"I’m gonna out Kevin Costner right now," Dane Cook told PopWatch earlier this week. "He’s one of the funniest people I’ve ever been around."If you’re wondering why the standup king has been around Costner, it’s because they costar in the June 1 serial-killer thriller Mr. Brooks. Costner (pictured, in character) plays a businessman who murderscouples at the urging of his imaginary friend (William Hurt); Cook plays a peeping Tom who coincidentally snaps pictures of thelovebirds at the moment of their demise, then blackmailsBrooks into teaching him the killer craft. While we’re still digesting the deliciousness of Costner playing a psychopathic serial killer, Cook is already thinking of Costner’s next potential unexpected turn: the comic role he’s writing for him.
The film, set up at the Weinstein Company, is called Ex-Family. "The basic premise is a guy falls in love with a girl. Her whole family ends up falling in love with him. He gets cold feet, breaks up with the girl, and instead of just her becoming the crazy ex, the whole family makes his life miserable because they all want him back," Cook says. "If Costner will play her father…"Before you play Armchair Agent and tell us whether you think Costner should take Cook up on the offer, hear the comic out.
"[Here's] a story that I love to tell my friends," Cook begins. "Thefirst time I ever felt comfortable enough to bust his balls, we werefilming this scene all night in a car with William Hurt. We weretalking about conspiracy theories or something and all really gettin’into this conversation, and then suddenly [Costner] brought up themovie The Postman and went on this eight-minute epic story.William and I are just listening for five, six, seven, eight minutes.’The Postman does this and dadada.’ He finally got to the endof the story — ‘And that’s why that happened…’ — and I just took abeat and then went, ‘When does that come out?’ [Laughs] Hisreaction was like just what you would want. The first thing he said was[shouts] ‘You motherf—er!’ And then he was just laughing so hard. Allnight long, he just kept jabbing me: ‘I can cut you out of this movie,man.’ But he was so cool to accept it, and so funny, that I was like,’Man, I’ve always been a fan, but I really want to see you domore like you’re doing now…’ I told him I’d write something with himin mind because he’s a funny cat and people need to see it. Now I knowhow his humor is, so I’ve got my fingers crossed."
One more thing Cook hopes Costner’s future holds: A hosting gig on Saturday Night Live. "I told him, ‘It’s a crying shame you’ve never done SNL.’He won’t do it. I don’t know if it’s fear so much as he’s like, ‘I justdon’t know if they’ll write the right characters.’ But on set, he’llact out voices and become different people. ‘This guy one time…’ He’ssuch a laidback guy, but very, very, very funny."
What do you say, PopWatchers? Assuming the script is better than Rumor Has It…, we’re sold.
Comments (1-20) of 20 Add your comment
It depends, I guess… Is Dane Cook writing the movie or is he adapting it from a script Louis C.K. has already done?
Most of Costner’s best roles have been where he didn’t take himself too seriously: “Silverado”, “Bull Durham”, “Tin Cup”. Conversely, he has usually faltered when he tries to do something “important” like in “Postman” or “Thirteen Days”, which was a great movie in spite of Costner doing the worst Boston accent imaginable (“Untouchables” is the exeception to the serious part of this theory). As long as it’s a good script and he doesn’t have to do an accent (after “Thirteen Days” and “Robin Hood”, he should never be allowed to do accents again), I think a comedy would be good for him.
I have always had a place in my heart for Kevin Costner. I will seriously defend Waterworld as being not that bad. (It really isn’t. Besides they play it on Bravo, like, every other weekend which means SOMEONE must be interested in it.) I don’t think Rumor Has It was that terrible either. Though, I will say The Guardian was inexcusable.
Kevin just needs to unite with Quentin Tarantino a la John Travolta, revive his career, and regain his status as a great actor with quality films.
If Dane Cook is writing it the odds are that it is not going to be a comedy…or funny….or good.
costner is the man.
Since when did Cook become a good judge of one’s comedic ability, considering he isn’t even funny himself.
Since when did Cook become a good judge of one’s comedic ability, considering he isn’t even funny himself.
So true, Cook judging comedy is about as reliable as Paula Abdul juding singing.
I love Costner. He made a few duds but so what? And he was a charming drunk in ‘The Upside of Anger’. He’s not hardy-har-har funny, he’s subtle. The Chris Rocks and Ben Stiller types go for the big obvious lame laughs, but I like the kind that sneak up on you.
Yeah, Costner could do comedy, as long as it’s not something lame and stupid. There’s already plenty of actors doing that junk.
Costner RULES!!!
Dane Cook saying someone is funny is like Hannibal Lecter saying someone’s “a really nice guy”…in that neither one knows a damn thing about it.
Dane Cook literally has an act that goes 10 minutes between jokes. He just yells and prances and pours water bottles on himself for minutes on end…then he steals someones lame joke and goes right back to the high volume showboating.
Getting Comedy Advice from Dane Cook is like asking Anna Nicole what prescriptions you should take.
Dane Cook saying someone is funny is like Hannibal Lecter saying someone’s “a really nice guy”…in that neither one knows a damn thing about it.
Dane Cook literally has an act that goes 10 minutes between jokes. He just yells and prances and pours water bottles on himself for minutes on end…then he steals someones lame joke and goes right back to the high volume showboating.
Getting Comedy Advice from Dane Cook is like asking Anna Nicole what prescriptions you should take.
Kevin can just read the phonebook as far as I’m concerned. I love all of his movies which I think he does take
seriously. His interview on Actor’s Studio remains one of the best to date. He gave the students insightful information and showed viewers a glimpse of himself that we have seldom seen in other talk show formats. The city of Toronto was very excited to have him attend The Toronto International Film Festival. I enjoyed The Guuardian a good story about an oft forgtten group.
Howard, Costner had no accent in Robin Hood.
Love that movie.
Marykate, he was supposed to have an accent, and it faded in and out like crazy (and like most other American members of the cast, except for Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Morgan Freeman and whoever played Friar Tuck).
Costner’s the man! (when he’s not taking himself too seriously as seem to be the case in the instances Cook describes)
And long live Mandi for periodically and randomly posting about Costner.
Go back and rent Tin Cup, Silverado, Bull Durham, and the woefully underrated Fandango. Costner is great in comedic roles and should certainly do more. So should Val Kilmer.
Dane Cook & comedy is the equalivent of a tuxedo with brown shoes.
Don’t know about his comedic ability – but from the picture, it looks like he needs to see a cosmetologist about his skin REAL fast…
Kevin Costner has always been able to carry off comedy, he just likes to get his teeth into meatier things – not always with success. So what if he can’t do accents? Sean Connery does Scottish in every role he plays – ie Scottish/Russian in Hunt for Red October Scottish Irish in Untouchables Scottish/English when playing King Richard in Robin Hood – and no one ever slates HIM for it.
If Costner had made no attempt at an accent at all, it would have been okay. The problem is that SOME kind of accent creeps in every now and then: “I’m Wobin of LocksLAY”.