Wyatt Earp (1994)

Director:

Lawrence Kasdan

Writers (WGA):

Dan Gordon (written by) and
Lawrence Kasdan (written by)

Release Date:

24 June 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Biography | Romance | Western

Tagline:

The epic story of love and adventure in a lawless land.

Plot:

Wyatt Earp is a movie about a man and his family. More of a documentary than Hollywood tinsel, this...

Plot Keywords:

Wyatt Earp | Box Office Flop | Character Says "piss" | Gunslinger | Pistol

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations

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	...	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

Runtime:

191 min | USA:212 min (extended edition)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 | Canada:A (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

777 Ranch, Hermosa, South Dakota, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

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.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the film's first scene, Wyatt is shown sipping coffee in a darkened room. But the heavy cloud of steam coming from the cup indicates that there is no real coffee inside; actual coffee that hot would badly burn his lips if he attempted to drink it.

Quotes:

Virgil Earp: We're gonna disarm them and take 'em in. You understand, Doc?
Doc Holliday: Oh, I understand Virgil. But
[taps shotgun]
Doc Holliday: do you think they will?

Movie Connections:

Featured in U.S. Marshals: Justice Under the Star (1998) (V)

A very misunderstood and under-appreciated film

"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."