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Actor promotes film in hometown
Costner taking a trip down memory lane
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Actor Kevin Costner talks about plans to hold a street party in downtown Ventura to celebrate the premiere of his upcoming film "Swing Vote." Watch »
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Actor and Ventura native Kevin Costner talks about growing up in Ventura and the surrounding communities. Watch »
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"Swing Vote" stars Kevin Costner, Paula Patton, Kelsey Grammer, Dennis Hopper and Nathan Lane in a Touchstone Pictures/Treehouse Films release. Rated PG-13 for language. Watch »
Photos by Rob Varela / Star staff Tim Hoctor, left, listens as actor Kevin Costner answers questions at a news conference Wednesday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Ventura. Hoctor of Ventura is a longtime friend of Costner and helped to orchestrate the Ventura premiere.
Kevin Costner chats with brothers Michael, 17, and Ryan Downard, 15, Wednesday. The brothers live in the same neighborhood in east Ventura where Costner grew up. "Ventura is still a jewel," Costner said. "You can never give up on those hills. That's the beauty of Ventura."
Rob Varela / Star staff Actor Kevin Costner said he hopes his free country rock concert after the July film premiere will be a street party of "good, clean American fun."
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More from Local NewsOscar-winning actor and director Kevin Costner reminisced Wednesday about his adolescent years living in Ventura and Ojai — quieter times spent playing on dusty baseball diamonds, fishing off the Ventura Pier and working his first job selling roadside apricots.
In Ventura to promote a special screening this summer of his new film, the 53-year-old Summerland resident romanced about his childhood and an opportunity to give back to the community.
The movie, "Swing Vote," a political comedy also starring Dennis Hopper and Kelsey Grammer, will premiere July 26 at the downtown Century Theatres in a red-carpet fundraiser on Main Street. Afterward, Costner will perform a free, two-hour street concert with his country rock band, Kevin Costner and Modern West.
He called it a chance to "say thank you in my community."
"I intend to play loud and long and go down memory lane," Costner said during a media interview Wednesday in a conference room at the Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach Hotel.
The premiere includes dinner and costs $500 a ticket, which is why Costner insisted his country rock band, which provided music for the movie, perform outdoors for free in what he hopes will be a street party of "good, clean American fun."
Costner, lead singer and guitar player, said performing on stage creates an opportunity to personally connect with fans in a genuine way. "The screening wasn't good enough," he said, for it to be a true community event.
Having acted in or been involved with nearly 50 films since 1982, Costner is well-known for his role as Lt. John J. Dunbar in the 1990 film "Dances with Wolves," which won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Costner, who spent $22 million financing "Swing Vote," talked Wednesday about his "Huckleberry Finn" adolescence, particularly his time spent outdoors in Ojai, Santa Paula and Ventura.
A knack for sports
He said his first job was selling apricots on the side of the road. He had a natural knack for sports, which fueled his confidence. When he wasn't hiking in the hills with his older brother or chasing girls, he was taking piano lessons, secretly writing poetry and singing with the First Baptist Choir, he said.
A favorite pastime was fishing off the Ventura Pier. "I'd do anything to get a ride to the pier," said Costner, sporting a goatee and wearing a loose blue shirt and blue jeans.
He recalled Ventura's first Earth Day event and persuading a group of friends and classmates to collect trash on the beach. "I remember writing (TV news anchor) Tom Brokaw a letter saying, I think you should cover this,'" he said, laughing. "He didn't."
His father, William Costner, was an electrician and later a utilities executive at Edison, and the family moved often.
Costner attended elementary school in Ojai and Santa Paula, and Cabrillo School and Buena High School in Ventura, until his family moved out of the county after his sophomore year. He later earned a business degree at CSU Fullerton.
"It broke my heart when I left Buena High," he said. "Everything I wanted was here."
Although he owns a ranch in Aspen, Colo., much of his life is spent in Summerland in Santa Barbara County, particularly now that he and his wife are raising a young son, Cayden Wyatt Costner, born a year ago. Costner has three grown children.
In the new movie, Costner plays Bud Johnson, "an apathetic, beer-slinging, lovable loser" coasting through life until a series of events leads to the presidential election coming down to his vote. Hopper and Grammer play the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates, respectively.
Costner said he has long wanted to be part of an event in Ventura, and "Swing Vote" presented the right opportunity.
He has always referred to Ventura as the home of his childhood. Asked how it's changed since his youth, he applauded the community and city leaders for preserving farmland and keeping hillsides vacant of the sprawling development he's seen in other communities on his many trips around the globe.
"Ventura is still a jewel," he said. "You can never give up on those hills. That's the beauty of Ventura."
Disney agreed to the event
Tim Hoctor, a childhood friend of Costner and still a Ventura resident, helped orchestrate what is believed to be Ventura's first Hollywood premiere in decades.
The movie's distributor, Walt Disney Pictures, agreed to the special event, Hoctor said, with proceeds to benefit a handful of local charities, including Ventura Unified School District art programs, the nonprofit Interface Children Family Services and the Santa Paula Family Resource Center.
A VIP dinner will be held before the screening at the soon-to-open Watermark restaurant in the Groene Building at Chestnut and Main streets. Hoctor has sold 250 tickets at $500 apiece for the dinner and screening, which will be limited to 350 people.
Costner and his band will perform on a temporary stage in the middle of Main and California streets.
"Kevin has a huge heart," Hoctor said.
Posted by Hueneme_girl29 on May 29, 2008 at 7:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I remember years ago when I went to Buena, I had a text book (the ones where you had to put your name in them) and one of the 1st names on it was Kevin Costner. Not sure if it was a prank or not, but it was kinda cool.
Posted by RedTail on May 29, 2008 at 8:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Very cool! It's nice that he is doing something for the community.
Posted by calgirlinky on May 29, 2008 at 8:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
tiredofviolence....I had a text book with his name in it too when I went to Buena. I checked with the old yearbooks (I was on the yearbook staff, so I had access to them) to see if the year would match (it was written next to his name) and sure enough, he was in it at that time. I took a picture of it, probably still have it somewhere. Still a huge Costner fan, wish I was still in Ventura so that I could attend this.
Posted by layservantofjmj on May 29, 2008 at 9:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I geuss I should take my Cabrillo JHS and Buena High School Books Out of the closet and wipe the dust off and Look up Kevin and see if i can find his pic. It has been a Long Long time
Posted by Hueneme_girl29 on May 29, 2008 at 9:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Calgirlinky - How funny!
I should have "lost" my book - probably could have been worth some money today! :)
Posted by hotwildflower on May 29, 2008 at 10:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I love his good family movies. I have watched Open Range several times...seems like a really good guy.
Posted by DrcGrl on May 29, 2008 at 11:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
He is a hottie!!! =o)
Posted by Comments on May 29, 2008 at 1:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree that it's not a huge change and I'll adjust to the new format just fine. I don't think the new design is as asthetically pleasing, however that's just my opinion and I accept that others may find this design to be an improvement. It just seems so basic to me.
More importantly however is that when one first comes to the site it is not at all clear that this is a "news"paper. While the feature story on Costner is interesting and I enjoyed reading it, I'd much rather see the key "news" story featured, then it can flash to a feature. I also think it's a mistake to have the heading for news stories so far down on the page. The 1st thing a reader sees today is a fluff piece on a celebrity, then the eyes scan right and they see a mishmash of general headlines and then way down on the page you get to news. Seriously if I were coming across this site for the 1st time I'd have no clue you were an actual newspaper. I think you're doing yourselves and your readers a disservice by looking as though you're a gossipy type tabloid first with a bit of news stuck in.
I also wanted to say that ads have never bothered me as long as they're not obnoxious pop-up ads. It's true that I won't miss seeing another soft porn ad for Nu-skin (or whatever it's called), but I'm really not bothered by ads at all. I fully understand that advertising is what pays the bills and allows me to be able to view this online version for free. And, I've actually found a few of the ads quite helpful in the past. I really don't get why people get all hung up about advertising being displayed. As long as it's not an ad alongside an article that talks about how wonderful that company is, I see no problems.
Good luck.
Posted by readerone1 on May 29, 2008 at 4:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Comments
Huh? I couldn't even stay on your story. Can anyone translate? seemed a bit off point.
Anyone know where/was the movie is being filmed at?
Posted by hibufarshi on May 29, 2008 at 5:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
When is the concert?
Posted by nearsightednate on May 29, 2008 at 7:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This sounds like it could be fun! I'll have to check it out.
Posted by meggiepopo on May 29, 2008 at 7:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Oh my gosh. I didn't know kevin Costner was from Ventura. I love him!!!! Nothing beats Message in a Bottle!
Posted by username01 on May 29, 2008 at 7:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Test
Posted by Pamela on May 29, 2008 at 10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I wish I could attend. Too far away....sigh.....
I also wish he would come to Oklahoma and bring his great band Modern West with him. Honest, they are really good! Do a search on You Tube and see for yourself.
I read in his Bio that his family (not sure if it was his Dad or his Mom) was originaly from Oklahoma. Anyone know more details on this?
"COME TO OKLAHOMA, KC! Let us show off BrickTown and the River Walk to you and your buddies, and of course, your sweet bride, Christine!!"
Posted by hibufarshi on May 30, 2008 at 7:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks mmshoot. That article says July 26...hope to check out the concert!
Posted by oxnardraised on May 30, 2008 at 4:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey Pamela!! Why do Oklahoma people always think country singers and movie stars are all born there? Oh and you have a river walk? We have a pier on the PCH!! What is a brick town?
Posted by itchthing on May 31, 2008 at 2:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Kevin has a huge heart,"........... What does that mean? Is his heart bigger then yours? Is he a kinder and better person because he has been in a few movies?
When you promote yourself or your business do people make comments like that about you?
One more question, when is his parade and coronation?
Posted by creggsteffler on June 1, 2008 at 4:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
itchthing - a "huge heart" is usually the result of hypertension and is a very serious health problem that should be immediately treated by a medical professional.
And besides that... welcome back to Ventura, Kevin Costner!!
Posted by terrywestberg on July 11, 2008 at 1:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
WELCOME HOME KEVIN! And Thank You for throwing us a party. We love you and are proud that you consider Ventura your home. Can't wait to see you there!
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