Wyatt Earp (1994)

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.

Director:

Lawrence Kasdan

Writers:

Dan Gordon, Lawrence Kasdan

Stars:

Kevin Costner, Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

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

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

wyatt earp | marriage | marshal | gunslinger | fistfight | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Biography | Romance | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for strong gunfights, some language and sensuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

24 June 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Wyatt Earp - Das Leben einer Legende

Filming Locations:

777 Ranch, Hermosa, South Dakota, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$63,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$25,052,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, Tig Productions, Kasdan Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

191 min 212 min (extended edition)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

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

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Goofs

During the opening view of the cornfield, you can clearly see a large curved track in the field. It was caused by a Circle Pivot irrigation system, which did not exist in 1863.

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Quotes

Doc Holliday: Do you believe in friendship, Wyatt Earp?
Wyatt Earp: [nods head silently]
Doc Holliday: So do I. Do you have many friends?
Wyatt Earp: [shakes head 'no' silently]
Doc Holliday: Neither do I.
[indicates Shanssey]
Doc Holliday: John here has been a good friend to me when many others would not. *Dave Rutabagh* is an ignorant scoundrel! I disapprove of his very existence. I considered ending it myself on several occasions, but... self-control always got the better of me.
[takes a slug of whiskey]
Doc Holliday: Besides, I'm a sporting man. I'm not a killer.
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in The Making of 'Silverado' (1999)

User Reviews

Very enjoyable film

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.