Clint Eastwood and Kevin Costner are among the most defining faces of the Western genre. Although the two stars have dabbled in other premises and varied endeavors, their names often come up in the list of people whose contributions to Westerns have made history.
Kevin Costner’s uber-successful directorial debut, Dances with Wolves, is widely recognized for revitalizing Western filmmaking. Meanwhile, Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven marked the star’s last outing in the traditional Western style before he stepped away from the genre, and Hollywood mostly gave into neo-Western premises.

Clint Eastwood (left) and Kevin Costner (right)
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Both endeavors also made history at the Oscars. However, two years before Unforgiven‘s four-award sweep at the 65th Academy Awards, Costner’s Dances with Wolves and its record-breaking win at the 63rd edition may have paved the way for Eastwood’s 1992 movie to enjoy similar success.
Only a few Westerns have been awarded the Best Picture accolade at the Oscars. Several decades after the first movie in the genre took home the top honor in 1931, Dances with Wolves, in a revolutionary move, did so in 1991. Since then, it has been argued that Costner’s endeavor helped establish the path for Unforgiven‘s triumph.
Kevin Costner And Clint Eastwood’s Westerns Are The Only Few To Win Best Picture Oscar
Dances with Wolves (1990) and Unforgiven (1992)
The only films in the Western genre to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards are Cimarron (1931), Dances with Wolves (1990), Unforgiven (1992), and No Country for Old Men (2007). Only the last entry is in the neo-Western genre. These accomplishments serve as a testament to the high caliber of these films, given how rare it has been for the particular film genre to get recognition at the acclaimed annual ceremony.
There had been a gap of almost sixty years between the first and second film to secure the honor! This underscores the underrated nature of Westerns at the Oscars.
Not only did Kevin Costner‘s Dances with Wolves triumph in breaking a long-standing record and elevating the genre’s reputation at the Academy, but his directorial debut snagged seven awards in total—including Best Director for the Yellowstone alum.
Cimarron (1931)—the first of the four Westerns to win Best Picture Oscar.
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Coincidentally, Unforgiven, an endeavor helmed by Clint Eastwood, won the Dirty Harry star similar achievements at the Oscars. The 1992 pursuit nabbed four total awards, also in the Best Picture and the Best Director categories.
This is how Eastwood’s self-proclaimed last outing in the traditional Western genre became the third endeavor awarded the prestigious honor. However, many believe this wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for Costner’s movie championing the revitalization of the Western genre and winning big at the Oscars after a shocking 60-year gap in the Best Picture category!
The Academy might’ve required some warming up before Unforgiven‘s ultimate triumph, and the Kevin Costner-helmed Dances with Wolves became precisely that. Both endeavors, however, remain legendary in their own right.
One Of Clint Eastwood’s Best Films Starred Kevin Costner
A Perfect World (1993)
Kevin Costner starred in the Clint Eastwood-helmed A Perfect World. In this crime drama, two Hollywood superstars who had previously embarked on their separate acclaimed cinematic adventures, and each won the Best Director Oscar in the early ’90s, teamed up to combine their efforts.
The film was well-received on the critical front, with many citing the endeavor as one of Costner’s finest performances. The story and the star’s embodiment were the defining features of the movie. Some fans and reviewers have also claimed that the 1993 film is among the best Eastwood pursuits. Commercially, the gritty drama struggled in the North American box office. However, it amassed $135 million worldwide against a budget of $30 million.
Kevin Costner and Clint Eastwood in A Perfect World (1993)
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Of the marvelous experience and Clint Eastwood’s guidance, Kevin Costner had the following to say on his and his rock band’s co-shared Twitter account:
“‘A Perfect World’ came out on Thanksgiving weekend thirty years ago. I’ll never forget the impact Clint Eastwood had on me as my director. He’s a true master of his craft, and I’m lucky to have gotten to learn from him on this one.”
Presently, Costner is gearing up for the release of his upcoming project next year, a two-parter, much-anticipated Western dubbed Horizon: An American Saga. Meanwhile, Clint Eastwood is working on Juror No. 2, an upcoming thriller.
Whether or not the two stars wow the Academy with their projects once again remains to be seen.