Tombstone
Legendary marshal Wyatt Earp, now a weary gunfighter, joins his brothers Morgan and Virgil to pursue their collective fortune in the thriving mining town of Tombstone. But Earp is forced to don a badge again and get help from his notorious pal Doc Holliday when a gang of renegade brigands and rustlers begins terrorizing the town.
Despite a respectable budget of $25.0M, Tombstone became a box office success, earning $73.2M worldwide—a 193% return.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Tombstone (1993) exemplifies precise plot construction, characteristic of George P. Cosmatos's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 10 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.3, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Wyatt Earp
Doc Holliday
Johnny Ringo
Curly Bill Brocius
Josephine Marcus
Virgil Earp
Morgan Earp
Ike Clanton
Main Cast & Characters
Wyatt Earp
Played by Kurt Russell
A legendary lawman seeking peace who reluctantly returns to violence to protect his family and establish order in Tombstone.
Doc Holliday
Played by Val Kilmer
A tubercular gunfighter and gambler, fiercely loyal to Wyatt Earp, whose death-wish fatalism masks deep friendship.
Johnny Ringo
Played by Michael Biehn
A cold, educated outlaw and the deadliest of the Cowboys, serving as Wyatt's dark mirror.
Curly Bill Brocius
Played by Powers Boothe
The charismatic, volatile leader of the Cowboys, whose reckless violence drives the conflict.
Josephine Marcus
Played by Dana Delany
A spirited actress who becomes Wyatt's love interest, representing his chance at a new life.
Virgil Earp
Played by Sam Elliott
Wyatt's older brother and Tombstone's marshal, committed to law and order through official channels.
Morgan Earp
Played by Bill Paxton
The youngest Earp brother, good-natured and loyal, whose fate transforms Wyatt's mission.
Ike Clanton
Played by Stephen Lang
A cowardly member of the Cowboys whose loud mouth and treachery precipitate the O.K. Corral confrontation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Wyatt Earp arrives in Tombstone with his brothers, seeking a peaceful retirement from law enforcement. He tells his brothers he's done with the badge and wants to settle down and make money.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 15 minutes when The Cowboys murder Marshal Fred White. Wyatt is forced to intervene and reluctantly accepts a deputy marshal position, pulling him back into law enforcement despite his desire to retire.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 31 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Wyatt makes the active choice to confront the Cowboys at the OK Corral. He pins on the badge and walks with his brothers and Doc Holliday to face the outlaws in a gunfight., moving from reaction to action.
At 65 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat False defeat: Morgan Earp is murdered and Virgil is crippled in a Cowboy ambush. The stakes skyrocket—this is no longer about law enforcement, it's personal. Wyatt's family has been destroyed., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 95 minutes (73% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Doc Holliday collapses, seemingly dying from tuberculosis. Wyatt's closest ally and the embodiment of "living as you are" faces death. Wyatt confronts the cost of his path: everyone he loves suffers or dies., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 104 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Doc recovers enough to rejoin Wyatt for the final confrontation. Wyatt fully accepts who he is: not a businessman, but Wyatt Earp, the legendary lawman. He will finish this., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Tombstone's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Tombstone against these established plot points, we can identify how George P. Cosmatos utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Tombstone within the western genre.
George P. Cosmatos's Structural Approach
Among the 4 George P. Cosmatos films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.2, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Tombstone represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete George P. Cosmatos filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional western films include All the Pretty Horses, Shenandoah and Lone Star. For more George P. Cosmatos analyses, see Leviathan, The Cassandra Crossing and Cobra.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Wyatt Earp arrives in Tombstone with his brothers, seeking a peaceful retirement from law enforcement. He tells his brothers he's done with the badge and wants to settle down and make money.
Theme
Doc Holliday tells Wyatt, "There's no normal life, Wyatt, there's just life." The theme emerges: you can't escape who you truly are.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of Tombstone's power dynamics: the Cowboys terrorizing the town, the corrupt Sheriff Behan, the Earps trying to mind their own business, and the growing tension between law and lawlessness.
Disruption
The Cowboys murder Marshal Fred White. Wyatt is forced to intervene and reluctantly accepts a deputy marshal position, pulling him back into law enforcement despite his desire to retire.
Resistance
Wyatt debates his role while the Cowboys' violence escalates. Doc Holliday serves as his conscience, pushing him to accept his true nature as a lawman. Tensions with the Cowboys build toward inevitable confrontation.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Wyatt makes the active choice to confront the Cowboys at the OK Corral. He pins on the badge and walks with his brothers and Doc Holliday to face the outlaws in a gunfight.
Mirror World
The aftermath of the OK Corral gunfight deepens Wyatt's relationship with Josephine Marcus, who represents the peaceful, sophisticated life he thought he wanted—a mirror to his internal conflict.
Premise
Wyatt embraces his role as lawman, hunting down Cowboys and cleaning up Tombstone. The "fun and games" of being a legendary lawman: shootouts, poker games, growing romance with Josie, and camaraderie with Doc.
Midpoint
False defeat: Morgan Earp is murdered and Virgil is crippled in a Cowboy ambush. The stakes skyrocket—this is no longer about law enforcement, it's personal. Wyatt's family has been destroyed.
Opposition
Wyatt forms his vendetta posse and begins his revenge ride. The Cowboys fight back viciously. Legal and political opposition mounts. Doc's tuberculosis worsens. Everything gets darker and more desperate.
Collapse
Doc Holliday collapses, seemingly dying from tuberculosis. Wyatt's closest ally and the embodiment of "living as you are" faces death. Wyatt confronts the cost of his path: everyone he loves suffers or dies.
Crisis
Wyatt's dark night: he must decide whether to continue his vendetta alone or abandon it. He processes the loss of his brother, his other brother's crippling, and Doc's apparent death.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Doc recovers enough to rejoin Wyatt for the final confrontation. Wyatt fully accepts who he is: not a businessman, but Wyatt Earp, the legendary lawman. He will finish this.
Synthesis
The finale: Wyatt's vendetta ride culminates in the river showdown with Curly Bill and the systematic elimination of the Cowboys. Wyatt walks through gunfire untouched—myth becomes reality.
Transformation
Wyatt and Josie ride off together. Unlike the opening where he denied his nature, Wyatt has accepted who he is: a lawman and a legend. He can finally have love because he's stopped running from himself.