Tombstone is a
1993 Western movie written by
Kevin Jarre and directed by its star
Kurt Russell, with credited director
George P. Cosmatos ghost-directing.
The film, which boasts an
ensemble cast with 85 speaking roles, involves
Wyatt Earp and his brothers moving to
Tombstone, Arizona, where they and
Doc Holliday face off against a band of criminals called the Cowboys. The movie is loosely based on historic incidents occurring in 1881-1882.
Plot
Wyatt Earp (
Kurt Russell), a retired peace officer with a legendary reputation, re-unites with his brothers
Virgil (
Sam Elliott) and
Morgan (
Bill Paxton) in
Tucson, Arizona, where they venture on towards
Tombstone, a small but growing mining town, to settle down. There they encounter Wyatt's longtime friend
Doc Holliday (
Val Kilmer), a southern gambler, expert
gunslinger, and shady character who seeks relief from his
tuberculosis in Arizona's drier environment.
All is not perfect, however. Wyatt's wife,
Mattie Blaylock (
Dana Wheeler-Nicholson), is slowly becoming dependent on
laudanum (
opium). Just as Wyatt and his brothers begin to benefit from a stake in a gambling emporium and saloon, they have their first encounter with the Cowboys, a band of ruthless outlaws. Led by
"Curly Bill" Brocious (
Powers Boothe), the Cowboy members are identifiable by the red sashes worn around their waist. Conflict is narrowly avoided upon Wyatt's insistence that he is retired and no longer interested in pursuing a career in enforcing the law. This is also first face-to-face meeting for Doc Holliday and the
psychopathic Johnny Ringo (
Michael Biehn), widely known to be one of the fastest guns in the West. They take an immediate dislike to one another.
