Peoples thoughts on Wyatt Earp.... (1 Viewer)

[todd s]

I was flipping through the channels last night and came upon Wyatt Earp on The Movie Channel. I figured I watch it. I could not believe the movie ran over 3 hours. It did not feel that long. I enjoyed it. Dennis Quaid definitely looked like he lost a ton of weight to play Doc Holliday. I did see Tombstone a few years back and enjoyed it also. Just curious to hear what others thought? And will this movie be out on dvd soon?

 

[Michael Reuben]

The film bombed in theaters, partly because of its length and partly because the post-Dances With Wolves anti-Costner reaction was just kicking into high gear. Also, I think people were expecting a more traditional Western from Kasdan, given what he'd done with Silverado -- and Wyatt Earp is anything but traditional. I remember sitting in the theater stunned after the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, which is so brutal, direct and realistic (based, apparently, on contemporary accounts), but I knew the film was in trouble when, as we left the theater, my wife turned to me and said: "For all the build-up, it wasn't much of a gunfight!"
Still, the film has its following, many of whom discovered it by accident just as you did, and get caught up in the characters. (For all of its epic sweep, it's primarily a character study.) We fans have been hoping for a DVD for a long time, but to date I've heard nothing from the Warner camp. There was a beautiful LD boxed set with an extended cut of the film, and for now that's the only way to see Wyatt Earp in all of its widescreen glory.
M.
[Edited last by Michael Reuben on November 06, 2001 at 09:35 AM]

 

[Chauncey_G]

It was a good movie, although I thought it suffered from the same flaw that Costner's long movies seem to have: it spreads the drama a little TOO thick, IMO. It's pacing didn't lend itself to being what many people expect in a western. It wasn't as immediately (and perhaps superficially) entertaining as Tombstone, though it did seem to tell a more complete story of Wyatt Earp than Tombstone did.
But for me, the big problem was the Costner-drama factor. If you look at Dances With Wolves, Wyatt Earp, Waterworld and The Postman you see that they all have this overemphasized dramatic element that can have the tendency to bog the story down. It worked OK in Dances, but once I began to see it reflected in other "big" movies of his, it got a little old for me.

 

[Jim Rankin]

I loved this film - I agree with the previous poster - you have to view with the frame of mind of being a character study, not so much as a shoot em up action flick. I have heard other people's complaints about the beginning taking too long, but I felt it was necessary to show why Wyatt turned out the way he did. I'll take Dennis Quaid's portrayal of Doc Holliday anyday over Val Kilmer's.

 

[Charles Bober]

Count me in as another fan of this flick. I thought it did an exhaustive job of telling Wyatt's entire life instead of just the Tombstone years (btw, I absolutely love Tombstone and I'm in no way bashing it, just noting the differences).
quote: But for me, the big problem was the Costner-drama factor.[/quote]
I might be in the minority here but that's what I love about Wyatt Earp and all other Costner movies. IMHO, his storytelling is brilliant and thorough. The reoccuring theme of man's inner struggle against himself, man's moral questioning of himself, and the eternal fight between right & wrong is what draws me to these films. Kevin does a phenomenal job of fleshing out the characters and doesn't let running time stifle him. Sure the movies are long but so is life. And it takes time to tell whole life stories in 3 hours.
quote: I'll take Dennis Quaid's portrayal of Doc Holliday anyday over Val Kilmer's.[/quote]
Don't you blaspheme around here!!! Don't you even go there

I know you're definitely in the minority with that statement. While Quaid did a great job, Kilmer was stunningly perfect and incomparable. And if it weren't for Tombstone and Val's legendary performance, I feel Wyatt Earp would've gotten much more notoriety and fanfare. Unfortunately, that didn't happen and Costner's vision is almost an afterthought. Pity.
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DTS Laser Disc. Size Does Matter
[Edited last by Charles Bober on November 07, 2001 at 10:13 AM]
[Edited last by Charles Bober on November 07, 2001 at 10:14 AM]

 

[Michael Reuben]

Costner's vision

While there's no doubt that Costner played a major role in shaping the film, I don't think it necessarily reflects his "vision". Lawrence Kasdan directed and co-scripted (the other credited writer is Dan Gordon), and the technical team included many of his frequent collaborators. If the film represents anyone's "vision", it's Kasdan's.
M.

 

[Marty M]

I also enjoyed this movie. The soundtrack CD by James Newton Howard is one of my favorite soundtracks. Yes, Dennis Quaid did lose a lot of weight for this role.

 

[Bruce Hedtke]

I loved it. Cannot wait for this DVD.
And, for my money, Dennis Quaid was 10x the Doc Holliday that Val Kilmer was.
Bruce
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[Justin Doring]

I've only seen Wyatt Earp once (in the theater) and I was a young teenager, so I don't feel qualified to offer an opinion. I don't really remember too much about it, but I remember liking Tombstone a lot more. I've matured a lot since the film was released, however, and Kasdan is one of my favorite directors, so no doubt I'll be in for a treat when Warner decides to release it. What I can say is that Tombstone is a more traditional and fun Western and that it had an easier task, because it dealt only with a portion of Earp's life instead of all of it.
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