressed. Devastating? Not for 28-year-old Costner. "For me, I knew that was a turning point in my career. I didn't have to be in it," says Costner. "I was really comfortable. For me everything was in motion."

Kevin Costner, right, in a scene from 'No Way Out.'

No Way Out (1987): Costner knew he had broken into stardom with scene-stealing roles in the 1985 Western Silverado. But he needed the leading man breakthrough that came with No Way Out, released right after his hit role as Elliot Ness in The Untouchables.

"It was No Way Out where I wasn't doing the strait-laced thing," says Costner of the R-rated drama featuring the famous tryst in the limousine back seat with Sean Young. "There I make out with the girl, all the stuff that goes with being a leading man. That solidified it. You feel changes in other people. You don't feel a change in yourself."

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991): Costner took on the classic English hero without taking on the English accent — leading to a critical onslaught.

"I didn't go for it. I'm not an idiot. I knew what would happen after that, if you play that straight," says Costner. "I knew I was going to take it on the chin. I had to dig in and fight every day." The film went on to score $390 million at the box office.

"I told that story the best way I could," says Costner. "It was a hard movie, for sure. But I was happy with the outcome."

Kevin Costner in a scene from "Dances With Wolves."

Dances With Wolves (1990) : Passing on a lucrative starring role in The Hunt for Red October, Costner chose the native-American Western epic Dances With Wolves as his first directing stint, putting $3 million of his own money down. "It would have been nice if it was a haunted house thing with six people as your first movie," says Costner. "But (Wolves) is what I fell in love with. I felt armed with the script. It was like a giant secret."

But on the set, the trouble started early -- even the wolf wouldn't cooperate for the camera. "If I can't get the animal to work, I can't call it Dances with Wolves," says Costner. "I had the tiger by the tail. The word was, I didn't know what I was doing."

But he did. Wolves earned Costner his two Oscars — for directing and producing the best picture. "All the planets lined up for that," he says.

Kevin Costner in a computer-assisted battle scene from "Waterworld."

Waterworld (1995): Costner's directorial effort and role as the post-apocalyptic mariner drew his loudest critics, especially with the setbacks and cost overruns from shooting on the water.

"I was swinging for the fences and it was fun to go to that place," Costner says. "But the first moment we started shooting we were over-budget and over schedule. And then the drumbeats started. And of course I went through a divorce (with Cindy Costner). It was a very difficult time."

The budget ballooned to $175 million, a record at the time. The film came out to mixed reviews but ultimately pulled into the black. "I traveled the world with that movie. And I didn't disown it. I know what the flaws of it are. But I love it as a ride," Costner says. "And there's a lot of people really looking at Waterworld in a different way now. It's beloved around the world."

Kevin Costner as New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison demonstrating the "magic bullet" theory in a scene from "JFK."

JFK (1991): Costner, as New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison investigating John F. Kennedy's assassination, was concerned about going too far in the revisionist historical tale. "There were a few things that put us really far out on a limb. I said that I'm not afraid to go out on a limb," says Costner. "Probably one of the reasons why we have not been able to solve this thing is because we cannot get all the truths. It was important for my character not to go so far as saying, 'That did happen.' Instead 'Let's suppose that this happened.' "

Director Oliver Stone agreed. "He didn't dig in and say. 'No, this is the way it was,' " says Costner. The film went on to get eight Oscar nominations.

Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston in a scene from  "The Bodyguard."

The Bodyguard (1992): Whitney Houston showed her full talent range as a pop diva in need of protection. But Costner insisted on no diva behavior. "We made it so that she wasn't going to be able to come to that set with an entourage. I didn't have an entourage, and she couldn't have one," says Costner. "We were going to depend on each other like actors do. She absolutely trusted me."

The movie was a hit. The cultural association between the two stars was further cemented with Houston's 2012 death. "The Bodyguard was a unique moment in time. The world has difficulty separating us now," he says. "She was a star and ultimately a casualty of being a star. It's just sad."

Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon in Bull Durham.

Bull Durham (1988): Ron Shelton's baseball romantic comedy gave Costner "my greatest character" in minor league catcher "Crash" Davis.

"I just love that movie," Costner says. "Even the scene where I am ironing in my underwear when Susan Sarandon comes in. It's such great man-woman stuff and showed the life of a minor leaguer, having to iron his own pants. But if I say that scene is my favorite, I miss 10 others."

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