WYATT EARP
**** out of *****

Genres
Biography
Western

1994
Directed by
Lawrence Kasdan
Written by
Dan Gordon and Lawrence Kasdan
Cast
Kevin Costner .... Wyatt Earp
Dennis Quaid .... Doc Holliday
Gene Hackman .... Nicholas Earp
David Andrews .... James Earp
Linden Ashby .... Morgan Earp
Jeff Fahey .... Ike Clanton
Joanna Going .... Josie Marcus
Mark Harmon .... Johnny Behan
Michael Madsen .... Virgil Earp
Catherine O'Hara .... Allie Earp
Bill Pullman .... Ed Masterson
Isabella Rossellini .... Big Nose Kate
Tom Sizemore .... Bat Masterson
JoBeth Williams .... Bessie Earp
Mare Winningham .... Mattie Blaylock

The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral that took place in Tombstone, Arizona on October 26, 1881 is one of the most-talked about events from the Old West. This gunfight and its legendary participants have since become American icons, the subject of many documentaries, and two big-budget Hollywood films: Tombstone and Wyatt Earp. Coincidentally enough both films went into production around the same time and also filmed around the same locations. While George P. Cosmatos’ film Tombstone focused more on the events leading up to and including the famous gunfight, Lawrence Kasdan’s Wyatt Earp focused on the man himself and his life from childhood to the gunfight and beyond. But both films couldn’t help but be in competition with each other.

Relaxing on the set of Meal Loaf's new video.

In December of 1993 Tombstone opened to big box office and great reviews and the legend of the Earps was reintroduced to mainstream moviegoers. Warner Brothers had moved the opening of Wyatt Earp to avoid direct competition with Tombstone and in June of 1994 the film opened to excellent reviews but only a meagre box office. It seemed that the aftertaste of Tombstone was still around. Perhaps audiences were not ready for another film about this man so soon, perhaps it was too long, maybe there wasn’t enough of a marketing effort. You can list many excuses why this film didn’t bank at the box office but at the end of the day it would be useless. For some reason or another it just didn’t catch on, but one thing is for sure it certainly is not a bad movie. In fact Wyatt Earp is an excellent sprawling epic film.

In three hours and ten minutes the film chronicles Wyatt’s life from a childhood wanting to escape his boring farming family life to go on to bigger things, to his involvement in building the trans-continental railroad, to getting married and losing his first wife and then spiralling downward into alcoholism, to becoming a criminal and then running away from those demons to become a lawman. He eventually finds his way to Tombstone, Arizona as Sheriff with his brothers by his side and the film then shows the events that led to the famous gunfight.

Wyatt Earp continues the traditiion of having  horses in Western films.

What makes this film so good is a combination of factors. First the script by Dan Gordon and Lawrence Kasdan is very well crafted and shows not only a love for the material but a respect for the these real-life historical figures. That, and the fact the story never gets dull; keeping the narrative moving for over three hours is the mark of gifted writers.

Secondly, the casting is spot on with Kevin Costner portraying the complex title character Wyatt Earp with intense precision. Aside from his powerful performance in Dances with Wolves this stands as one of his greatest acting achievements, Costner, a self-proclaimed lover of the western genre, feels right at home in the shoes of a historical icon. His performance is not only riveting to watch but is probably as accurate a portrayal of the character as any seen on the screen. Supporting Costner is Dennis Quaid as Doc Holiday (Quaid transformed himself for this role, losing 30 pounds to accurately play a man who suffered from tuberculosis). The ensemble cast also includes Michael Madsen as Wyatt’s brother Virgil, Gene Hackman as father Nicholas Earp, Mark Harmon as lawman Johnny Behan, Catherine O’Hara as Allie Earp, Bill Pullman as deputy and Earp friend Ed Masterson, Tom Sizemore as his brother Bat, and Isabella Rossellini as the prostitute Big Nose Kate. Despite the large cast, Kasdan has taken on the role of director with ease, fine tuning performances and cementing his reputation as a talented filmmaker.

Back in 1994 a man named Kevin Costner was  one of Hollywood's biggest stars. This might  be him.

The third factor is the breathtaking cinematography by five time Academy Award nominee Owen Roizman. In a beautiful cinemascope ratio he’s able to capture the grandness and scope of the Old West.

The only flaw that I can see in Wyatt Earp is that it is perhaps a little too long, this is certainly not entertainment for those with a short attention span. However despite its length, Wyatt Earp is most definetly an underrated classic. If you’re a fan or the epic western genre, then I highly recommend this film.

Finger_Of_DOOM's reviews also appear on DVD Compare, where they include details of the DVD release. For this review click here.

Discuss this article on the forums. (0 posts)