Genre Grandeur – The Postman (1997) – MovieRob

For this month’s next review for Genre Grandeur – Dystopian Movies, here’s a review of The Postman (1997) by me

Thanks again to James of Back to the Viewer for choosing this month’s genre.

Next month’s Genre has been chosen by S.G. Liput of Rhyme and Reason.  We will be reviewing our favorite fantasy/sci-fi animated movies (non-Disney or Pixar) . Please get me your submissions by 25th May by sending them to animated@movierob.net  Try to think out of the box! Great choice S.G.!

Let’s see what I thought of this movie:

“You made Mrs. March feel like she could see again. You made Ford believe he was part of something. You give out hope like it was candy in your pocket. ” – Abby

Number of Times Seen – At least 5 times  (9 Jan 2000, DVD and 27 Apr 2015)

Brief Synopsis – A drifter in a post apocalyptic US inadvertently inspires hope when he finds a postal worker uniform and begins to reestablish a new mail carrier system.

My Take on it – I realize that I’m in the minority when people discuss the level of enjoyment of this movie.

It was panned by most critics and moviegoers alike, but being a fan of movies that inspire hope and redemption when faced with despair, I cannot deny how much I enjoy watching this movie because of it’s patriotic message.

This movie is long and probably a few scenes could be cut out, but to me at least, it doesn’t feel drawn out at all and I felt that just about every scene had a part in telling the overall story.

Kevin Costner isn’t the most lauded actor/director around, but no one can claim to think that he doesn’t know how to make a epic movie properly.  It’s interesting how many similarities there are between this movie and Dances With Wolves (1990) and it’s understandable how Costner could have been drawn to both of these movies.

I find it quite funny that part of the underlying message of the movie is about a yearning for a new and improved government after a devastating war or disaster.  It’s ironic that this movie takes place in 2013 and the symbolism is there regarding changing political party-lines and conservatism despite the movie being made in 1997.

Bottom Line – Long movie, but still done well. Costner really knows how to direct epic movies with messages of hope in seemingly hopeless situations. The symbolism and irony isn’t lost when there is a yearning for a new and improved governmental system in a world filled with chaos.  Highly Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – At one point, this was in development as a project for Ron Howard, with Tom Hanks set to star. (From IMDB)

Rating – Oscar Worthy

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