On November 4, 1990, Dances with Wolves, a film about an
American Civil War–era soldier and a group of Sioux Native
Americans that stars Kevin Costner and also marked his
directorial debut, premiered in Los Angeles. The film, which
opened across the United States on November 21, 1990,
was a surprise box-office success and earned 12 Academy
Award nominations, including Best Actor for Costner.
Dances with Wolves took home seven Oscars, including Best
Picture and Best Director, and solidified Costner’s place on
Hollywood’s A-list.