Kevin Costner seems like a man who rarely struggles with decisions when it comes to filmmaking. Accordingly, his latest film, The Upside of Anger, was something he decided on right away.

“I liked it because it sounded like an original, sympathetic voice that I haven’t heard in a while in America,” he said. “It was a great story about a woman with four daughters. How I come into the movie is an original look at life, very comedic without trying to be.”

In The Upside of Anger, Costner’s “Denny” befriends Joan Allen’s “Terry” when her husband takes off without a word, and she turns to the bottle. Costner and Allen shine in these complicated roles.

“Joan is one of our great American actresses, and it was pleasing to watch her represent women,” said Costner. “She has a lot of anger, and he as a man takes her abuse, and takes it, takes it and then he says no more. So it’s a very healthy relationship in a way, at least to watch develop. Especially since everything that makes a woman damaged goods, makes a man run as fast as he can the other way. This guy doesn’t. He’s just a gentle soul, but not without a backbone. He would just like to fit in -- like a stray dog.”

Costner said the supporting part felt right for him. “I liked it. It was different than what I’d done before. You see the world of baseball but he didn’t want that anymore and says please, just let it alone.”

Having been an actor, producer and director, Costner knows the importance of a well-written script. “It’s the most important thing,” he said. “I think that the discipline and work in this movie by Mike before any of us showed up, gave us a great opportunity to perform work that was really good.”

Playing opposite a woman at a bitter moment of her life contrasted to Costner’s approaching marriage (during filming) with Christine Baumgartner, a woman in the happier part of her life.

“I recognize her (Terry) and the girls,” said Costner. “I even recognize myself. We see great movies and get a chance to be absorbed by people even if the characters aren’t recognizable at all, and we say, ‘well, I’m not like her at all.’ Yet maybe if we’re confronted with the issues those people are confronted with we might easily be those people. So the movie served to make us laugh and enjoy and maybe as a road map to ourselves emotionally to say, ‘I hope I don’t make that mistake. In fact, if I’m confronted with this issue maybe I’m going to do a little more investigation.”

So is there an upside of anger? “Maybe not,” said Costner, “because the people in front of us are so clouded by it, they go missing. The last five years with these girls are a blur to Terry, and the guy who should be running the other way, and the one that’s the best she’s going to find in the present circumstances, she’s chasing out the door -- until the end when Denny sits on the bench with them and someone goes sliding off.”

(Check out Diana's review of The Upside of Anger.)