Dances with Wolves (1990)

This epic Western was the first feature film that Kevin Costner directed. He also starred in, and produced, this film that was adapted from the 1988 novel Dances With Wolves, by Michael Blake. The story follows Civil War Lieutenant John Dunbar (Costner) to a remote Dakota frontier post seeking solitude after being wounded in the war. He abandons his post to live among a nearby Lakota Sioux tribe and earns the name Dances with Wolves through friendship, romance with adopted white woman Stands With a Fist, and a bond with a wolf, Two Socks. The US Army sees Dunbar as a traitor, forcing him to leave the tribe to avoid bringing military wrath down upon them.

This movie was filmed in South Dakota and Wyoming with much of the dialogue in Lakota with English subtitles. It was both a box office hit and critically acclaimed, being nominated for 12 Academy Awards and winning seven, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, and Best Sound Mixing. It is one of only four Westerns to win the Oscar for Best Picture.

Rating: PG-13

Length: 3h 1m