Tombstone is one of my favorite movies, largely because of the lines uttered by Doc Holliday (played by Val Kilmer). As portrayed in the movie, Doc was (besides being intelligent and educated, tubercular, and usually in some stage of inebriation) alienated from just about everything. A pretty cynical and sarcastic guy, which gave rise to good lines.

At one point, he's accused of cheating at cards by a stupid and illiterate bad guy. Doc is amused. He denies the charge, saying: "Maybe poker's just not your game. I know! Let's have a spelling contest!"

The only good thing is his life, really, is his loyalty to his friend, Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell). At one point the good guys are in a jam and someone asks Doc why he's involved. He says it's because Wyatt is his friend. Other guy says, Heck I've got lots of friends. Doc's great line, simply: "I don't."

He's a sad and enigmatic figure. The chief bad guy in the movie is a fast gun named Johnny Ringo, who's gunning for Wyatt and whom Wyatt can't figure out. But Doc, sensing a kindred soul in Johnny, explains: "A man like Ringo has got a great big hole, right in the middle of himself. And he can never kill enough, or steal enough, or inflict enough pain to ever fill it." Wyatt asks, What does want? "Revenge," Doc says. For what, Wyatt wonders. "Bein' born" is Doc's reply.

On a computer screen, these lines are pretty lifeless. You'd have to see the movie to appreciate Val Kilmer's portrayal. If you ever have a hankerin' for a good shoot-'em-up western, check out Tombstone.