Every film brings a unique feeling or experience to its cast. For the majority of the stars of “Tombstone”, they felt a strong connection to the project mainly because of its script. To be specific, most of them fell in love with it! For Sam Elliott, it was easy to become drawn into Tombstone’s script, because it was complete and dynamic, and was outstanding in every way he could think of. It had its own dialogue, it embodied Kevin Jarre’s brilliance as a scriptwriter, and every character from top to bottom was well depicted. Jarre also managed to bring in actors that you typically wouldn’t envision in a Western movie, like Val Kilmer.
For Sam Elliott, Val Kilmer’s performance in “Tombstone” was the masterpiece of his entire career. Val Kilmer was instantly convinced of the script after he read the line “I’m your huckleberry.” He asked Jarre about the line and where it came from and even though Jarre wasn’t able to give out an exact answer, the actor, nevertheless, loved it and became completely sold on his character because of it.
A Modern Retelling
Kevin Jarre’s vision was specific, and even though it was released in 1993, he wanted the look and feel to be like it was shot in the 1940s, like a classic Western. Jarre wanted the movie to be done in a long master shot, but the production crew didn’t agree. Even though this was how things were shot in the 40s and would have been more authentic, the idea was scrapped and it was decided that Jarre should not be the director of "Tombstone".
The production crew was eager to do a modern retelling of an old story. Kevin Jarre fought for his vision as he was so passionate about this movie. It would eventually be the main reason why he was fired.
A Handpicked Cast
Kevin Jarre had taken a very hands-on approach throughout his involvement in "Tombstone". Before he was fired as the director, he had been able to handpick the cast, which included the likes of the Oscar-nominated Sam Elliott.
Elliott recalls going to have lunch with Kevin Jarre at an eatery (which probably doesn’t even exist anymore) on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. It was where Kevin Jarre had held all of his meetings for the movie. Speaking of Jarre’s vision, Elliott said that he thought Kevin was the one who really controlled things creatively before they got off the ground.
The Cast Were Not crazy About George Cosmatos
The cast had built up a strong rapport with Kevin Jarre, so when he was fired from the movie and replaced with George Cosmatos it took some time for the actors to adjust. Having been handpicked by Jarre, Sam Elliott said that Cosmatos was a whole other animal. Sam Elliott recalls an exchange with him right at the beginning of the shoot. Elliott would come to set even on the days when he wasn’t filming any scenes. It was more fun than sitting around the hotel all day. He recalled how Cosmastos came up to him, looking at him from behind his dark glasses, and asked, "am I gonna have trouble with you?”
In a cool, calm, and collected manner he recalls he looked him straight back and returned the question asking, “I don’t know, am I gonna have trouble with you?” Cosmatos must have realized that Sam Elliott was a professional who was there to do a job to the best of his ability. The two ended up laughing about it and in the end, were completely fine.
Ultimately, Tombstone Is About Friendship
For all of the drama in "Tombstone", at its core, it is a story about friendship. It was Val Kilmer who spoke about Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday’s bond. They were seemingly different characters who, on the surface, didn’t have much in common, but they had a level of empathy with each other that was very special.
Wyatt Earp was a lawman who gets the opportunity to earn some money and live a stress-free and wealthy life — the American Dream. However, something stops him, and he is forced to do the right thing. He could have just escaped and lived a life of leisure, which many of us would love to do. Conversely, his best friend is Doc, who we know has killed people and has a crazy side, and yet through it all, the two who appear to be very different characters remain close friends.