Wyatt Earp

Wyatt Earp traces the future lawman's path from Wichita to Dodge City and on to Tombstone, where loyalty to family and a duty to keep order push him to the edge. The grown Earp, played by Kevin Costner, joins forces with his brothers and with Doc Holliday, a sharp tongued ally whose loyalty runs deep. Together they square off against the dangerous Clanton and McLaury gangs, as violence and politics in frontier towns pull everyone toward a costly showdown. The story emphasizes the ties that bind a clan and a town attempting to survive, even as the legend of Wyatt Earp presses in, shaping choices and testing the limits of justice. The result is a rugged, ambitious portrait of law and kin.

Directed by Lawrence Kasdan, Wyatt Earp is adapted from Dan Gordon's screenplay. Released in 1994, the film pairs a sweeping western with Kasdan's knack for large ensemble moments and intimate tension. The production emphasizes period detail and expansive outdoor sets.

The movie helped keep the Wyatt Earp myth alive for a generation of viewers, giving Costner and Quaid prominent profiles and anchoring Tombstone as a cultural touchstone for frontier justice. Its scale and star power reinforced the era as epic cinema and inspired later westerns to invest in ambitious storytelling.

Critical response was mixed, with praise for production value and performances while critics debated pacing and length. Themes of family obligation, the tension between law and revenge, and the cost of mythmaking run through the film, offering a weightier take on western heroism rather than pure grand spectacle.

Box office: Worldwide gross reached about 25,052,000 against a 63,000,000 budget, marking it as a commercial disappointment relative to its star power and scale. The release sparked discussions about budget, marketing, and prestige risks in markets, signaling loss and prestige.