Wyatt Earp (BD)

Wyatt Earp is a sweeping, character-driven Western that takes a more detailed and dramatic look at the life of one of the Old West’s most iconic figures. Kevin Costner delivers a solid performance in the title role, and the film dives deeper into Wyatt’s complex personality and the weight of his choices. The cinematography is beautiful, and the score adds a haunting touch to the film’s somber, reflective tone. That said, while this version has its strengths, it’s impossible to watch without thinking of Tombstone. And let’s be honest — no one will ever play Doc Holliday like Val Kilmer did. His performance in Tombstone is legendary, and it set a bar that’s never been matched. Still, Wyatt Earp is a worthy watch for Western fans who want a more serious, biographical take on the man behind the legend.

Very good movie..seems like it gives more in depth of his life.

Good movie.

Well worth the long watch. I have read quite a bit about Wyatt Earp and this film sticks pretty close to historical facts. Wyatt lived to the age of 80 and through all his altercations not one bullet ever even grazed him. He was a stone-cold ass kicker who in life and death moments kept his head and cool. "Fast is fine, but accuracy is final. You must learn to be slow in a hurry" --Wyatt Earp

In the summer of 1994, actor Kevin Costner's Western mega-epic "Wyatt Earp" crashed and burned at the cinema effectively halting his lengthy streak of critically-acclaimed hits dating back to "The Untouchables" in 1987. At the time, the modestly-profitable rival "Tombstone" had effectively stolen Costner's thunder by beating him to the box office punch six months earlier and leaving his far more expensive saga as a tired retread. Still, in its expanded version, "Wyatt Earp" deserves re-discovery for factors extending beyond Costner's presence alone. I will first address director Lawrence Kasdan and producer Costner's intentions since Costner basically is the movie. This duo evidently wanted to capture a somber Louis L'Amour-esque look on-screen (the costuming is a dead giveaway), as their tragic interpretation of Earp's life story often resembles an Old West version of "The Godfather," replacing mobsters with frontier cops. Unfortunately, with so many individuals introduced or merely name-dropped in the span of three hours, similar characters (especially rustler Curly Bill and friends) blend together far too easily making it hard to tell them apart. If you are not already familiar with whom all these historical figures are, then good luck to those who can't recognize who's who. The same problem extends to the desert backdrop. As the movie was filmed on location in New Mexico, this would explain why Wichita, Dodge City, and Tombstone largely all look like the same locale. "Tombstone," on the other hand, had the advantage of one primary location, which certainly simplifies the necessary story-telling. With a timeline spanning nearly forty years, "Wyatt Earp" should be commended for ambitiously giving viewers as much story as possible, but this inevitably causes obvious pacing issues. Costner may have assumed that lightning would strike twice following the majestic 1990 "Dances With Wolves," but this plodding film's ambiance (including James Newton Howard's melancholic score) is unable to successfully carry 180+ minutes without any comic relief or an exhilarating romance (although Costner and co-star Joanna Going are believable as Wyatt and the third Mrs. Earp). The script's sometimes clunky dialogue also disguises speeches (i.e. Gene Hackman as Earp's father repeatedly spellling out the Earp family credo) and explanations of off-screen incidents as everyday dialogue, which only further muddles the slow narrative. The film's all-star ensemble (also including Dennis Quaid, Mark Harmon, Annabeth Gish, Michael Madsen, JoBeth Williams, Tom Sizemore, Bill Pullman, among many others) is top-notch, as it should be considering the production's estimated $75 million price tag. Specifically, I give kudos to Dennis Quaid as the film's acting MVP. Rather than copying Val Kilmer's high-profile, flamboyantly roguish take on John "Doc" Holliday, Quaid's coarsely authentic approach was certainly overlooked for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nod (if not the trophy itself). To Quaid's credit, he not only looked the part, but he made the tubercular, decaying Holliday as unlikeable as most of his contemporaries thought he was. Mare Winningham as Wyatt's second wife, Mattie, also merits acclaim. Others, such as Hackman, Gish, James Gammon, and Joanna Going, in supporting roles, deserve some honorable mention as well. As for Costner's performance, with some reservations, it is generally a positive. Based upon the various accounts of Wyatt Earp's life that I have read, his stone-faced portrayal of Earp is virtually dead-on. Further, I would conclude that, although Kurt Russell physically resembled the real Wyatt Earp (and, yes, was more entertaining), Costner's depth drew closer to Wyatt's cold fish personality. Make no mistake, though: Costner's ego tends to overplay his hand, including twice where he makes short announcements to the stunned saloon crowd upon prevailing in battle. Somehow, I don't imagine that rowdy drunkards would have been awed into silent fear by Earp's mere presence. Also, by having other characters tell Wyatt how much better a stage driver, buffalo hunter, shooter, etc. he is than they are, it doesn't really help build a myth; rather, it becomes a bore. The bleak, gritty realism of "Wyatt Earp" will appeal far more to movie-goers who enjoy historical documentaries as entertainment vs. those who prefer straight-up Hollywood historical fantasy (and, yes, "Tombstone" is largely a Western fantasy). Speaking of which, it is known that Costner was originally linked to "Tombstone," until he had a falling out with late writer-director Kevin Jarre over the proposed film's scope. It helps explain the supposed bad blood between the rival productions, as Costner's ego dictated that he must pursue his own epic vision of Earp's life. He was definitely right in providing the characters far more depth and creating a realistically somber balance. Case in point: Costner and Kasdan accurately depict an aloof Wyatt as being despised by his sister-in-laws, as his brothers too often deferred to Wyatt's needs over their own wives. Further, Mare Winningham's performance as Wyatt's neglected second wife, Mattie, is heartbreaking to watch as it removes even more luster from Earp's status as an Old West icon. Except for conveniently ignoring the real Wyatt's alleged antics as a card shark and opportunistic con artist, Costner's film is and will likely remain the closest Hollywood will come to exploring Earp's legendary life story. To its credit, the film's classy finale acknowledges that separating fact from fiction is often next to impossible, so Earp's life will always (to some degree) remain a mystery. Still, real history alone doesn't sell movie tickets. Despite offering a mostly outstanding Western epic for adult viewers, Costner and Kasdan underestimated the necessity of popcorn entertainment that "Tombstone" captured so well with mainstream audiences. As a random thought, this epic movie still has extraordinary potential if it were cleverly re-edited, i.e. trimming much of its first third into quick-snippet flashbacks, such as Urilla's (or Irilla's) death, for a more haunting effect on Wyatt's psyche during the Tombstone years. Rating: 8/10 (In most categories, it's a historically superior and better-acted film that ages better than "Tombstone," but it sorely lacks the other film's charismatic flavor. It really depends upon what you are looking for in a big-screen Western: gritty realism or Hollywood fantasy). P.S. The DVD special features are not necessarily spectacular, but they are certainly some nice, well-produced additions to check out when you have the time. Included in the special edition are some additional scenes that pad the film's running time past 190 minutes.

Have to say I thoroughly enjoyed Laurence Kasden's film, which goes further than any other in it's dramatisation of the life and times of Wyatt Earp. Kevin Costner, in the title role, is perfectly cast, aging from Earp's younger days into old age. The performance is notable in it's gradual changing and mood from a care free, wild individual to a middle aged and hardened man - and ultimately into a serious, but thoughtful Wyatt Earp at the conclusion. It must be said that Denis Quaid's incredible Doc Holiday outdoes all the rest. The viewer has to look twice to recognise that it is indeed Denis Quaid playing the role. The Actor had lost so much weight for the part, that he looks like the dying gunfighter and gambler one would expect, suffering from TB, in a portrayal which no other actor, including Victor Mature, Kirk Douglas and more recently Val Kilmer, can compete with. His Southern accent is also flawless. He also paints Holiday in a more caring light then before, less self centred, but no less capable of violence. The movie itself, with a running time of over three and a half hours, is a relatively factual chronicle of the life of the mythical Lawman, and of his complicated relationships with his brothers and their wives, and of the hardships that shaped and moulded him. He comes across as a very deliberate person, but also very cold and ultimately inconsiderate, as well as being heroic and the paragon of justice. One thinks of Burt Lancaster as Earp in "Gunfight at the OK Corral", but it is rather Lancaster's role in Michael Winner's "Lawman", that Costner evokes in his role. The notion of "when the legend becomes fact, print the legend" from 'The Man Who shot Libery Valance', is also brought to mind at the conclusion with the re-telling of the Tommy O' Rourke legend. The rest of the cast is uniformly excellent with Gene Hackman perfect as the Paternalistic mentor of the Earp familly. The whole conflict between the Clanton and McLowery clans is more clearly examined, although they don't dominate proceedings in the way that Walter Brennan as Ike Clanton did in "My Darling Clemintine" It's also nice to see Karen Grassle in a small part, along with Bill Pullman, Tim Sizemore and Jobeth Williams. Mare Winningham is also notable in her role as the tragic prostitute who assumes Earp's name in the vain hope that some day he would love her and marry her, and Issabella Rossalini plays Doc Holiday's Kate, tempestuous and attractive, but violent and hard. This edition is presented in it's full widescreen aspect, and is best viewed as such, taking in the wide prarie vistas, and detailed railroad scenes. James Newton Howard contributes a memorable epic score. A must for all movie epics.

Must have for any western collection

Great movie, Would recommend it for any age