Movie Review: True Grit

I braved last night's impressive display of global warming to see True Grit.  I've seen the 1969 version with John Wayne at least a dozen times.  No one will ever compare to the Duke, and my initial reaction to hearing that True Grit was being remade was shock and outrage, and a demand to know who was playing the role of Rooster Cogburn.  When I found out that it was Jeff Bridges, I couldn't wrap my mind around the Big Lebowski playing this role or any role played by the Duke.  Having said that, I thought the original True Grit was one of John Wayne's weaker movies in the latter part of his career.  The Duke's performance saved the movie from some odd casting and a relatively lame plot.  In retrospect, it was probably fitting that John Wayne received  his only Oscar for this movie, because he never had to do more to carry a movie.   Despite my apprehension, I was determined to keep an open mind going into this.

I must admit that there is much about this remake that I like better than the original, mostly the supporting cast.  While I don't like Matt Damon, I thought he fit the role of Texas Ranger Leboeuf much better than Glen Campbell.  How did John Wayne ever get saddled up with Glen Campbell as a sidekick?  More importantly was the selection of Hailee Steinfeld to play the head-strong teenager Mattie Ross.  She did a terrific job with the role, far superior to the unwatchable Kim Darby from the original.  The other supporting roles were also well chosen and performed.  Now, if you leave John Wayne's previous legendary performance out of it, Jeff Bridges played a credible Rooster Cogburn.  Bridges rendition was cruder and offered less personality, but it didn't lack in the "grit" department.  I'm not really sure there's another actor right now that could play this role.   

Much of the movie offers the same lines as the original, although there are several new scenes and a different ending.  Younger audiences are going to have to pay close attention to the dialogue in this film.  The vocabulary and proper nature of the wording is something that most movie goers won't be used to.  I enjoyed it, though.

After watching True Grit, I was actually glad the Coen brothers remade it.  Hollywood rarely makes westerns anymore, and that is a shame.  Hopefully this movie introduces the traditional American western genre to a new generation and that more will follow.  The success of True Grit ($150 million to date) suggests that there is a market for it, and I would recommend it to anyone, but especially to younger audiences that haven't seen many westerns.