![]() ![]() Butch is unaware of the connection, but it's a decision that haunts Garnett. Garnett’s motivation in aprehending Butch is personal, as it is revealed that he was the arresting officer that detained Garnett in his youth. Is Butch justified, and would Mack’s death even resolve the situation? These aren’t questions an eight-year-old should have to consider, let alone bear responsibility for, but in the tense face-off, Phillip is forced to be the voice of reason.Įastwood casts himself as Texas Ranger Red Garnett, who aims to capture Butch alive before he sparks a conflict with other pursuing authorities. Butch threatens to kill him, and Phillip is forced to evaluate the situation in a split second. As the pair hides at a ranch New Mexico, Butch becomes angered witnessing the violent outbursts that the owner Mack ( Wayne Dehart) inflicts upon his wife. While Phillip takes Butch’s lessons about right and wrong to heart, he also learns that his new father figure often doesn’t follow his own rules. Butch’s supportive words of Phillip are tragically ironic they’re an attempt at replicating a father-son relationship he never had, even if he knows it isn’t sustainable. Fleeing his violent father, Butch had already developed a reputation by the time he was a teenager and served a full sentence after being denied juvenile prison. The words of encouragement come as a surprise, and the scene is more tragic in revealing Phillip’s self-loathing than they are a charming moment of bonding.īutch’s growing interest in Phillip’s development is strengthened as he reveals his own troubled childhood. When Hayne encourages Phillip to have confidence after the boy reveals he’s been bullied, it's not positioned as an out-of-character moment of kindness on Butch’s behalf. His naivete isn’t exaggerated there are more blatant aspects of childhood that Butch is surprised to learn Phillip knows nothing about (such as Christmas or Halloween celebrations), but he’s also secluded from developing self-respect. Phillip was raised in a Jehovah's Witness community by his mother and sisters, and Butch gives him a broader worldview. RELATED: Actually, Western Icon Clint Eastwood Is Better Off When He's Not a Cowboy ![]() Rather, he’s shown a disregard for civility reminiscent of the man he just watched kill his own partner. Phillip steals a ghost costume, but it’s not framed as a cutesy moment. As Butch travels with the boy towards an escape route in New Mexico, he’s steadily impressed by his captive’s inventiveness. It’s a film about trauma that doesn’t heal Phillip and Butch are able to momentarily bond while discussing their pasts, but their realities don’t change as a result. Phillip isn’t utilized to soften the heart of the gruff Butch, nor is Phillip empowered by the dangerous experience. Regret and destiny are themes Eastwood frequently explores, yet A Perfect World is among the most tragic and surprisingly unsentimental films of his career.
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