As far as genre films go, Westerns are pretty prolific. There are more cinematic stories about the “Old West” than you can shake a stick at, and that means determining which one is the greatest of all time is a pretty daunting task. For some, that “greatest of all time” designation goes to the 1993 movie “Tombstone,” which tells the story of Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) and Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) as they face off with the villainous cowboys who threaten the town of Tombstone, Arizona. That’s an honor that might not sit right with folks who are big fans of the Spaghetti Westerns of Sergio Leone or the old-school greatness of John Ford, but “Tombstone” is one seriously memorable movie.
In a video breaking down his most iconic roles for GQ, Russell explained that while he doesn’t think “Tombstone” is quite worthy of the GOAT label, he does think there’s one way that it has every other Western beat. Even if you’re more of a John Wayne or Clint Eastwood fan, Russell’s claim is pretty undeniable.
Tombstone is the most quotable Western
In the video, Russell explains that he can’t call it the best Western ever made but it’s nice to hear it, especially given the bitter rivalry that ended up forming between “Tombstone” and Kevin Costner’s “Wyatt Earp,” which was in production at the same time. Apparently someone working on “Wyatt Earp” was really nasty to Russell (not Costner, who Russell said was “a good guy”), but Russell had the last laugh in the end when “Tombstone” became beloved and “Wyatt Earp” was consigned to the film history books. While Russell says that there are good things about both of those films, there’s just one thing where “Tombstone” has every other Western beat:
“But there’s one undeniable thing. You name me another Western where you can recall as much of the dialogue as people can recall from ‘Tombstone.’ It’s not even close. Much more so than any other Western. That’s undeniable.”
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Russell is right on the money, because there really isn’t another Western that comes close to being as quotable. His character, Wyatt Earp, has some of the best ones, including “You gonna do somethin’ or just stand there and bleed?” and “You tell ’em I’m coming! And Hell’s coming with me you hear! Hell’s coming with me!”, both of which are unquestionably badass, but it’s his co-star Kilmer that got the biggest share of killer lines.
You’re a daisy if you do
When it comes to “Tombstone,” Kilmer is just out-of-this-world incredible. His performance as Doc Holliday isn’t just one of the best in the genre, it’s one of the best in cinema. He managed to channel everything we know about the real Doc Holliday into a heart-wrenching performance, combining intense charm with the haunted sadness of a man who knows that he is going to die. (Holliday was dying a slow, painful death of tuberculosis.) His feud with the cowboy Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn) is a high-point in the movie, and the two trade fabulous barbs throughout. “I’m your huckleberry,” Kilmer drawls as he challenges Ringo, but he’s also antagonistic to basically every other cowboy. After beating Ike Clanton (Stephen Lang) at poker, he suggests, “I know! Let’s have a spelling contest!” No matter who Holliday is fighting with, he’s making them look like little punks with his sharp tongue, gutting them before he even draws his gun.
“Tombstone” is only arguably the greatest Western of all time, but it’s absolutely the most quotable, and Kilmer and Russell are a huge part of that legacy. They didn’t necessarily want revenge on “Wyatt Earp,” but in the words of Holliday, “It’s a reckonin’.”