The Postman

The Postman is a 1997 post-apocalyptic Kevin Costner film based on the David Brin book by the same name. I loved the book. The movie was not well-received by critics, but I enjoyed it. It's long, but it didn't feel long to me as I watched it. So shoot me. It's not the first time and won't be the last that I love a film panned by Those Who Know.

trailer:


Moria gives it a nice 4-star rating and says,

What most of the critics fail to credit is that the film is a powerful piece of storytelling. It marshals myth on a grand scale – the myth of the greatness of the American nation, the myth of the reluctant hero, the myth of the basic goodness of ordinary American people, and the myth of redemption and restoration of the country...

SFGate says, "The dragging pace is one of several agonizing defects in this bloated sci-fi action drama" adding, "But to give Costner his due, the movie seems an earnest effort with noble intentions. And thanks to the grand scenery, it's consistently attractive visually." Roger Ebert calls it "good-hearted" and says,

parables like this require their makers to burn their bridges and leave common sense behind: Either they work ..., in which case everyone involved is a genius, or they don't--in which case you shouldn't blame them for trying.

Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 9% score. Sad.