The film, debuting December 25th, 1993, had an incredible cast that would be almost impossible to assemble in today’s films.
And it carried a swagger — so much so that it is still directly referenced and quoted to this day, mainly Doc Holiday’s famous quote, “I’m Your Huckleberry.”
The Cast
In a time when it was common for maybe three or four major actors to lead a film. Tombstone was able to assemble a master ensemble cast: Kurt Russell, Sam Elliot, Val Kilmer, Dana Delany, Stephen Lang, Thomas Haden Church, Michael Rooker, Billy Zane, the late Powers Boothe, Bill Paxton, the legendary Charlton Hesten, and a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo from Billy Bob Thornton (per Cinema Blend).
Terry O’Quinn ,who seems to be in everything from the 90s, plays the town’s mayor as well. If some of those names sound familiar, it’s because many are now alumni of the MCU and Avatar. The chemistry the cast has among itself is nothing short of legendary.
The History
Tombstone, for the most part, does away with Hollywood liberties and lets the actual history tell the story. Sure, some things are added for that extra audience appeal — any movie worth its salt will do that — but with Tombstone, those liberties truly are few and far between.
At the heart of Tombstone, however, are the brothers and their families being in the spirit of the Old West, a time when the West was booming and the hunt for treasure and gold was on.
A Beautiful Translation
The beauty of the acting, as well as the history, all transform on-screen to tell the story of Wyatt Earp and, by extension, his brothers. The lawman in Tombstone sums it up beautifully with the second-most memorable quote from the film (behind Doc Holiday’s famous exclamation, of course):
“All right, Clanton, you called down the thunder, and now you got it. See that, it says United States Marshall. Take a good look at it him Ike, because that’s how you’re going to end up. The Cowboys are finished you understand me? I see a red sash, I kill the man wearing it. So, run, you turd, run. Tell all the others the law is coming. You tell them I’m coming and hell’s coming with me, you hear? Hell’s coming with me.”
It’s in this moment that everything the film has been leading towards, all the conflict, resolves with these iconic words from Russell’s Earp and the ensuing carnage that leads to a standoff with Curly Bill in a creek side ambush.
Furthermore and apart from the on-screen action, the film did just as much for the actors in it as it did to the audiences who loved it. Russell’s son, Wyatt, was named so after his role in the film. Additionally, Val Kilmer’s memoir is called I’m Your Huckleberry, after the most iconic quote in the film.
It is rare when a perfect mix of what both audiences and actors get from a film, but in the case of Tombstone, the proof resonates throughout the life of the film, its actors, and those that enjoy it.