debuted at a time when the public image and reputa-
tion of the sciences in the United States was begin-
ning to recover from serious criticisms leveled
against them in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Technology
had been blamed, with some justice, for causing or
worsening numerous problems of the planetary en-
vironment. The reputation of science, as Sagan de-
scribed it in an interview withRolling Stonemagazine,
was that of a subject that “sounds as if it were the last
thing in the world that any reasonable person would
want to know about....”Sagan, however, viewed hu-
mans as “a way for the cosmos to know itself.” He
contended that science was not only fun but also an
essential and comprehensible element of a chang-
ing global civilization. He thus offered a refreshing
and thoughtful perspective on the place of science
in American culture that proved immensely popular
and durable.
Impact The massive popularity ofCosmosdemon-
strated that the American public was receptive to
quality science education programs. It laid the foun-
dation for both public television and documentary
and scientific cable channels to capitalize on this po-
tential audience, which they did by developing many
other educational science shows during the remain-
der of the 1980’s.
Further Reading
Cott, Jonathan. “The Cosmos.”Rolling Stone, January
8, 1981, 43, 45-46, 48, 50-51.
Head, Tom, ed.Conversations with Carl Sagan. Jack-
son: University Press of Mississippi, 2006.
Sagan, Carl.Cosmos.New York: Random House, 1980.
Robert B. Ridinger
See also Astronomy; Science and technology;
Space exploration; Television.
Costner, Kevin
Identification American actor and filmmaker
Born January 18, 1955; Lynwood, California
In a handful of popular 1980’s movies, actor Kevin
Costner gained the attention and adulation of movie fans,
who saw in him an attractive new face and an attitude of
grace, decency, and danger.
Until the mid-1980’s, Kevin Costner was virtually un-
known in Hollywood, where some dubbed him “the
face on the cutting-room floor.” He had appeared in
a few low-budget movies, a television commercial for
Apple’s Lisa desktop computer, and a few box-office
disappointments. In 1987, however, he starred in
bothThe UntouchablesandNo Way Out, and his career
took off.
Previously, Costner had filmed the low-budgetSiz-
zle Beach, U.S.A., which was made in 1974 but not re-
leased until 1986, after the actor had been featured
in other films. His first lines as a mainstream actor
were in 1982’sFrances, starring Jessica Lange. How-
ever, Costner’s relationship with director Graeme
Clifford became strained, and his scenes were elimi-
nated. Similarly, Costner was part of the ensemble
cast in 1983’sThe Big Chill(his character’s funeral
brings a group of friends together), but his scenes
were considered largely irrelevant to the main plot
and cut. His only appearance in the finished film was
a shot of his wrists as his character’s corpse was
dressed. Costner’s bit parts inOne from the Heart
(1982) andTable for Five(1983) also were removed
prior to those films’ theatrical releases. He did have
a bit part inNight Shift(1982) that made it into the fi-
nal film. His performances in the public-television
dramaTestamentand the filmsFandangoandAmeri-
can Flyers(all released in 1983) also survived. None
of them were hits, nor wasSilverado(1985). However,
in the latter film, directed by Costner’s friend and
Big Chilldirector Lawrence Kasdan, Costner’s sup-
porting performance as a fun-loving cowboy caught
the attention of filmgoers, filmmakers, and critics.
Costner reportedly turned down the lead role in
1983’sWar Gamesand a supporting part in 1986’s
Platoon, but he accepted an offer to star as Elliot Ness
in Brian DePalma’s adaptation ofThe Untouchables,
and the hit film was a breakthrough for him, as he
was compared with Golden Age leading men such as
Gary Cooper and James Stewart. Costner followed
that project with the suspense yarnNo Way Out, co-
starring with Sean Young, Gene Hackman, and Will
Patton. He then starred in two baseball movies,Bull
Durham(1988) andField of Dreams(1989), broaden-
ing his appeal. “Men like him, women love him,”
wroteTimemagazine movie critic Richard Corliss in- By the end of the decade, Costner was bank-
able enough to begin pre-production work and to
scout locations forDances with Wolves(1990), his di-
rectorial debut. The film would earn him a Best Ac-
tor Oscar nomination, as well as the Academy Award
for Best Director, cementing his place in Hollywood.
254 Costner, Kevin The Eighties in America