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The Postman
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The Postman (1997) More at IMDbPro »

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The Postman (1997) -- Post-apocalyptic America. What begins as a con game becomes one man's quest to rebuild civilization by resuming postal service.
The Postman (1997) -- YouTube.com - Theatrical Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
5.5/10   22,189 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 12% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers (WGA):
David Brin (novel)
Eric Roth (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for The Postman on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
25 December 1997 (USA) more
Tagline:
It is 2013. War has crippled the Earth. Technology has been erased. Our only hope is an unlikely hero.
Plot:
Post-apocalyptic America. What begins as a con game becomes one man's quest to rebuild civilization by resuming postal service. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
5 wins & 5 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(36 articles)
Waterworld Blu-ray Review
 (From Collider.com. 15 November 2009, 9:14 AM, PST)

Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy Confirmed for 'Mad Max'
 (From Cinematical. 30 October 2009, 7:03 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
A much better movie than the "user ratings" would indicate. more (336 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Kevin Costner ... The Postman
Will Patton ... General Bethlehem

Larenz Tate ... Ford Lincoln Mercury

Olivia Williams ... Abby

James Russo ... Idaho
Daniel von Bargen ... Pineview Sheriff Briscoe
Tom Petty ... Bridge City Mayor

Scott Bairstow ... Luke

Giovanni Ribisi ... Bandit 20
Roberta Maxwell ... Irene March

Joe Santos ... Colonel Getty
Ron McLarty ... Old George
Peggy Lipton ... Ellen March

Brian Anthony Wilson ... Woody

Todd Allen ... Gibbs
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
O Mensageiro (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Postman (Austria) (Germany) [de]
Почтальон (Russia) [ru]
A jövõ hírnöke (Hungary) [hu]
Anamesa se dyo kosmous (Greece) (TV title) [el]
Haberci (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
L'uomo del giorno dopo (Italy) [it]
Le facteur (Canada: French title) [fr]
Mensajero del futuro (The Postman) (Spain) [es]
Postar (Slovenia) [sl]
Postman (France) [fr]
Postman 2013 (France) (video box title) [fr]
The Postman - Budbäraren (Sweden) [sv]
The postman - tulevaisuuden sanansaattaja (Finland) [fi]
Wyslannik przyszlosci (Poland) [pl]
more
Runtime:
177 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Alphacine)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The crew referred to the film as "Dirt World". more
Goofs:
Factual errors: The main character assumes his role because he found an old abandoned mail truck containing the remains of a long dead mailman and pilfered the uniform from the skeleton. The problem here is the condition of the clothing he takes. When a person dies, the body goes through many stages of decomposition on its way to being merely a skeleton. As the tissues break down, many chemicals and enzymes are released, including the hydrochloric acid of the digestive system. In the final stages of decomposition, this is referred to as liquefacation or liquiescence. Given enough time and a suitable environment this combination of byproducts, with the addition of the bacteria that will inevitably emerge, would make any cloth or fabric (with the exception of treated leather products) not only disgustingly filthy, but also so weakened from exposure to what amounts to a corrosive liquid, that the fibers would tear apart from any stresses put on them. Even the act of taking the jacket off of the remains (and certainly that of putting the jacket on himself) would have pulled the fabric apart. more
Quotes:
The Postman: Once more into the breach, my friends, once more. We'll close the wall with our dead. In peace, nothing so becomes a man as modesty and humility, but when the blast of war blows in our ears, then imitate the action of the tiger, summon up the blood, disguise fair nature with rage and lend the eye a terrible aspect. more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
You Didn't Have To Be So Nice more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
21 out of 27 people found the following comment useful.
A much better movie than the "user ratings" would indicate., 21 November 1999
Author: TxMike from Houston, Tx, USA, Earth

I've seen this movie twice, and it is overall better than 80% of the trash movies being released these days.

Those of you familiar with statistics and "normal" distributions, look at the "user ratings" for this movie. A full 12% give it a "1" rating, which is obviously bogus. Look at the shape of the distribution, and you'll see that the valid rating for this movie is somewhere between 7 and 8, which are the most "common" ratings, which makes perfect sense. A 7.5 on a 10 point scale is where most people would rate it.

It has such an uplifting story of a re-construction after a war, and banning together to fight evil, that I don't see how anyone with a heart could give it less than about 6 or 7. See it if you haven't already!

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (336 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Postman (1997)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
And how does Bethlehem's group come into power? thewestwing1980
Why was there a Lion in Oregon??? tcoon4
What I think the problem is drakeml-1
Everyone needs to see this movie . . . Spillboy
i would've chose... JackTheBaboon
Most underrated film of all time???? LordEmeryStanfordMerloe
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