A Perfect World

A Perfect World is a 1993 American thriller crime drama film directed by Clint Eastwood. It stars Kevin Costner as an escaped convict (Butch) who takes a young boy (Phillip) hostage and attempts to avoid capture on the road.  

Eastwood co-stars as a Texas Ranger (Red) in pursuit of the convict.  Laura Dern also co-stars as a criminologist (Sally) assigned to assist Eastwood's character.

In 1963 Texas, convicts Butch and Terry escape from the state penitentiary. Looking for food, Terry stumbles into a house where eight-year-old Phillip lives with his devout Jehovah's Witness single mother. 

Needing a hostage to aid their escape, Butch kidnaps Phillip. He and Terry continue their getaway.  When Terry attempts to force himself on a half-naked Phillip, Butch shoots him.

Meanwhile, Red, chief of the Texas Rangers, is in pursuit. With criminologist Sally in tow, Red wants to recover Butch and Phillip before they cross the Texas border.

Phillip never participated in Halloween or Christmas celebrations due to his religion. Escaping with Butch, however, Phillip experiences a freedom which he finds exhilarating, as Butch allows him the kind of indulgences he has been forbidden, including the wearing of a shoplifted Casper the Friendly Ghost costume. 

Phillip, with encouragement from Butch, begins to learn how to make independent decisions on what is right and wrong. Butch finds himself drawn into giving Phillip the kind of fatherly presence which he himself never had.  And of course, Phillip bonds with Butch as the male role model he lacks in his life.

I was drawn to this element of the story, the relationship between Butch and Phillip.  It reminds me of what I always wanted: to be the father I never had.

While asleep in their car in a cornfield, they encounter a farmer, Mack and his family. When Butch sees the farmer abusing his grandson, he beats the farmer and plans on killing him.

But Phillip picks up Butch's gun and shoots Butch in the stomach. Phillip runs away, drops the gun into a well, throws the car keys away, and runs across a meadow. 

Butch follows, and rests at the tree Phillip climbed. Phillip apologizes for shooting Butch, who tells him he did the right thing.

At the same time, Red, Sally and a plethora of police arrive nearby.