Vaitas Erpas (1994) Online

1994 Kevin Costner Dennis Quaid Gene Hackman Lawrence Kasdan

Original Title :: Wyatt Earp
Genre :: Movie / Adventure / Biography / Crime / Drama / Western
Year :: 1994
Directror :: Lawrence Kasdan
Cast :: Kevin Costner,Dennis Quaid,Gene Hackman
Writer :: Dan Gordon,Lawrence Kasdan
Budget :: $63,000,000
Type :: Movie
Time :: 3h 11min
Rating :: 6.7/10

The story of Wyatt Earp as he interacts and battles other famous figures of the Wild West era.

Vaitas Erpas (1994) Online

Wyatt Earp is a movie about a man and his family. The movie shows us the good times and the bad times of one of the West's most famous individuals.

Cast overview, first billed only:
	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	-	Sheriff 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

Kevin Costner was originally involved with Tombstone (1993), another film about Wyatt Earp, written by Kevin Jarre. However, Costner disagreed with Jarre over the focus of the film (he believed that the emphasis should have been on Wyatt Earp rather than the many characters in Jarre's script) and left the project, eventually teaming up with Lawrence Kasdan to produce his own Wyatt Earp project. Costner then used his then-considerable clout to convince most of the major studios to refuse to distribute the competing film, which affected casting on the rival project. As it turns out, the rival film was considerably more successful.

Originally conceived as a six-hour mini-series.

The real Wyatt Earp's 6-shooter was loaned by the Earp museum and used in some scenes during a number of close-ups.

Dennis Quaid lost over 30 pounds to play Doc Holliday, who suffered from tuberculosis.

Gene Hackman receives third-billing and is named on all posters although he has less than 10 minutes of screen time.

Tombstone (1993) was being filmed at the same time nearby, and bought up most of the period clothing in the region. Clothing had to be imported from Europe, delaying production.

Michael Madsen was offered the role of Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction (1994), but he couldn't get released from this film.

Michael Madsen is actually four years younger than Kevin Costner, despite playing his older brother.

Both Kevin Costner and Dennis Quaid were widely felt to be too old for their characters.

In this film, Dennis Quaid played Doc Holliday, a role which would later be played by his elder brother Randy Quaid in Showdown auf dem Weg zur Hölle (1999).

The movie was a critical and commercial disaster and damaged Kevin Costner's career. However his career later revived slightly with Thirteen Days (2000).

The wigs worn by Kevin Costner in the first half of the film were widely criticized.

Wyatt Earp had 3 (three) wives

Wyatt had seven siblings: James, Virgil, Martha, Morgan, Baxter Warren, Virginia, and Adelia; as well as an elder half-brother from his father's first marriage, Newton.

Dennis Quaid and Jim Caviezel also starred together in Frequency (2000)

The music featured in the film's theatrical trailer is "Love and Dreams", composed by Ennio Morricone for the motion picture A Time of Destiny (1988).

Sean Connery was considered for the role of Nicholas Porter Earp.

Wyatt Earp is often erroneously regarded as the central figure in the shootout near OK Corral but his brother Virgil was Tombstone city marshal and deputy U.S. marshal that day, and had far more experience as a sheriff, constable, marshal, and soldier in combat. Wyatt being the more famous brother originates largely from his own self promotion.

This is the second time Kevin Costner and Jeff Fahey have acted together in a western, the first being Silverado (1985). They played enemies in both.

Film debut of Joanna Going.

Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman were, prior to co-starring in this film, starring in films directed by Clint Eastwood, he also co-starred in Unforgiven (1992) with Hackman and in A Perfect World (1993) with Costner. Incidentally Hackman and Costner played bad guys in these films.

Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman also co-starred in No Way Out - Es gibt kein Zurück (1987).

The film cast includes three Oscar winners: Kevin Costner, Jim Wilson and Gene Hackman; and two Oscar nominees: Owen Roizman and Mare Winningham.

Wyatt Earp (1994) is the first of three films starring Kevin Costner, that James Newton Howard has composed the music for; the second film was Waterworld (1995) - which incidentally starts with the same letter as Wyatt Earp - and the third film was The Postman (1997).

One of two 1994's releases starring Kevin Costner and Mare Winningham. They also appeared in Das Baumhaus (1994).

Cast members Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman and Michael Madsen have played adulterous men in other films, as the trio had affairs with married women. Costner with Madeleine Stowe in Revenge (1990), Hackman with Melora Hardin in Absolute Power (1997) and Madsen with Jennifer Tilly in The Getaway (1994). Incidentally Wyatt Earp was released the same year as the latter film.

Kevin Costner and Michael Madsen have both worked twice with director Roger Donaldson on two films each. Costner; No Way Out (1987) and Thirteen Days (2000). Madsen; The Getaway (1994) - incidentally released the same year as this film - and Species (1995).

In addition to Kevin Costner and Michael Madsen being in Roger Donaldson films, the same cinematographer, Andrzej Bartkowiak, shot two of these films. Costner; Thirteen Days (2000) and Madsen; Species (1995). What's more Bartkowiak shot Donaldson's Dante's Peak (1997).

Both Kevin Costner and Michael Madsen have played psychopaths, including sadistically torturing one of their co-stars on screen. Costner did this to Christian Slater in 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001) and Madsen did this to Kirk Baltz in Reservoir Dogs (1992).

Adam Baldwin had previously worked with composer James Newton Howard's younger brother Arliss Howard on Full Metal Jacket (1987).

Urilla Earp died of typhoid fever. In the film the doctor quarantined their home. Typhoid is contracted by consuming food prepared by someone with typhoid who didn't wash their hands after using the restroom. No quarantine would have been necessary. Chances are that Urilla contracted the disease after she and her husband dined in a restaurant. Her grave had a sandstone marker that was weathered beyond recognition. Shortly before his death in 1994, Wyat Earp's relative James "Chet" Earp and his wife Reba placed a proper granite market on the grave on behalf of the Barton County Historical Society. Photos of Urilla Sutherland Earp are available on the Internet.

At the OK Corral no one would have been able to see anyone else as black powder would have obscured any line of sight after Doc Holliday fired the first few rounds with a double barrel shotgun, his favorite weapon. Not the .45's used in the movie.

User reviews

Marilore

Wyatt grows up a young man who loves the law. When his wife dies early in their marriage he goes off the rails and becomes a drunk and a thief. When he is offered a chance at redemption he takes it and becomes a deputy. His legend spreads and he is offered the chance to be the deputy for Dodge City. He has great success but is removed from the job for being too brutal. When his replacement is killed as the law falls away in Dodge, Wyatt returns before moving on to Tombstone but finds his initial run-in with the Clantonhas left harbouring resentments.

When I saw this in the cinema, it was hassled by the fact that another, more multiplex-friendly version of the story had just been released shortly before. Viewed separately years later it fares better without the comparison to Tombstone, which is, in fairness, more of a fun bang-bang affair, although now it struggles because Costner's reputation is not even at the level it was when this film was released. The plot is good and is supposedly a true telling of the legend, although the film is careful to pepper the running time with hints that stories get changed with the telling.

The very honest and respectful telling of the story means that it gets told in a very deliberate and careful manner. This means on one hand that we get a good picture over Wyatt's life as opposed to the events in Tombstone, however it also means that the film itself is a little dull and overlong. It is overly deliberate and doesn't flow as well as it should - flowing more like syrup than water at times. Where some three-hour running times fly by, here it does feel like at least three hours - not always a good thing! The filling out of the characters doesn't always work either - I knew more about Wyatt but I didn't understand his character much more, also I was surprised that I was none the wiser about why he and Doc became friends considering how long was spent with them. A big failing of the film is that it assumes the status of an epic rather than earning the status. What I mean by this is that it tries too hard to be an epic - with constant sweeping music where it didn't need it. I still thing the film has an epic sweep to it, but it didn't need the cinematic tricks to achieve it; in fact, it could have down played it and let the sweep of the film do it for itself.

The cast is pretty good and also pretty deep. Costner may not be seen as a star anymore but that doesn't mean he can't act and can't hold the attention. He is a reasonable Wyatt but he suffers from being too deliberate and too shut off at times. I understand he needed to do it for the character but it contributes to the film feeling slow. The other brothers are played well by Madsen, Ashby and Andrews. Maybe it is because of Costner's drab Wyatt, but Quaid really lightens things up as Doc Holliday. His colourful character stands out easily against the old west types. The support cast is deep and includes faces such as Hackman, Fahey, Harmon, Pullman, Sizemore, Rossellini, Williams and O'Hara.

Overall this is a film that requires patience - if you prefer your films to contain action more than story then Tombstone may be more for you - but, for all it's failings, this is still a solid western and a good telling of the legend with more emphasis on background than action and fluidity.

Jogas

I've done extensive reading and research on Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and this era. With that as a start, let me continue.

The roles of Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan Earp were well-cast and portrayed. The actors bore reasonable physical resemblance to the real men. Dennis Quaid as Doc Holliday was superb; I thought his portrayal was more accurate than that of Val Kilmer in "Tombstone", his personality and his appearance.... although with friends, Doc Holliday was a pretty affable gentleman.

The story was a nice story, although there were significant problems with some of the historical accuracy. First, Morgan and Virgil were NOT shot on the same night... actually 3 months apart. Things like that bother me when seeing a supposedly historically accurate film. But what I considered the weakest part of this movie (and "Tombstone" as well) was the very incomplete and weak buildup to the gunfight. There was so much more that happened, so much that affected the relationship between the good guys and the bad, so much missing that both films almost made the fight look like a spur of the moment battle... which is far from factual. What many people don't realize is that Bat Masterson spent time in Tombstone during this era, although not directly involved in the "action"; also, Luke Short was a major ally of Wyatt's throughout this time.

I very much liked that Wyatt's young life was shown... his time as town constable, his marriage to Urilla Sutherland, her death and his resulting devastation, his pony stealing in Arkansas... all things that most folks never realized.

I would very much liked to have seen more of Wyatt's revenge ride and subsequent deaths and scattering of the Clanton gang. Also, the absence of any sequence involving the robbery of the Benson stage and the killing of Bud Philpot and Peter Roehrig is regrettable, as this was a major factor leading to the battle. Also, as a result of the stage robbery, we should have seen a sequence regarding Wyatt's agreement with Ike about turning in the robbers. Finally, how Behan backed out on his deal with Wyatt regarding the sheriff's office... a major factor in the animosity between the two men.

Yes... there are many other missing historical incidents that would have made the film more accurate and real.

Anyone who has an interest in this era should see the film. If you're not a stickler like I am for total historical accuracy, you should enjoy the film.

Phobism

"Law and Order" (1932), a film starring Walter Huston and Harry Carey, had blazed the Earp screen trail with a brave version of the 0. K. Corral happenings, although the true-life characters were never named "Frontier Marshal" (1939) starring Randolph Scott and "Wichita" (1955) with Joel McCrea also told the story

To most modern cinema-goers, however, the Corral incident and the confused events and motivations which led to it have been best served by four films, John Ford's "My Darling Clementine" (1946), John Sturges' "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral," (1957), Sturges' "Hour of the Gun" (1967), and George P. Cosmatos' "Tombstone" (1993). But the question has yet to be solved: should the American West be depicted on the screen as it actually was, or should it continue to be a form of mythology?

Hollywood's version of history is considerably at variance with the facts, and life on the frontier in the 19th century would appear to have been more dull and monotonous than exciting and colorful Certainly, life in Tombstone, Arizona, in its time of greatest prosperity as a mining town must have been anything but healthy, with its vast number of rough working men relieving their boredom with drinking and brawling, and occasionally shooting each other

In Kasdan's epic Western, Earp is the upright defender of the law, and Doc, a dissolute gambler Nevertheless, the men are compassionate and respectful, and both have a kind of dignity Holliday is much more credible as the black sheep of an aristocratic Virginia family and a jaded idealist Dennis Quaid allowed himself to lose 30 pounds of his weight only to accurately portray the gun-notorious Doc Holliday, now, alas devoted to the bottle and in the latter stages of tuberculosis

In this instance we have Quaid breathing fire and fury at the slightest hint of an insult before breathing more heavily into his handkerchief He's a multi-dimensional human being who provides most of the film's best moments His character has his own form of ability Quaid does a far better work of portraying the effects of Holliday's tuberculosis Kilmer, in "Tombstone," never seems to have anything worse than a bad flu, except when it's dramatically necessary for him to look bad in greater degree

Earp (Kevin Costner) finds Doc sincere but nevertheless strikes up an understanding which one feels will blossom into grudging joint gun-action should the need arise The need is obviously there in villainous Clantons and McLaurys The path is well and truly pointed to that rendezvous at the Corral

Kasdan's motion picture covers areas of Earp's life that George P. Cosmatos' film "Tombstone" does not even touch While "Tombstone" was an action picture, centering 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 confrontation and beyondThe film starts with the teenage Earp and progresses through old age

The action in Kasdan's film is firm and fresh, nicely photographed and the story well told But we always remember Ford's "My Darling Clementine" for its other qualitiesfor the unhurried lulls and the 'time off' taken on the way This is Ford indulging himself, as was his habit, but on this occasion the indulgences all come off and are imparted with magic

"My Daring Clementine" was a film of touchesFonda, seated, adjusting his boots and his balance while the world, such as it is, goes by; Fonda, the peacemaker, right-and-properly in church; Fonda, with an old-world frontier concept of courtesy leading his lady in the out of doors dance

Earp in Kasdan's biopic is an ordinary man who met and married a beautiful young woman who died of typhoid a short time after the marriage Profoundly bitter about her death, he goes from a drunken fellow to horse thief to buffalo hunter to stagecoach driver to Dodge City, Kansas where he became one of the most famous "Westerners" of all time...

Hucama

As epics go, this film ranks high on my list. I attribute this mainly to the screenplay, which is compelling, visual, and rich. The film follows the life of Wyatt Earp, from his boyhood, through the fight at the O.K. Corrall, and beyond.

Unlike other adaptations of the same subject (namely, Kurt Russell's Earp in 'Tombstone'), this film deals with the famous gunfight as merely a step in Earp's life. Rather, the film focuses on the man behind the legend. To do this, it looks at Earp's life in two stages: his life before, and after, a major transition.

Contrary to what some may think, Kevin Costner does a very good job portraying the lawman. His character experiences a wealth of emotion, but the script is so well written that Costner does not need to stretch himself to portray Earp effectively.

The film comes together so well because of an excellent musical score, visually stunning cinematography, and strong acting by the supporting characters. It draws the viewer in, so much so that you do not feel you are watching a film, but are experiencing a moment in history. The direction by Kasdan is quite low-key, allowing the viewer to be drawn into the story, rather than simply showing it to us.

I recommend this film to anyone who enjoys epic stories, wonderful acting (particularly Dennis Quaid, although Tom Sizemore and Michael Madsen are excellent as well), and visually compelling shots. Do not let the length dissuade you: Kasdan's film is well worth the three hours.

Goll

WYATT EARP, the second of the epic films about the legendary lawman released between 1993-94, lacked the commercial values that made TOMBSTONE successful, but was a far riskier film, with higher aspirations. Writer/Director Lawrence Kasdan, whose previous Western, SILVERADO (1985), had paid homage to Hollywood's Western clichés, wanted, with WYATT EARP, to cut through the myths, and create a film that would honestly examine an all-too-human Earp's life in the 'real' West, set against vistas of that were nearly overpowering in their immense size and beauty. Unfortunately, the result was a mixed bag; while the film is beautiful to look at (with one of the most majestic film scores of recent years, composed by James Newton Howard), the characters (with the exception of Dennis Quaid's 'Doc Holiday') lack charisma, with Kevin Costner's portrayal of Earp so flat that it is difficult to arouse much interest in him (it would be nearly ten years before he finally 'got it right', in OPEN RANGE). The film ultimately comes across as overblown and overlong, with it's memorable moments nearly lost amid panoramic views of the West.

I still think, however, that WYATT EARP has a few redeeming qualities which make it worth viewing. Foremost is Dennis Quaid, giving the performance of a lifetime as the dying Doc Holiday. The actor lost over forty pounds to play the role, and is physically the closest in appearance to the dentist-turned-gambler/gunfighter of all the actors who have ever portrayed him. Gaunt, dripping sarcasm with a Southern accent between hacking tubercular coughs, Quaid seizes each scene he's in, and certainly deserved Oscar consideration. It is ironic that his performance had to follow TOMBSTONE's flamboyant 'Doc', Val Kilmer, who created such an over-the-top, audience-friendly character, that Quaid's more realistic portrayal would be forgotten.

Another reason to watch WYATT EARP is it's presentation of the infamous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and it's aftermath. With the exception of John Sturges' HOUR OF THE GUN, no Westerns before TOMBSTONE and WYATT EARP had told the full story of the events, from the brief but deadly shootout, through the subsequent murder trial against the Earps, and Ike Clanton's vengeance, afterwards, resulting in Morgan Earp's murder, and Virgil Earp being crippled for life. Wyatt's bloody vendetta against Clanton and his allies was a grim reminder of 'frontier justice' and his ruthlessness even appalled Doc Holliday. The film doesn't attempt to gloss over or glorify Earp's actions, but does try to explain it, as an obligation to his family, who were the cornerstone of his life. Unfortunately, it took WYATT EARP nearly two hours to finally reach Tombstone, by which time audiences were fidgeting in their seats!

Uneven, but at times powerful, WYATT EARP was a major box office failure when released, and it never achieved the 'Classic' stature TOMBSTONE has, over the years. But it isn't a bad film, and Kasdan should be credited for his willingness to take an original look at a Western legend. It will be interesting to hear his comments, if a 'Director's Cut' DVD is ever released!

Efmprof

"Nothing counts more than blood... the rest are just strangers," speaks Wyatt's father at the beginning of the film--the most important line perhaps in the movie, with the exception of Wyatt's own at the end "Some say it didn't happen that way," commenting upon a flashback recounting his brand of law and justice in the wild cattle town of Dodge City.

I wholeheartedly admit the film is long--but so are many other great films. I also admit that it is not the shoot 'em up Tombstone is, but this film is a far greater one, a character study of a man whose innocence is laid to rest by the harsh wilderness of both the American West and human nature. By the end of this movie, Wyatt is a used up and bitter man, and I would argue that this film was never meant to be a heroic portrayal of an individual, only a dark and complicated one. It reminds me thus of the greatest of character portrayals, Raging Bull--though I'm sure the parallel isn't obvious.

I probably am more forgiving of this film since I like Westerns, dark dramatic stories, and admittedly uneven plots, because the characters usually are so great in them. This one is no different, and was likely made for a viewer like me, and not the mainstream audience.

It's very ambitious, and successful, I believe, on its artistic merits. Whether it's "entertainment" for the masses, well that's another story altogether, and that story's name is probably "Tombstone."

Malanim

I have to thank Kevin Costner for taking me West. "Wyatt Earp" led me to pick up a copy of the early Earp bio by Stuart Lake while working in Canada, and I was surprised to find photos of the actual historical people tipped inside. The resemblance of the actors to those they portrayed impressed me.

I continued to research. I went to Tombstone and stayed at a nearby ranch. The town itself declined Costner's office to rebuild it with accuracy, preferring the leave things as they are (very touristy). The gunfight was actually held in the street, etc. My research matched at least striking physical/type casting for 17 characters, from major characters (the Earps and their wives/women) to the Cowboys, Beehan, Doc Holiday, his Kate, and Bat Masterson. Linden Ashby is the most striking doppelganger; indeed, he seems to be a physical reincarnation of Morgan Earp. Dennis Quaid lost some 40 pounds or so for the role of Doc Holiday and his resemblance to the TB-plagued gambler from Valdosta, Georgia is eerie as well.

Costner caught a lot of flack for this film; in fact, few critics noted the historical sense that he achieved. Granted, some cuts are made in time frame/continuity to speed plot along (i.e. timing of attacks on Morgan and Virgil), and the film is lengthy. I learned that the Cowboy/Earp feud was not mere ill-will, but that the strife represented political differences and clashing economic interests, as well as the "theft" of a lover. The old diaries and biographies are fascinating! I learned that Morgan Earp told Allie Earp something like, "I want to leave Tombstone and never come back" moments before he was shot to death.

Of note, Johnny Beehan's partner in the Dexter Corral in Tombstone was a man named "John Dunbar". This was Costner's character's name in "Dances with Wolves". Go figure. Read more about it! Granted Lake embellished Earp's image, but the place, the times and the issues are fascinating.

Nanecele

in some people's criticisms of the flick I usually see "he was dull" or "he didn't give the character life," and I have to disagree. In actuality he gave the best rendition of the real Wyatt Earp and his life. The movie is a biopic, and for historians like myself it served its purpose, in showing the life and true personality of a figure Hollywood overglamourized. Wyatt Earp was not the type to dance in the snow and was indeed a cold hearted SOB. I prefer this to Tombstone and no doubt Costner was better than Russell. And actually Quaid was the better Doc. I wouldn't say it was a classic movie and spaghetti western versions of the story might be more "entertaining," however the darkness of Costner's movie is chilling and is the version that gets more replay value from me.

hardy

This is one of the best, and underrated, westerns ever made. It was a very intense, interesting character study of a famous lawman, showing flaws and all. In fact, this is the only version, I believe, that really shows the sadistic side of Wyatt Earp, and what made him a bitter man. To be fair, it also shows his good traits.

It also has a terrific, deep cast and features a good mix of drama, romance and action. Even the music grows on you after several viewings. There is no humor in here: this is a serious story. Unlike the more popular "Tombstone," this Earp story has a lot less profanity and almost no usage of the Lord's name in vain....but there is rough language and some crude sexual remarks, so don't watch it with the kiddies.

At rate, the movie is a lot better than the critics would have you believe. (All nationally-known critics but one panned this, as far as I know.)

Kevin Costner performed one of his better acting jobs. It was nice to see Michael Madsen and Tom Sizemore as good guys. That's not seen in too many films! They were low-key characters, too. Dennis Quaid did a nice job as the fascinating "Doc Holliday." It's generally conceded that Val Kilmer's "Doc" in "Tombstone" was the best-ever, but Quaid version is just fine, thank you, and gets better and better with each viewing.

This is a long movie, but it's never dull and it never overdoes the action, either. The cast is deep so you see a lot of familiar actors. As mentioned, this film is extremely underrated. I know most people prefer "Tombstone" but I'll take this version of the Earp saga any time!

sergant

"Wyat Earp" had the misfortune to be released not long after the classic "Tombstone," which told the same story. Nevertheless, "Wyat Earp" is a laudable effort and well worth the time to sit through its three hours and fifteen minutes running time.

The performances were uniformly good, with a skeletal Dennis Quade particularly fine as the doomed Doc Holliday. In fact, I thought that Quade's funny and moving performance as Doc Holliday was in the same class as Val Kilmer's portrayal of the same character in "Tombstone." The women playing the Earp wives, Catherine O'Hara, JoBeth Williams, Mare Winningham, and Betty Buckley, were also very effective. The beautiful Joanna Going was a pleasure to watch as Josie Marcus, the woman who Wyat Earp spent the last 47 years of his life with. Unfortunately, her acting skills did not match her beauty.

The thing that makes the film rise above the mediocre to me is its stunning visual and aural beauty. Its 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack is world class, and its outdoor photography is evocative.

Recommended, 7 out of 10.

lucky kitten

There are a number of 3 hour movies that are great – Gandhi, Schindler's List, Dances With Wolves come to mind. This is definitely not one of them. There are so many shoot-outs, so many relationships between an assortment of gun-fighters and their women friends (usually referred to by well known descriptive words) that after about an hour we lose track and could care less.

By the time the second DVD disc was in, my spouse was ordering me to hit fast-forward and I readily concurred. Unless you are a die-hard Western fan stay away. Even as a biography it's rather poor and much too long for this topic.

SlingFire

No spoilers here, just a bad move. A really really REALLY long movie, and needlessly so. By the end, I really didn't care what happened to who, because I was so bored I wanted to move on to something else. I am a huge fan of westerns, and there are so many that are SO much better than this offering. If they would have lopped off about an hour, maybe an hour and a half, this would have had a much quicker flow and probably been a really good movie... but they went for the drama factor, and ended up with a cheesy, predictable, seemingly never-ending, bloated jumble of a mess. It just kept going, and going, and going, and going, and going, and going...

Zolorn

I see the debate is lively here as to which was the better 1993 take on the Earp legend, Kasdan's *Wyatt Earp* or Cosmatos' *Tombstone*. If you prefer the former, fair enough, but I'm about to demonstrate why you're mistaken. But the main thrust of my proof is against those here who are petulantly declaring that the two movies shouldn't be compared.

Ah, but if you're presuming to form a critical opinion about this movie, they SHOULD be compared, because the comparison lays bare the fundamental problem with Kasdan's approach to the material. Namely, the director -- who, by the way, I respect, believing him to be a more accomplished director than Cosmatos -- is trapped by an overlong, meandering script whose entire first half should have been redacted with red ink. Okay, here's the problem: after an anticipation-building introduction on the morning of the O.K. Corral gunfight, we're primed for action . . . or at least, we're primed for the build-up leading to the incipient gunfight. But, NO! -- we tumble back all the way to the Civil War era, in which a teenage Wyatt Earp tries to run away from his home to go join his older brothers in the fight. A forceful Gene Hackman as the patriarch nips this in the bud, and furnishes frontier-spun mottoes to the precocious youth that are supposed to explain Wyatt's conduct and personality later in the film. The movie meanders on. We see Wyatt as a young man driving stagecoaches. He travels all around the West, but is saving his heart for a genteel lady back in Missouri. We see him court the young lady. (For 10-15 minutes.) He marries the young lady. Who, by the way, we know from the get-go is going to drop dead. Finally she does, followed by Wyatt going on a tear as an alcoholic horse-thief. We await for someone to bail him out of jail (after all, how can be in Arizona 15 years later if he's going to get hung in Arkansas?); someone does. We're not done. A somewhat surlier Wyatt spends some time as a buffalo-hunter in Kansas, hiring the Masterson brothers as skinners. We sit watching all this numbly, waiting for him to finally get deputized in Dodge. Finally, he does. After which, Kevin Costner's mullet gets trimmed and petroleum jelly is applied atop his head. Uh, we're still not in Arizona, yet. We watch Wyatt keep the peace in Dodge for a while. He calls Bill Pullman's Ed Masterson "affable" several times (this is meant to be an insult). Wyatt's brothers, or some of them anyway, show up with their wives, who resent his high-handed manner and his insistence on moving them all to Tombstone, Arizona with the intention of striking it rich on mining claims. We MUST be getting close to the action, because the characters are talking about Tombstone, but . . . nope, we have to wait till Wyatt is fired by the Dodge City fathers for his head-bashing tactics, which impels him to work as a U.S. Marshall for awhile, the purpose of which is to enable him to meet Doc Holliday (a splendid, emaciated Dennis Quaid) for the first time. The latter, when speaking to Wyatt, ends each of his sentences with "Wyatt Earp?" -- as in, "Do you believe in friendship, Wyatt Earp?" or even "How are your teeth, Wyatt Earp?" This goes on for 5 minutes or so.

Cut, cut. Take out the red pen and swiftly slash lines through all the preceding material. If you're going to tell the Tombstone episode of Wyatt Earp's life, then we don't CARE about any of that other stuff. We don't CARE why Wyatt is the way he is; we'll accept his legend at face value, for God's sake. Sheesh! If you want to tell a story about Young Wyatt Earp, Old Wyatt Earp, or some other aspect of Wyatt Earp, then tell that story. Compare how Cosmatos handled this material in his *Tombstone*: after introducing us to the principal villains, we see the Earp brothers step off the train in Tombstone. See? Simple! I mean, Kasdan tries to make the most out of all the unnecessary material -- that introduction scene, for example, between Costner and Quaid IS kind of funny -- but you just can't cram a mini-series into a 3-hour movie. If we're doing the Tombstone stuff, then get to the damn point, already. As it is now, the movie has wasted so much time with irrelevancies that there's little space left to show why the Earps and Clantons are heading for a showdown in the first place. Wyatt's girlfriend Josie pleads, "Why? I don't understand it!" Neither do we. The movie can only come to rickety halt with an unexciting final shootout in the desert, followed by a tacked-on denouement on a cruise ship.

Finally, Kasdan is not helped any by Kevin Costner. As the young Wyatt, Costner unconvincingly portrays him as a slightly retarded rube. And once the petroleum jelly makes its appearance, Costner falls back onto his Surly Mode: grumpy, expressionless, tending toward psychosis. He's always saying things like, "For two years I've been in a bad mood", or "I'm not in the mood", or "I don't care anymore", or "I'm Wyatt Earp -- it all ends now!" Jeez, what a dour hero. Compare this with Kurt Russell's take on the man: a genial guy looking for a good time, tempered into toughness by the lawlessness of the Old West, but still able to smile. Costner's stern Puritan interpretation belies much of what we see Wyatt actually doing, such as dealing faro in saloons in which he owns a quarter-interest, or sharing his bed with former prostitutes and traveling showgirls. His performance is all wrong for such a man. I, for one, couldn't care less about this sourpuss.

3 stars out of 10.

JoJogar

I'm writing here starting with a clean slate: I watched the film without knowing who Wyatt Earp was, or that there was another film (Tombstone) about the same guy, which everyone has been comparing Wyatt Earp to. So, I'm not prejudiced and I'm not gonna make comparisons. It was just a boring film, with a nonsensical script that dragged on and on unnecessarily, occasionally introduced new characters who didn't have any meaningful contribution to the plot, and little to no sense of adventure and excitement. But the most annoying thing in the movie, I have to admit, is Kevin Costner himself. It seems that Mr Costner has a knack for playing the same character in every movie he stars in: a brooding, smile-less, miserable, cold-outside- but-with-a-heart-of- gold tough macho guy. Well, not such a good guy here, in my opinion. Just a cold-hearted bastard, as one of the characters calls him. But I digress. So, if the film wasn't unbearable enough, Costner's performance makes it even worse. Towards the end I had to fast- forward; I didn't miss anything important, and you wouldn't either, believe you me.

Road.to sliver

How long was this movie? 10, 15, 30 hours? I felt like it was Wyatt Earp's life in real time. How could so many great actors (not Costner who is the consummate bad actor- the Ryan O'Neal of our time) deliver such putrid performances? Apparently members of the cast were vying to play characters who would get killed early on in the movie, just so by comparison, their lifeless bodies would give a better performance than those actors forced to play characters who were alive. And Costner as a teenage Earp? He sounded like Marty McFly's kid with that horrible forced squeak in his voice. Lawrence Kasdan- how could you allow your name on this POS? Don't even mention the film Tombstone in the same sentence. By comparison, Tombstone is Casablanca, Gone With the Wind and Citizen Kane rolled into one. Costner's Wyatt Earp is the George W. Bush of movies.

AnnyMars

Director Lawrence Kasdan gives us three hours of wild west adventure, rugged romance and plenty of gunfire. An almost excellent script from Kasden and Dan Gordon that is put to the test by a talented ensemble cast. The life and legend of Earp and his family proves very interesting, although taking a back seat to the film TOMBSTONE.

Kevin Coster does a good job as the famed lawman, but seems a little less powerful compared to the image of Earp in our minds. Dennis Quaid gives us a different slant on Doc Holiday. One of his better roles. Other fine performances are logged in by Mark Harmon, Catherine O'Hara, Gene Hackman, Bill Pullman, Michael Madsen, Tom Sizemore, Tea Leoni, Martin Kove and Joanna Going.

Maybe a half hour too long, but this movie is more than your average western. Relax and enjoy a very good version of the life of Wyatt Earp.

iSlate

The movie Tombstone was released a few months earlier, it was shorter and more action packed. It was also a better film.

Wyatt Earp clocking in at over three hours is too long. It marked the beginning of Costner's decline at the box office. The audience frankly had enough of his epic and half baked films.

Wyatt Earp wants to be a thoughtful ambitious biopic. It emerges as dull, bloated, uneven and about as truthful as many other pictures of this famous lawman with added overbearing score by James Newton Howard.

Kevin Costner looks uneasy playing the younger Wyatt as an overgrown boy scout getting daily lectures on the importance of family by dad, Gene Hackman.

After the sudden death of his first wife, what gradually emerges is a cold hard man who enforces the law his way, that way being by the barrel of the gun with his brothers as fellow enforcers.

Director Lawrence Kasdan is shackled by Costner wanting to be the star of the show. The actors playing the brothers Earp do not get much of a look in as they are in the shadows of Costner, their wives come across more forcefully as they stand up to Wyatt for putting their husbands in danger. Rightly so, they all get shot and a few of them die.

Even Dennis Quaid who lost weight to play Doc Holliday is underused and to me was largely a cameo. I can see why Val Kilmer overshadowed him in the rival Tombstone.

The film is simply not compelling enough.

Uris

I just viewed this movie on the History Channel and the commercials were somewhat better than the movie. I couldn't wait for the breaks, but I kept on watching it anyway. That should tell you something. Perhaps I am a glutton for punishment.

You cannot rate this film as great, but it is rather interesting and intriguing. Rather than calling it an historical adult western, I would attach to it the description of dark, drawn-out,"Dancing with Wolves" type of Western. I will not say, as others have, that the film is boring. It can only be boring if you haven't had enough sleep. The film has much going for it, i.e., good acting (esp. Dennis Quaid as Doc Holiday), action, excellent photography, and philosophical dialog...probably too much of the latter.

The one memorable moment, that I can recall, is when young Wyatt (with his companion riding "shotgun", is driving a wagon at break-neck speed, trying to outrun a band of outlaws. As in real life, it is almost impossible to shoot a man off a galloping horse from a moving wagon, unless you happen to be an Annie Oakley. Wyatt, shouts to his companion something to the effect, "For crying out loud, shoot the lead horse. You can shoot a horse, can't you!" He does shoot the horse, and the chase abruptly ends. Think of all those old movies where the wagon or stage coach goes over the cliff when all you had to do was shoot the outlaws' horses...easy targets.

At any rate, all that was going through my mind during this entire movie was the the theme song from the 1950's Wyatt Earp TV series starring Hugh Obrien:

Wyatt Earp, Wyatt Earp,

Brave courageous and bold...

Long live his name and long live his glory

And long may his story be told.

Marvin Cohn

luisRED

First off, Congress should pass a law that Kevin Costner will not be allowed to make any film lasting longer than 119 minutes. That will immediately cut down on the suffering of movie-goers. Of course, I'm joking...sort of.

Costner was originally associated with the film "Tombstone", but didn't agree with the way the production was going. So, he set off on his own project. That was a mistake. Perhaps Costner's version was more accurate...I'm not sure. But I do know that accuracy doesn't always make the better film. "Tombstone" ranks as one of the truly great Westerns. "Wyatt Earp" simply doesn't rate...at all.

The acting here is fine...but rather depressing. Where's the likable character? Ah, there's a flaw. We learn that Wyatt Earp was pretty unlikable. In fact, non one here was very likable.

Kevin Costner does his job (of course, that's not a very big compliment). Dennis Quaid was interesting as Doc Holliday, but not as entertaining as Val Kilmer's Holliday. Gene Hackman as the Earp father has very few minutes on screen. Mark Harmon...misused. Bill Pullman was okay as Ed Masterson. Tom Sizemore somewhat interesting as Bat Masterson. Mare Winningham not at all interesting. I totally missed Jim Caviezel as Warren Earp.

No, Kevin, you messed up. And the nearly $40 million loss at the box office rather proves that.

Not recommended. It's dull and boring and lasts forever.

Qumenalu

Being one of the most popular figures of the mystical Old West, Wyatt Earp has been dramatised a countless number of times on the big screen and on television. His notoriety as a no-nonsense lawman, his friendship with the drunken and dying Doc Holliday, and his participation in the legendary gunfight at the O.K. Corrall, has made him the stuff of legend. Of all the portraits, this 1994 epic, directed by Lawrence Kasdan is possibly the most accurate and detailed, following Earp's childhood amongst his many siblings, through to his old age heading to strike lucky during the Gold Rush. It's just a pity that for all it's trying and accuracy, the film isn't at all very good.

The film begins on the Earp farm where the young Wyatt is taught the words of wisdom by his father Nicholas (Gene Hackman) - 'blood is thicker than water' - which stays with Wyatt throughout his life. It's clear that his family are important, and he and his brothers are soon grown up and are making a living out on their own. Wyatt is refereeing bare-knuckle boxing matches and is soon making enemies. He romances an old flame who dies tragically, causing the recently-married Wyatt to lose his ways and becomes a drunkard, stealing from good Samaritans who offer him food and shelter. After a visit from his father in prison, he changes his ways and finds himself appointed Deputy Marshal in Wichita, after bravely shooting down a violent drunk when the cowardly sheriff watches. As his reputation as a good lawman grows, he is offered a job in Dodge City along with his brothers Virgil (Michael Madsen) and Morgan (Linden Ashby), where his reputation starts to take a turn for the worse.

After the huge success of Dances With Wolves, this film seems to take a similar approach - epic, sweeping storytelling as opposed to the more action-packed angle usually taken when filming an Earp biography. Yet the majority of the film is handled with such a ham-fisted and amateurish approach by Kasdan that the film is nowhere as good as it should be. Kasdan, whose films have mainly consisted of Kevin Kline vehicles, had directed a very young Costner before in a western in the very enjoyable Silverado. It's a strange performance by Costner, who in the first half seems to be sleepwalking his way through his role, delivering his lines like a nervous primary school kid finding himself cast in the lead role. The second half, when he becomes the more Republican, violent Earp, is very good. He can do brooding very well, and even though Wyatt Earp is portrayed as a complete bastard, with Costner playing him he remains an engaging character.

Even with all the star actors on show - Madsen, Hackman, Bill Pullman, Tom Sizemore, Jim Caviezel, Jeff Fahey, Isabella Rossellini, Catherine O'Hara, and the excellent Dennis Quaid as Doc Holliday, the film does begin to drag. I almost feel bad saying that, as I have a lot of respect for a director when he takes his time to develop a good story and fully- realised characters, and clocking up a long-running time. But around the 2 hour 30 mark, I found myself wanting the film to end. After the infamous O.K. Corral gunfight (which is refreshingly low-key), the film carries on for another 40 minutes as Earp begins his vendetta against the 'cowboy' gang. In a better directors hands, the last segment could have been a way to portray Earp's fall from grace and his descent into blind blood-lust. But instead it just becomes a long, drawn-out manhunt.

Perhaps I'm being harsh, but I feel this was a missed opportunity. Personally, the definitive Wyatt Earp film is John Ford's magnificent My Darling Clementine, and although it may not have the historical accuracy of this, it is a typically mystical, moving, and surprisingly dark masterpiece, featuring a great Henry Fonda performance.

www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com

NI_Rak

Both of these movies are about the same time, came out the same time, are about the same guys. And I enjoyed both of them. But Wyatt Erp can be tough to sit through. It's an Epic length film and it's paced that way. Both Costner and Russell play Wyatt as the Pistol Whippin' Sonovabitch that he was. But it's hard to accept Kurt mustache even though its real. And as good as Quade's Doc is Kilmer's is that much better. So it kind of balances out. So if you need epic length, my advice it take the beginning of Wyatt Earp, up until they head out West, and tack it on the front of Tombstone. Best of both worlds! It may be tough to see Costner turn into Russell, but you can put Earp's getting shorter and meaner down to getting older. And you'll get to see Quade turn into Kilmer! You can just put his getting skinnier and crazier down to the booze and the tuberculosis.

Water

As an owner of the Wyatt Earp extended Director's edition I can tell you that I thought the film was neither too long or too slow as some "attention-span-deficient" critics have labled it. Admittedly, I have seen shorter movies and movies with more wall to wall action, but I am patient enough to enjoy the slow enveloping experience of a Tarkovsky film. When this film came out, I couldn't convince anyone to see it with me, so I had to go alone. I was blown away by the cast, the performances, the writing and the movie. The cast was terrific. Even bit characters are well-known actors in this film. Gene Hackman was his superb self as Wyatt's stern but loving father. The film didn't skip over significant elements in Wyatt's life like most of the filmed versions do. His transformation from a young adventure-seeking farmer's son to a fearless and feared lawman is believable and compelling. The cinematography was fantastic and was deservedly written up in an issue of American Cinematographer magazine.

On a side note, I think this film works well as an allegory to current events. The United States is represented by Wyatt and the "Wild West" is the world. Like the U.N., Ed Masterson tries to get Wyatt to become less strict and hard-nosed in the application of law. Ed gets killed because he is "too affable". Like France and Russia, the corrupt sheriff Johnny Behan (Mark Harmon) tries to get Wyatt to sell out, because there is "enough money for everybody" if he just looks the other way. Wyatt is too rigidly principled for either of these two men but retains his dignity and honor.

melody of you

Wyatt Earp if nothing else is the Western of all Westerns. It's epically enormous and tells a story of a man that could only be fiction and yet was a real person. There isn't anything that a lover of Westerns won't find in this film. It has absolutely everything. It is a very, very long film. It was originally meant to be a whopping six hours so thank goodness it was cut to only three. Without a doubt I think this is director Lawrence Kasdan's best work although he did work on another Kevin Costner vehicle that was very good, The Bodyguard.

Costner plays the lead role of Wyatt Earp. Now one thing is for sure Kevin Costner is an acquired taste. No matter what he's a commanding presence on screen and his portrayal of tough as nails, take no prisoners Wyatt Earp is awesome!! Sure sometimes he is a little dry in his acting but he has a quiet intensity that makes his roles so watchable. He goes from loving husband to grieving, to drunk, to Marshall, to protector, to the executioner flawlessly and seamlessly. The supporting cast of this film is incredible and too numerous to mention everyone. They have such an incredible ensemble cast and everyone adds to it in different ways. Gene Hackman makes a cameo as Wyatt's father, Michael Madsen as his brother, Catherine O'Hara as his sister-in-law (Madsen's wife), Bill Pullman as Ed Masterson, Isabella Rossellini as Doc Holliday's woman, Tom Sizemore as Bat Masterson, Adam Baldwin, Téa Leoni, Jeff Fahey...and I could go on. The film is a virtual who's who of Hollywood A and B movie actors who come together like I've never seen on screen. It's just fun picking out who you recognize as most of them are done up to an almost unrecognizable state with era costumes and set. However the two performances most noted were Costner and the amazing Dennis Quaid who plays the ill fated Doc Holliday. I did feel that they didn't really establish the friendship as much as they could have between Earp and Holliday but nonetheless Quaid's performance was the best in the film and Oscar worthy. A cold blooded killer, dying of consumption and dedicated to his friend. He's barely recognizable, even his voice is different and he's the perfect choice.

Wyatt Earp's most brilliant part is the entire setting including costumes, locations, and capturing the entire era of any era it displays. The dusty, dark, gritty world of the old west to the plains of Arizona to the Alaskan coast in the end. It's a visual masterpiece. The costumes are spot on and brilliant. I think Costner has a real love for the western and you can see his passion in this film. As producer he likely had a big hand in it's creation and it shows. I think Costner is a worthy Hollywood star and I've always liked him and this is one of the great films he has done. Any fans of Westerns MUST see Wyatt Earp because although made in the nineties it's the essential western epic and brilliantly done just a little long, that's all. Can't beat the content or performances and familiar faces. 8/10

Stan

Fair film with Mister Cosner's ego basically bogging the movie down with dullness. Cosner is not the greatest actor in history, but he is likable enough to enjoy his movies. Here he is just plain stiff, wooden, emotionaless and boring. It is all about Kevin and his ego. He is in virtually in every scene and he is doing nothing at all. There is absolutely no chemistry between him and his leading ladies. Anyhow, if you like Kevin in the morning and Kevin in the evening and Kevin at suppertime, then you will like this film. If not, forget about it and watch Kurt Russell in Tombstone.

Brialelis

In the summer of 2013 Wyatt Earp has been showing up regularly on cable. I thought I'd view it again to see if it worked better in my living room than in a multiplex. It does, though just barely. Although this is not the silly, Baby Boomer mess that Silverado was, WE is final proof that Westerns are not in Lawrence Kasdan's area of competence. For Costner, it's another of the bloated vanity projects that crashed his career after multiple Oscars wins for the majestic Dances With Wolves. As I said, it does view better on the small screen; which is small comfort for the viewer. It's too long, it's humorless and it has that grungy, unshaved, unwashed look that hack film makers mistake for "authenticity." Costner, at this point in his career, didn't want to share the screen with equals. So he surrounds himself with mainly B-list co-stars, Gene Hackman being the sole exception. Some give good performances: Mark Harmon is a terrifically sleazy Johnny Behan, for example. And Dennis Quaid gives one of the very best portrayals of the legendary Doc Holiday. Unfortunately for him, the absolute best on screen Doc is Val Kilmer in the rival Wyatt Earp film, Tombstone. Still, it may be his finest performance on film. On the other end, the usually gifted Mare Winningham is lost as Earp's mistress, Mattie Blaylock. That Costner let his ego overwhelm the film is, finally, what dooms it. Dominating screen time while dispensing with the warmth, humor and sex appeal of his previous films, his Earp is relentlessly vicious and morbidly sullen throughout. In the end, the best way to watch the film is to wander the house doing chores while running to the TV room only when you hear on screen threats or gunfire.

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