WYATT EARP
A film review by Cindy Bale
Copyright 1994 Cindy Bale
Directed by Lawrence Kasdan. Starring Kevin Costner, Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman Running time is 3 hours.
WYATT EARP details thirty-five years in the life of same from around 1865 to 1900. After seeing the movie SPEED twice recently, I kept thinking that I was seeing Wyatt's life pass before my eyes in real time. This movie was boring, slow, boring, and slow. There were a few scenes that tried to be great scenes that tried too hard and just fell flat.
The script happily woman-bashes but also tries to sound like an 80s movie. They cannot have it both ways. "I now pronounce you husband and wife." Sure, they said that in the 1800s. "Entrepreneur." Sure. Every bit of male-ego-stroking dialogue that Wyatt's third wife speaks to him made me sick to listen to it. "Oh, the script was written by two men?" "No kidding!"
The movie is torture to sit through. The scenery is boring. The fades were either awkward or cliche or to self important. Can you say poor editing?
Everyone looks ugly in this movie. When you shoot people from under their chins, they look like they have double chins. Kevin Costner has never looked worse. He should sue. He looks like he gained the 43 pounds that Dennis Quaid lost.
Dennis Quaid is marvelous. If you have to see this movie just for his performance, go into the theatre at the movie's halfway mark. Doc Holliday (Quaid's character) shows up at about the 90-minute mark.
Gene Hackman is very good. Is he in the credits? I don't remember seeing his name.
Mare Winningham makes the best of a small role as Wyatt's second wife. Annabeth Gish is good as Wyatt's first wife. I though that Jamie Gertz played Wyatt's third wife, but I later heard that her name is Joanna Going. She looks great but her dialogue sucks. She also seems way to young for Costner. Costner seems way to old for 90% of this movie. In his first scene he is supposed to be about 19 years old. Yeah, right. Catherine O'Hara and JoBeth Williams are always good and totally wasted here.
This is the worst movie that I have seen in years. THE LAST ACTION HERO was better that this. Go see MAVERICK if you want to see a Western.
Rating: 1 out of 10 bullets for Dennis Quaid's performance only.
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