The Postman: Synopsis

The year is 2013.

There is no order.

There is no peace.

There are no roads, no telephones. A war has destroyed the country, leaving its survivors struggling to make their lives in isolated towns lacking any means of communication.

An army of warriors called the Holnists, led by the despotic General Bethlehem (WILL PATTON), is determined to keep the people apart and their spirits empty so that the Holnists can continue their reign of terror.

A lone drifter (KEVIN COSTNER) traveling through the wild territory discovers a mail carrier's old, rusted jeep. Inside, he finds a sack full of undelivered mail and the driver's uniform. Hoping it will make it easier for him to get food and shelter from the townspeople nearby, he dons the uniform and presents himself as The Postman, a representative of the restored government of the United States.

To the people he encounters, The Postman and the letters he carries serve as a reminder of the way they once lived their lives. Slowly a new spirit begins to take hold in their hearts. The mail The Postman carries has become a symbol of hope, order and a reconnection with the places and loved ones of their pasts. More important, it gives the citizens the courage to battle the Holnists to regain control of the country.

A new war begins between Bethlehem and the re-empowered citizens. As the confrontation looms, The Postman must examine his soul, asking himself if he has indeed become the person others believe him to be. He must decide if he is willing, in his new role of hero, to fight for the fledgling society he has inadvertently created.

The Postman was written as an answer to all those
post-apocalypse books and films
that seem to revel in the idea of civilization's fall.
Instead, this is a story about how much we take for granted -
and how desperately we would miss the little, gracious things
that connect us today.

The central character is a special kind of hero,
toughened by griefs and trials, yet still somehow uncalloused
and willing to hope -- the last idealist in a fallen America.
A man who cannot let go of a dream we all once shared,
who sparks restored faith that we can recover -
and perhaps even become better than we once were.
In this era of cynicism, we need reminders
of the decency that lies within.

We are in this together.

-- David Brin author of The Postman