One of my favorite Westerns. An excerpt from Tombstone
Doc Holliday What did you ever want?
Wyattt Earp: Just to live a normal life.
Doc Holliday: There's no normal life, Wyatt, it's just life. Get on with it.
Wyatt Earp: Don't know how.
Doc Holliday: Sure you do. Say goodbye to me. Go grab that spirited actress and make her your own. Take that beauty from it, don't look back. Live every second. Live right on to the end. Live Wyatt. Live for me.
Even if you're not a fan of Westerns, there are parts of life that resonant throughout this movie that most will recognize.
If you've not seen it, it's worth a view.
21 comments:
Lovely. This was on one of the cable networks just the other day. They sometimes play the Costner Earp back to back with the Russell Earp (Tombstone) and there is simply no comparison seen that way.
It's definitely the more entertaining of the two movies made of the history around the Gunfight at the OK Corral. For my own reasons I prefer Kevin Costner's Wyatt Earp.
Look at this version of the gunfight:
http://youtu.be/gWNn0QN03l0
It follows the historical accounts exactly, even to the dialog that passes between Morgan Earp and Doc Holliday (Let 'em have it. All right.) Those words were heard by an eyewitness at the time and reported at the coroner's inquest that followed the gunfight. The music, scored by James Newton Howard, is sublime. When the Earps begin their trip down the street he scores music that harks back to Mars, the Bringer of War by Gustav Holst. Watch the camera work: down at dirt level at one point, then moving upward to a bird's eye view, then dropping down to facial closeups. Each of the men was shot in the manner shown; Wyatt was the only one left standing and unwounded. The guns weren't entirely accurate, Wyatt was reportedly carrying a Smith & Wesson American instead of a Colt. The trading of the cane for the shotgun by Doc and Virgil was accurate. Doc, however, emptied the shotgun before switching to his own sidearm.
My own favorite scene in the movie is Wyatt's first meeting with Doc in Fort Griffith; watch Doc's reaction to Wyatt's reflexes after Doc knocks over a whiskey bottle. His eyes narrow as he takes Wyatt's measure, realizing that this man is incredibly fast with his hands; then he smiles grimly as he pours himself a drink. Great, great scene. Unjustly maligned movie.
Thanks gentlemen - this post wasn't supposed to come up til late tonight (was a saved one) so I'm putting it back to draft so folks can read the tractor show event first. .
sorry about that.
I guess I'm in the 'I watch movies for enjoyment and documentaries to learn' crowd...given my choice, I can watch ALL of Tombstone, but I just watch Wyatt Earp for selected scenes.
It's one of my top five movies of all time. I'm your huckleberry...
Yep, good movie, and worth viewing! (The Costner version)...
"You tell 'em I'm comin', and hell's comin' with me!"
IMHO:
(Russell>Lancaster)<(Costner)
(Douglas>Kilmer)<(Quaid)
Still love hanging around Tombstone.
Tombstone is one of the greatest movies of all time! The cast is superb, especially Val Kilmer. He made that movie!
My favorite line from my favorite scene:
"Why Johnny Ringo, you look like somebody just walked over your grave."
I watched that movie three separate times during my convalascence. One of the many things I miss about my former sweetheart is his movie collection; not only did he start teaching me about firearms, but by sharing his giant notebook of DVD's with me, I also discovered that I like watching westerns almost as much as I like making sudden loud noises with gunpowder...
I love 'em both! (Tombstone and Wyatt Earp)
"I'll be your huckleberry.."
gfa
PS - I've not been there since I was a kid; used to have a fair EYE-talian restaurant in town!
Movies are kind of like people... you find good and bad in all. Some have more of one or the other, but you enjoy each as much kind as much as you can, leave out the bad and go on. Admittedly, sometimes that's plenty hard to do. heh
Doc : In vino veritas.
Ringo : Age quod agis.
Doc : Credat Judaeus Apella, non ego.
Ringo : Juventus stultorum magister.
Doc : In pace requiescat!
Great explanation of that exchange here:
http://latindiscussion.com/forum/latin/latin-conversation-in-the-movie-tombstone.6909/
It's one of my all time favorites.
I agree with Craig Cavanaugh.....Val Kilmer was the best!
"It appears my hypocrisy knows no bounds".
Bob
III
Oh, a favorite...so well done throughout. (Though I do applaud Costner for what he does with it, too.)
"It's true, you are a good woman. Then again, you may be the antichrist."
I'm disappointed that the director's cut is not available on Blu-ray. It adds some very important scenes (Doc leaving Kate for one) that fill in the gaps.
Brigid, I just lost a friend of about 19 years, a man of 51 who'd had more surgeries and pneumonias than birthdays due to spina bifida, yet his spirit as the same as you express with the Doc Holliday quote. It could not possibly be more timely. He can now walk, and walk with angels; he expected everyone else to celebrate life, as he did in so many ways. Thank you once again!
Interesting local tie-in. Martin Ringo (Johnny's dad) is buried on the Oregon Trail outside Casper Wyoming. He stumbled getting up into a wagon with a side-by-side shotgun and killed himself in front of his boy. Some say that's why Johnny started going sour.
Brigid, as I've mentioned in the past I am an RN, with a number of my Facebook friends in healthcare as well. I just requested that they refer to your blog for insight into the human condition as well as the obvious in the name: guns and cooking. I truly hope those that explore find your blog as welcoming as I do. Peace, Mick
Mike - sorry for the tardy reply it has been one of "those weeks" professionally.
I'm so sorry as to the loss of your friend. You will remember him kindly, and he will live on through those memories.
Thanks for the link. Bless you.
My fav: "I'm your Huckleberry."
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