A 2001 action thriller saw Kevin Costner make a bold attempt to shatter his good guy typecasting, but it was destined to fail. Costner had one of the all-time movie star runs during the late 1980s and 1990s, starring in projects that were both box-office hits and earned critical kudos. Kevin Costner movies like The Untouchables, JFK and Dances with Wolves made it look like he was, well, untouchable. Sadly, the perceived failure of his 1995 blockbuster Waterworld dinged his reputation, and many of his follow-ups like 3000 Miles to Graceland or For Love of the Game also disappointed.
Of course, this is the narrative arc of most A-lister actors, who will have a run of success before an inevitable decline. In many cases, they will have a comeback that reminds everybody how great they can be. Costner has had several of those projects, with Yellowstone being the most obvious example. Even though Costner’s John Dutton is willing to break the law or commit murder to protect his land in the Paramount series, audiences still see his character as heroic.
3000 Miles To Graceland Saw Kevin Costner Trying To Shatter His “All-American” Image By Playing A Villain
In 3000 Miles to Graceland , Costner plays a bloodthirsty criminal named Murphy, who is willing to kill whoever stands in his way – or sometimes just for the sheer fun of it.
Moving into the 2000s, Costner badly wanted to shake up his screen image. To that end, he signed up for 3000 Miles to Graceland, a violent heist thriller where a group of thieves robs a casino during an Elvis convention. Armed with a great premise and co-star Kurt Russell getting to play Elvis again (sort of), the film looked like a surefire winner; on paper, at least. Talking to EW (via ABC News) before the film’s 2001 debut, Costner said he wanted 3000 Miles to Graceland to shake off his squeaky clean image as “that Field of Dreams guy.”
Indeed, most of Costner’s roles for the prior two decades had been as clean-cut heroic figures, including Robin Hood and Wyatt Earp. In 3000 Miles to Graceland, Costner plays a bloodthirsty criminal named Murphy, who is willing to kill whoever stands in his way – or sometimes just for the sheer fun of it. Costner also told EW he hoped the movie’s violence would be controversial. From the film’s Tarantino-inspired quippy dialogue to its John Woo-infused action, it was simply unlike anything Costner had tried before.
It’s a real shame that 3000 Miles to Graceland was also a mess. The heist should have been the focus, but instead, it only makes up the first act. It then becomes a meandering road trip, where Russell’s good-hearted criminal Michael makes off with the heist money and is pursued Terminator-style by Costner’s vengeful villain. Costner is a total blast in 3000 Miles to Graceland and indeed shatters his heroic image, but the film only earned a dire 15% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed less than $20 million worldwide (via The Numbers).
Costner & Kurt Russell Feuded Over 3000 Miles To Graceland’s Tone
One of the selling points of 3000 Miles to Graceland was the pairing of Costner with Kurt Russell. Both were big names in the ’80s and ’90s, though by 2001 they were coming off the back of some underperformers. They also famously played Wyatt Earp in competing projects, with Russell’s Tombstone beating out Costner’s Wyatt Earp. Casting them as friends turned enemies gave the heist thriller some meta-tension, but the two actors later disagreed over the movie’s focus.
It was reported in late 2000 that Russell and Costner edited different cuts of 3000 Miles to Graceland, with the studio testing both to see which scored higher. Russell’s version was more comedic and made the romance between his and Cox’s characters the focus, while Costner’s edit was more violent and action-packed. The movie’s writer/director Demian Lichtenstein reportedly had no issue with this, and Costner’s cut was declared the winner after scoring higher during test screenings.
3000 Miles To Graceland’s Failure Spoiled Costner’s Villain Ambitions
Costner was considered one of the best things about 3000 Miles to Graceland, but the film was quickly forgotten. Fans of the actor owe the thriller at least a curiosity viewing, since it’s possibly his loosest, funniest performance. He was clearly having a blast inhabiting such a vile character, but it was another flop in an unfortunate run, including his 1997 epic The Postman. In the aftermath of 3000 Miles to Graceland’s failure, Costner went back to more heroic parts in films like Open Range.
His role as Murphy didn’t alter his career the way he hoped, though he played another villain in 2007’s Mr Brooks. This cast him as the titular character, an upstanding businessman who has a murderous alter ego, with his id being embodied by William Hurt’s Marshall.
