Tombstone (film)
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Tombstone is a 1993 revisionist Western movie written by Kevin Jarre and directed by George P. Cosmatos. The story involves Wyatt Earp and his brothers moving to Tombstone, Arizona where they and Doc Holliday face off against a band of criminals called the Cowboys.
Plot
Wyatt Earp (played by Kurt Russell), a retired peace keeper with quite a reputation, re-unites with his brothers Virgil (Sam Elliott) and Morgan (Bill Paxton) in Tucson, Arizona where they venture on towards Tombstone, a small but growing mining town to settle down. There they encounter Wyatt's longtime friend Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer), a southern rogue who seeks relief from his tuberculosis in Arizona's drier environment.
All is not perfect however. Wyatt's wife is slowly becoming dependent on laudanum (opium) which she acquired to heal her headaches. Just as Wyatt and his brothers begin to benefit from the rebuilding of a saloon's below average prospects, they make their first meeting with the Cowboys, an organized crime ring headed by "Curly Bill" Brocious (Powers Boothe) that wear red sashes around their waist to mark their affiliation. Conflict is narrowly avoided upon Wyatt's insistence that he is retired and no longer interested in pursuing a career in law-keeping. This also marks a less than ideal first meeting for Doc Holliday and his Cowboy counterpart, the psychopathic Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn), as both begin a tense conversation in Latin.
Also just arriving in town are theatre performers Josephine Marcus (Dana Delany) and her actor companion Mr. Fabian (Billy Zane).
Wyatt, although no longer a law-man, cannot betray his good-qualities, and in a town inundated with Cowboys it isn't long before tensions rise. An intoxicated Curly Bill is shooting aimlessly in the middle of town after his visit to a Chinese opium house and is approached by town marshall Fred White to relinquish his firearms before any harm is done. Curly Bill shoots Marshall White and is subsequently knocked unconscious from behind by Wyatt. Tension mounts as Ike Clanton and other Cowboys, intent on rescuing Curly Bill, are turned away by Wyatt, his shotgun-toting brothers, and Doc. Curly Bill later stands trial but is not found guilty and released.
Wyatt also makes run-ins with Josephine, who unlike other ladies of her time is quite forward towards Wyatt. Although their actions are quite innocent there is a spark between them that neither can deny.
Later, Virgil, unable to tolerate the lawlessness of Tombstone becomes the new town marshall (replacing Fred White) and imposes a weapons ban in town limits. Further dealings with the Cowboys prompts the legendary battle at the O.K. Corral. Virgil and Morgan are wounded, three Cowboys are killed, and county sheriff John Behan's allegiance to the Cowboys is revealed. As retribution for the Cowboy deaths Wyatt's younger brother Morgan is shot dead, while Virgil's arm is shot making it useless. Wyatt and family decide to leave Tombstone and head back to Tucson to board a train. Followed by the Cowboys, Wyatt sees that his family leaves safely while he deals with them. Wyatt announces that he has become a U.S. Marshall and that he intends to kill any man he sees wearing a red sash. He lets Clanton return to send the message and enters a vengeful stage in his life when he, Doc, a Cowboy deserter, and loyal acquaintances join forces to wipe out the Cowboys.
At another epic battle Wyatt is ambushed in a riverside forest by the Cowboys. Wyatt is beckoned by the river and seeks out Curly Bill who obliges and a knee-deep water gunfight is over before it begins with Curly Bill laying in the water dead. Johnny Ringo becomes the head of the Cowboys.
At one of their lower points, Doc's health is under assault and they depend on the accommodations of Henry Hooker (Charlton Heston). It is learned that Mr. Fabian was shot by Cowboys who wanted to steal Josephine's watch. Due to his now distant relation (geographically and in closeness) with his wife, Wyatt reaches a point of understanding here where he realizes what he wants in life and who (Josephine).
Ringo sends the message that he wants a showdown with Wyatt to end the hostilities and Wyatt is in agreement. Although Doc is a better match for Johnny he is currently in no condition for a gunfight and cannot join Wyatt.
Wyatt with his entourage approach the agreed-upon area. Unknown to Wyatt however is a healthy Doc beating them to the scene. Doc confronts a now nervous Ringo and a lengthy staring/drawing contest ensues, Doc taunting Ringo, "I'm your huckleberry!" As both men lift their guns, Doc gets the first shot off, hitting Ringo in the head and killing him. Wyatt runs when he hears the gunshot only to encounter who he thought was his ailing friend on his feet and well. They then press on to finish the job of eliminating the Cowboys, though Clanton escapes their vengeance by throwing away his red sash.
Doc is later admitted to a sanitorium in Glenwood Springs, Colorado where shortly after a visit from Wyatt he dies. Immediately prior to his death, Doc looks at his feet and the condition of the bed in which he is lying, and mutters "I'll be damned. Oh, this is funny", after which he dies. Doc realizes he was about to "die with his boots off" (as opposed to "dying with your boots on", i.e. in a gunfight). Wyatt decides to pursue Josephine and the movie ends with an account of the events to occur in the following years.
Trivia
- Tombstone was in production at the same time as Wyatt Earp. Tombstone was released first, on December 25, 1993, and Wyatt Earp followed half a year later on June 24, 1994. While neither film was a blockbuster, Wyatt Earp's large budget ($63M) and paltry domestic theatrical box office ($25M) have left it with the reputation of being a bomb.
- Robert Mitchum was originally set to play Old Man Clanton, but Mitchum suffered a horse riding accident which made him unable to play the part. Mitchum ultimately narrated the film, while the part was written out of the script. Much of Old Man Clanton's dialogue, however, was spoken by other characters, particularly Curly Bill, who was effectively made the gang leader in lieu of Clanton.
Critical response
Tombstone is estimated to have grossed over $56 million in the United States[[Citing sources citation needed]]. Val Kilmer's portrayal of Doc Holliday has frequently been praised[[Citing sources citation needed]]. He was nominated for two MTV Movie Awards in 1994 for Best Male Performance and Most Desirable Male. Several movie critics said he deserved an Oscar nomination for his performance[[Citing sources citation needed]].External links
- [Review by Jonathan Dunder]
- [A look at historical inaccuracies in Tombstone, particulary as they apply to the game of faro]
- [A general look at historical inaccuracies of Tombstone]
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