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True Grit – The Review

Another of the recent remakes of older movies, True Grit brings Rooster Cogburn back to life, only this time it’s not John Wayne but with Jeff Bridges playing the part. How does Bridges stack up against The Duke, and is the remake worth seeing?

True Grit’s Plot

In the fall of 1877, when she was 14, Mattie Ross’s (Hailee Steinfeld) father was murdered by one of his hired hands, Tom Chaney (played by Josh Brolin). Then Chaney took off with her father’s horses and two of his California gold pieces. Mattie wants to hire a U.S. marshal to bring Chaney back. She chooses Rooster Cogburn, since he is referred to as the most merciless of them all. Cogburn doesn’t think she has the money, so he refuses her offer. Mattie is staying at a boarding house and meeting up with the Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (played by Matt Damon), who is also hot on Chaney’s trail over a murder in Texas.  LeBoeuf suggests that he and Rooster team up to find Chaney.  Nope, says Mattie, she wants Chaney hanged for her father’s murder. Mattie finally convinces Rooster to track down Chaney for a fee of $100 and he agrees.

While original agreeing that Mattie could come along, Rooster reneges and goes off alone. LaBoeuf  meanwhile is also tracking Chaney. Mattie isn’t to be deterred however, and catches up with Rooster at the ford of the river, insisting she’s going to be there when Chaney is caught. Rooster suspects that Chaney has grouped up with “Lucky” Ned Pepper’s (played by Barry Pepper) gang, and goes to what he believes is Ned’s hideout, a shack. LeBoeuf arrives first, but is captured. Rooster opens fire, killing two of Ned’s gang and wounding LaBoeuf .

Mattie is also captured by Chaney, when she goes to get water from the river, and Chaney tries to bargain for a reduced sentence if he lets her go. In a reprise of the most famous scene of the original movie, Rooster and Ned’s gang duel it out on horseback, with Rooster galloping, holding the horse’s reins in his teeth and firing both guns, one in each hand. Mattie, in all this, fights with Chaney, knocks him out, and is then bitten by a rattlesnake.  Rooster manages to get her to a doctor, thereby saving her life – but unfortunately losing her arm.

The film ends with Mattie, 40 years old, accepting Rooster’s invitation to see him, but arrives and finds that he has died, whereupon she arranges to have him buried in her family plot, back in Arkansas.

Who Should See True Grit?

This is one movie that was pretty much unanimous — go see it. Both critics and audiences have liked it.  While some have described it as “darker” than it’s predecessor, it’s still one of the best remakes of an older movie. Hats off to Bridges, who fills The Duke’s boots admirably.