Summary
Old West historian Michael Grauer analyzes scenes fromTombstone, explaining what the Kurt Russell movie gets right and wrong. Released in 1993,Tombstoneis directed by George P. Cosmatos and Kevin Jarre, with Russell starring as famed historical gunman Wyatt Earp. The film, which was met with mostly positive reviews, is one of many Westerns to depict the iconic gunfight at the O.K. Corral. While a moderate success at release,Tombstonehas since become a cult classic.
In a recent video forInsider, Grauer takes a look atTombstone’s depiction of the O.K. Corral, assessing it for historical accuracy.
According to the real-life cowboy and historian, the film gets a fair amount right, but suggests that the gunfight at the O.K. Corral has been somewhat overdone in Hollywood for how relatively insignificant an event it actually was in the grand scheme of the American West. Check out Grauer’s full comment below, as well as his score forTombstoneout of 10:
“That whole confrontation at a place called O.K. Corral is repeated over and over again and ultimately becomes a trope. An outlaw gang called The Cowboys tries to take over Tombstone, and another criminal element, also known as the Earps, tries to push back for who’s going to control this town. Tombstone was one of those “Hell on Wheels” that popped up because of the mining industry. In the grand scheme of things in terms of history in the American West, it’s a blip.
“So we don’t really know what happened. Anybody who was an eyewitness had an agenda either against the Earps or with the Earps, or just wanted their town back. We know that some people were killed. The Earps and their people along with Doc Holliday were implicated.
“The scene is probably a six [out of 10]. I think they stage it fairly reasonably, who the combatants were.”
Tombstone’s Reception Explained
How It Compares To The ’90s Other Wyatt Earp Movie
Tombstonearrived less than a year before 1994’sWyatt Earp, whichstarred Kevin Costnerin the title role and was directed by Lawrence Kasdan. The two films cover many of the same historical events and figures, butTombstoneended up faring far better overall critically and commercially. At least some of the reason for this is just due to the order in which the films were released, with audiences seemingly being less interested in going to theaters to watchWyatt Earpafter already seeing the Earp story on-screen so recently.
Both Russell and Costner would return to the Western genre on multiple occasions afterTombstoneandWyatt Earp.Costner recently experienced disappointment in the genre once more with therelease ofHorizon: An American Saga.
73%
94%
$25 million
$73.2 million
31%
61%
$63 million
$56 million
As seen in the chart above,Tombstonecurrently sports a respectable 73% onRotten Tomatoes, and the audience score is an impressive 94%. Both of these scores are significantly higher thanWyatt Earp’s. At the box office,Tombstonewas a success, grossing $73.2 million worldwideon an estimated budget of $25 million. Again, Russell’s film beats Costner’s in this regard.
10 Best Movies To Watch Like Tombstone
Tombstone is a great entry point to the Western genre. But where should viewers go next? These 10 films have similar characters and themes.
In general, while it would be a stretch to callTombstonea critical darling,the film was praised for its solid, classical storytelling and impressive cast. In contrast to that film’s two-hour and 14-minute runtime,Wyatt Earpclocked in at a whopping three hours and eleven minutes, and it ended up proving too meandering and unfocused for many viewers. In addition to boasting an entertaining story and some impressive performances, it’s clear thatTombstonealso gets a lot right when it comes to historical accuracy.
Tombstone
Cast
Tombstone chronicles legendary marshal Wyatt Earp and his brothers as they seek fortune in a prosperous mining town. Forced to confront a gang threatening the community, Earp joins forces with the infamous Doc Holliday, highlighting a tense battle between lawmen and outlaws in the American West.
