The year is 2013. One man walked in off the horizon and hope came with him

Starring: Kevin Costner, Will Patton, Larenz Tate, Olivia Williams, James Russo, Daniel von Bargen, Tom Petty, Scott Bairstow, Giovanni Ribisi, Roberta Maxwell, Joe Santos, Ron McLarty, Peggy Lipton, Brian Anthony Wilson, Todd Allen, Rex Linn

DML Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ - above average

"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 

Why watch this? America after World War III. What is there to give survivors a reason to go on?

Plot Summary: In a post-apocalyptic America, a nomadic drifter stumbles upon a United States Postal Service uniform and bag of old mail. He begins impersonating a mail carrier to receive food and shelter from isolated settlements, creating a myth of a restored government and inadvertently inspiring hope in people. This newfound purpose and the postal service he creates draw the attention and ire of a tyrannical warlord.

Dad's Preview: Two years after Costner's massive post-apocalyptic disappointment Waterworld (1995), he returns to the genre with this epic about a wandering Mailman giving people something to believe in. He is both star and director this time, but the results were similar. This effort is ambitious, thought-out and absolutely tries (too?) hard to achieve success. It was a box office flop and swept the Razzies in 1997. I personally feel the film did not deserve its harsh critical bashing. It is an inspiring tale, and I liked that, for once, the end of the world doesn't have to remain a brutal hellscape without hope. Costner's performance brings that to the film. So, in my opinion, with all its drawbacks, The Postman still delivers.

Tig Productions; Warner Bros.