WYATT EARP (1994) *** Epic treatment of legendary and historical figure, they were leaning towards historical, and putting the legend into perspective. The Shootout at the O.K. Corral is depicted, and slightly emphasized by device, but never even mentioned as such. Merely tucked into a long bio, in its place and circumstance and-as at least one perceptive historical emphasized-the whole dang thing took less than a minute and not all that many people even died. Glorified mainstreet on a Wednesday stuff. But with all the elements of myth, and true. Kevin Costner is the man, and I apparently think he did better than a lot of observers did. He does develop a real person, and if it's a little uneven, so was the man. Costner does a great job of portraying the conflicts, and the drive that always eventually wins. Gene Hackman's in it, and he's real good; and if Joanna Going repeatedly reminds some folk of her soap opera roots, she's also got that look to move a great man in many directions, and you have to cast that . Randy Quid is great as Doc Holliday, I'd put his performance up against just about any, the definite exception being (I still can't believe this) Val Kilmer in Tombstone the following year. This is a real good piece of cowboy movie.
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