The Postman suffered from its release date. Had it come out the first couple years post-9/11, it would've been seen as an uplifting epic and been a huge hit.
Instead, it came out in the middle of a period of relative discontent with the US, where there was no threat of anything to be lost, where therewas no threat of stability lost, where there was no greatness to see, as people were absorbed in their own lives and oblivious to the wonders of having such a great country. (Yes, the movie is very focused on the US.) As a national epic, it just came out at the wrong time.
There are plenty of bad elements to the film, and the reason why it's a good film and not a great film. The theme is sometimes missing and then returning in a heavy handed way that makes for inconsistency that could've been done better, but it's still a good film. There are cheesy lines, there are characters or their actions that sometimes seem to be a bit forced, but there are others who are completely within the realm of possibility, and some that are very, very believable.
Larenz Tate as Ford Lincoln Mercury is one of the most uplifting, motivating, idealistic characters on film in a long time - his spirit by itself is inspiring. There are several scenes in which he really shines, as his character takes responsibility for his actions.
Will Patton does a truly outstanding job as General Bethlehem. The character is portrayed every bit as you'd expect a character with his backstory to be - done well, and a character whose occasional seeming overacting would be consistent with how the character - a megalomaniac - would really act. Some small touches towards the beginning really set down who the character is.
Kevin Costner is just pretty good. His low-key attitude sometimes comes off as disinterested and not terribly into the role. Costner does have the physical presence to carry off the role, but on occasion he seems just out of it. Sometimes the movie sometimes seems to dwell on Costner too much, even though he is the main character, the changes in the world that he sets in motion are fascinating. He's not bad, he's just good, not great. The other options for leads that were considered would've been far worse. Costner does pull it off well, but he could've put more effort into his own role. Once in a while his own stated motivations (notably at the end) don't seem to have been developed, and it's possible there was something left on the cutting room floor. This goes to the theme as mentioned above and below as well - there may be some scenes that just didn't make the cut that would've expounded on how the theme developed better.
Olivia Williams is excellent through most of the movie, though her role becomes a bit conventional at the end, limiting what she can do. (Incidentally, she's great in "Below", which I highly recommend as a WWII sub movie - but it's best watched without any reviews, and even without looking at the box - it's best viewed totally fresh, with zero foreknowledge. Seriously, don't go look it up, just cue it on Netflix or order it online and don't read about it. It's really, really, really good.)
Tom Petty's role is fantastic. His first few lines, "I was..." are rather haunting, when you sit down to think about it; they convey a lot of the atmosphere of the film, and go far towards reminding you the world of the Postman is very different.
Daniel von Bargen is excellent, and provides a very good foil for Costner to play off towards the beginning of the film. Almost every scene he's in he manages to convey a seriousness and depth that helps ground the film.
Ron McLarty is fantastic. His character is great, and the way he plays into it is great. He's another of the supporting cast that provides atmosphere to the film, conveying the setting even more; he also sets up some great lines that foreshadow a lot of action in a way that is just subtle enough that it's not cheesy at all, but clear enough that the audience can see something big and satisfying is on the way.
The scenery is majestic, the setting is made to be truly epic - often it is, the score is fantastic (though sometimes a bit heavy-handed, but that's okay), editing is good, lighting is used well, and there's some subtle symbolism tossed in every so often to go along with the overt themes. Some of the costuming stands out positively (especially the improvised uniformity of the Holnists and the carriers), while the costuming for pretty much everybody else is slightly overdone - you can tell there was work put into it, but sometimes almost too much.
Overall, the theme is one that may be lost on many folks, and was especially lost at the time. It's a wonderful, patriotic flick that was released at the wrong time. Just remember it's good, not great.
Instead, it came out in the middle of a period of relative discontent with the US, where there was no threat of anything to be lost, where therewas no threat of stability lost, where there was no greatness to see, as people were absorbed in their own lives and oblivious to the wonders of having such a great country. (Yes, the movie is very focused on the US.) As a national epic, it just came out at the wrong time.
There are plenty of bad elements to the film, and the reason why it's a good film and not a great film. The theme is sometimes missing and then returning in a heavy handed way that makes for inconsistency that could've been done better, but it's still a good film. There are cheesy lines, there are characters or their actions that sometimes seem to be a bit forced, but there are others who are completely within the realm of possibility, and some that are very, very believable.
Larenz Tate as Ford Lincoln Mercury is one of the most uplifting, motivating, idealistic characters on film in a long time - his spirit by itself is inspiring. There are several scenes in which he really shines, as his character takes responsibility for his actions.
Will Patton does a truly outstanding job as General Bethlehem. The character is portrayed every bit as you'd expect a character with his backstory to be - done well, and a character whose occasional seeming overacting would be consistent with how the character - a megalomaniac - would really act. Some small touches towards the beginning really set down who the character is.
Kevin Costner is just pretty good. His low-key attitude sometimes comes off as disinterested and not terribly into the role. Costner does have the physical presence to carry off the role, but on occasion he seems just out of it. Sometimes the movie sometimes seems to dwell on Costner too much, even though he is the main character, the changes in the world that he sets in motion are fascinating. He's not bad, he's just good, not great. The other options for leads that were considered would've been far worse. Costner does pull it off well, but he could've put more effort into his own role. Once in a while his own stated motivations (notably at the end) don't seem to have been developed, and it's possible there was something left on the cutting room floor. This goes to the theme as mentioned above and below as well - there may be some scenes that just didn't make the cut that would've expounded on how the theme developed better.
Olivia Williams is excellent through most of the movie, though her role becomes a bit conventional at the end, limiting what she can do. (Incidentally, she's great in "Below", which I highly recommend as a WWII sub movie - but it's best watched without any reviews, and even without looking at the box - it's best viewed totally fresh, with zero foreknowledge. Seriously, don't go look it up, just cue it on Netflix or order it online and don't read about it. It's really, really, really good.)
Tom Petty's role is fantastic. His first few lines, "I was..." are rather haunting, when you sit down to think about it; they convey a lot of the atmosphere of the film, and go far towards reminding you the world of the Postman is very different.
Daniel von Bargen is excellent, and provides a very good foil for Costner to play off towards the beginning of the film. Almost every scene he's in he manages to convey a seriousness and depth that helps ground the film.
Ron McLarty is fantastic. His character is great, and the way he plays into it is great. He's another of the supporting cast that provides atmosphere to the film, conveying the setting even more; he also sets up some great lines that foreshadow a lot of action in a way that is just subtle enough that it's not cheesy at all, but clear enough that the audience can see something big and satisfying is on the way.
The scenery is majestic, the setting is made to be truly epic - often it is, the score is fantastic (though sometimes a bit heavy-handed, but that's okay), editing is good, lighting is used well, and there's some subtle symbolism tossed in every so often to go along with the overt themes. Some of the costuming stands out positively (especially the improvised uniformity of the Holnists and the carriers), while the costuming for pretty much everybody else is slightly overdone - you can tell there was work put into it, but sometimes almost too much.
Overall, the theme is one that may be lost on many folks, and was especially lost at the time. It's a wonderful, patriotic flick that was released at the wrong time. Just remember it's good, not great.