Sorry, folks. I just cannot refrain from comparing this film to Tombstone. The fact is they are both very good films, and anyone interested in Wyatt Earp should certainly see both. The films were made at the same time, and comparisons are just impossible to avoid. Wyatt Earp is a more ambitious film, and it clearly looks to pay more attention to real historical accounts, In the end however, it just isn't paced that well, and it lacks the action that Tombstone delivers consistently.
Kevin Costner is quite good as Wyatt Earp. The Earp we see in this film is made out to be righteous as a younger man, then jaded and morally ambiguous once his first wife dies tragically. So much of Earp's life is attempted to be recreated by this film. Trouble is, there are not enough definitive historical accounts of some of these periods of Earp's life to substantiate some of what we see. The events told to us in Tombstone make up only about the third act of this film. Before these events, we see Earp work as a boxing referee, a stagecoach driver, a buffalo hunter, and a card dealer. Also, there is a stint in his early life when he attempts to earn a law degree. Unless you are a true Wyatt Earp historian, a lot of it won't seem all that necessary. As the years pass, we meet Earp's brothers, their wives, and other famous lawmen like Bat and Ed Masterson. The cast is uniformly excellent, and there is not a bad performance in the film. Dennis Quaid as Doc Holliday deserves special mention because the performance might well be Quaid's best. He reportedly lost nearly 40 lbs to portray the diseased gunfighter. As good as Kilmer was in Tombstone, Quaid just might be better in this film.
Most of the film deals with what made Earp famous. That being his various turns as lawman in such towns as Wichita, Dodge City, and Tombstone. Earp is quick to bash a suspect over the head with his pistol, and he always seems to be on the winning end of a gunfight. Eventually, Earp meets Josephine, an actress with whom he will spend nearly fifty years of his life. Their relationship is handled tenderly and honestly. Other than his love for Josephine and his family, Earp is a morally ambiguous man. That is the idea within the script, anyway.
Lawrence Kasdan does a very good job as director. The sets look authentic, and so do the actors. The movie bombed out badly in theaters, though. Perhaps word quickly got out about how long it was and that scared people off. Or maybe they all saw Tombstone first, and it quenched their thirst for a good western. Wyatt Earp, as well as being too long, is hurt by a terrible ending on a boat. Were they trying to channel Heaven's Gate with an inappropriate ending on a boat??? Fear not, this film is infinitely better than that one. However, Wyatt Earp is a reminder of what we learned with Heaven's Gate. A western is not a good genre of film for introspection or revision. Western audiences often expect more action than character development. The verdict: Give this film a chance, but pack you attention span. It's a long one! 7 of 10 stars.
The Hound.
Kevin Costner is quite good as Wyatt Earp. The Earp we see in this film is made out to be righteous as a younger man, then jaded and morally ambiguous once his first wife dies tragically. So much of Earp's life is attempted to be recreated by this film. Trouble is, there are not enough definitive historical accounts of some of these periods of Earp's life to substantiate some of what we see. The events told to us in Tombstone make up only about the third act of this film. Before these events, we see Earp work as a boxing referee, a stagecoach driver, a buffalo hunter, and a card dealer. Also, there is a stint in his early life when he attempts to earn a law degree. Unless you are a true Wyatt Earp historian, a lot of it won't seem all that necessary. As the years pass, we meet Earp's brothers, their wives, and other famous lawmen like Bat and Ed Masterson. The cast is uniformly excellent, and there is not a bad performance in the film. Dennis Quaid as Doc Holliday deserves special mention because the performance might well be Quaid's best. He reportedly lost nearly 40 lbs to portray the diseased gunfighter. As good as Kilmer was in Tombstone, Quaid just might be better in this film.
Most of the film deals with what made Earp famous. That being his various turns as lawman in such towns as Wichita, Dodge City, and Tombstone. Earp is quick to bash a suspect over the head with his pistol, and he always seems to be on the winning end of a gunfight. Eventually, Earp meets Josephine, an actress with whom he will spend nearly fifty years of his life. Their relationship is handled tenderly and honestly. Other than his love for Josephine and his family, Earp is a morally ambiguous man. That is the idea within the script, anyway.
Lawrence Kasdan does a very good job as director. The sets look authentic, and so do the actors. The movie bombed out badly in theaters, though. Perhaps word quickly got out about how long it was and that scared people off. Or maybe they all saw Tombstone first, and it quenched their thirst for a good western. Wyatt Earp, as well as being too long, is hurt by a terrible ending on a boat. Were they trying to channel Heaven's Gate with an inappropriate ending on a boat??? Fear not, this film is infinitely better than that one. However, Wyatt Earp is a reminder of what we learned with Heaven's Gate. A western is not a good genre of film for introspection or revision. Western audiences often expect more action than character development. The verdict: Give this film a chance, but pack you attention span. It's a long one! 7 of 10 stars.
The Hound.