The independent drama "Coastlines" made its debut at the 2002 SXSW Festival, but failed to find a distributor until 2006. Olyphant starred opposite Josh Brolin as an ex-con who returns to his Florida hometown to collect a $200,000 debt. Kevin Crust of the "Los Angeles Times" wrote that he "possesses the kind of thousand-yard stare that suggests something deeper going on," while Owen Gleiberman of "Entertainment Weekly" remarked that "Olyphant, in the sort of role that Paul Newman used to swagger through, has a star's easy command." However, Todd McCarthy of "Variety" felt his performance "sort of floats along."