Kurt Russell: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked
3. Wyatt Earp - Tombstone
Tombstone was a pet project for Russell, and he had such passion for it that he ended up ghost directing the movie when the original helmer quit. It's a sweeping western boosting a stellar cast including Val Kilmer, Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton and everyone does great work, but its Russell who is the anchor as the legendary lawman. He sports another fine moustache as the family man who wants to turn his back on his past, but his run-in with outlaws in Tombstone forces him to act. Its easy to see what attracted Russell to this script, because in addition to playing an icon he also has lots of juicy scenes. His relationship with Kilmers Doc Holiday is one of the best double acts in the genre; his introduction scene where he taunts a drunk bully in a bar including the epic line Or you gonna do something or just stand there and bleed? is mesmerising and his furious Hells coming with me! declaration of war is Russell at the top of his game. He gets lots of smaller, emotional character moments such as the death of his brother and the downfall of his marriage, showing theres a human side even to the toughest of men.
