A Perfect World (1993)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
An escaped convict kidnaps a young boy and takes him on a journey across the Texas landscape.
The story
In 1963 Texas, convicts Robert "Butch" Haynes and Terry Pugh escape from a state penitentiary. While searching for food, Terry enters a home where eight-year-old Phillip Perry lives with his mother and sisters. Butch intervenes to stop Terry's behavior and kidnaps Phillip to use as a hostage for their escape. The two men begin driving north, but after Butch shoots Terry to ensure their safety, he finds himself drawn into a fatherly role for the young boy. Meanwhile, Texas Ranger Red Garnett leads a team to intercept them before they cross the state border.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1963 Texas, convicts Robert "Butch" Haynes and Terry Pugh escape from a state penitentiary. Butch kidnaps eight-year-old Phillip Perry to use as a hostage. After Butch shoots Terry to prevent him from harming Phillip, the two continue north. During the journey, Phillip experiences a sense of freedom and begins to bond with Butch, who provides the fatherly presence Phillip never had. They eventually encounter a farmer, Mack, who abuses his grandson; Butch intervenes and beats Mack, but Phillip shoots Butch in the stomach to stop the violence. Phillip eventually leaves Butch and runs toward his mother. Red Garnett, the Texas Ranger in pursuit, discovers Butch's history as a youth he once arrested. Red intends to resolve the situation peacefully, but an FBI agent mistakes Butch's gestures for a threat and shoots him, killing him. Phillip is reunited with his mother, carrying Butch's most prized possession, a postcard from Alaska.
- First release year
- 1993
- Runtime (minutes)
- 138
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Clint Eastwood
- Writers
- John Lee Hancock · writer; Clint Eastwood · writer (uncredited)
- Cast and characters
- Kevin Costner · Robert "Butch" Haynes; Clint Eastwood · Chief "Red" Garnett; Laura Dern · Sally Gerber; T. J. Lowther · Phillip "Buzz" Perry; Jennifer Griffin · Gladys Perry, Phillip's mother; Keith Szarabajka · Terry Pugh; Leo Burmester · Chief Deputy Tom Adler; Bruce McGill · Paul Saunders, governor's aide
- Genres
- crime thriller; drama
- Themes
- masculinity; fatherhood; freedom; justice
- Tone and mood
- haunting; ambiguous; gritty; emotional
- Premise and plot tags
- crime drama; road movie; hostage situation; child abduction
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim for its acting, directing, and themes, though it was not a box-office success in North America. It is considered one of Eastwood's best films by some critics.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 78% · review count: 32; Metacritic · score: 71 · scale: 100 · review count: 24; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- Steven Spielberg was interested in directing the film but was unavailable due to Jurassic Park.; Laura Dern heard about the project and was subsequently cast as Sally Gerber.; The idea for Phillip's Casper costume came from a childhood memory of the screenwriter's brother.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…