I'm Your Huckleberry

 I opened my Instagram this afternoon and was met with some very sad news. Val Kilmer passed away. I can't say I've really seen many Val Kilmer movies, as I found out while I read most of the titles people were listing as their favorites. I did see Top Gun when it came out in 1986, but only once, but I don't really know of anything else of his I have seen. I recognized most of the titles, but I never channel surfed and found one on late night cable or requested one in in my Blockbuster queue. I have "heard" him on repeat as the video of Prince of Egypt was played many times in my house, and he was the voice of Moses, but by far the movie that I have seen many, many times is Tombstone. I don't even know what made me watch it as I am not a lover of westerns. It came out in 1992, but I can't tell you when I first watched it, and I don't remember if it was in a theater or rented and popped into the VCR, but I have watched it countless times over the last 33 years. I own a DVD copy just in case that's ever a thing again. And come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen it on the big screen because I would remember that! This is an Epic film! If you've never watched it, you must! The plot is centered around Wyatt Earp as he makes his way out west after retiring from being a lawman and moves to Tombstone, Arizona with his wife. Both his brothers and their wives move there as well, and try to start anew. Wyatt's best friend, Doc Holiday, is also in Tombstone. Unfortunately, the town is in terror as a violent gang called The Cowboys has overrun the town. Of course the conflict escalates, and it comes down to the now infamous "gunfight at the O. K. Corral." The movie is filled with stars, Kurt Russell, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Powers Booth, Michael Biehn, Billy Zane, Jason Priestley, Dana Delaney and, of course, Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday. First of all the chemistry between Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer is the best. They are best friends, and you can tell that they know each other like they were brothers. Kilmer's portrayal of Doc is genius. At the time this film takes place, Holiday's tuberculosis is well into final stages. He is pale and coughs quite a bit. He deadens the pain with booze and opium. He plays the humor with perfect timing in most tense situations with a quip or a sarcastic remark, and he seems to take nothing seriously, until Wyatt needs him. I'm not going to say anymore, as I don't want to spoil anything for you, but, trust me, you have to watch it! He was not nominated for an Oscar, but he should have been. He did, however, become a cultural icon, and at least one of Doc's lines has become part of pop culture. If you say, "I'm your huckleberry," to someone, they may not know who said it, but they will have heard it. Val Kilmer will always be "Doc" to me, and like his character, will always be a legend. Rest in peace.