I am not a big fan of Westerns, but there have been some in the past that I have enjoyed. "True Grit," a remake of the 1969 film starring John Wayne, looked like one of those that I might like, but unfortunately it moved way too slow for my taste. It did, however, have a lot of witty banter, and without this, the film would have been far more dull than it actually was.
Fourteen-year-old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld, TV's "Sons of Tucson") seeks revenge for her father's death. Her goal is to find his murderer, Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin, "Jonah Hex"), and bring him back to her city for a trial and then to see him hanged. She will need a bounty hunter to help her, however, and she turns to Federal Marshall Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges, "Tron Legacy") to escort her into Cherokee territory. The Texas Ranger Mr. LaBoeuf (Matt Damon, "Hereafter"), though, is also looking for Chaney, as he killed another man in Texas, and he wants to bring him back to Texas to hang, which Mattie is not happy about. The three must work together in order to find and capture Tom Chaney, and they encounter many difficulties along the way.
Although this movie wasn't really to my taste, it's a shame it wasn't nominated for any Golden Globes, though the SAG awards did nominate Bridges and Steinfeld for best actor and actress, respectively. Jeff Bridges plays his role to a "T," and does a great job as a former Marshall who now likes to sit and drink all day. Hailee Steinfeld definitely steals the show as Mattie Ross, and Matt Damon also does well as Mr. LaBoeuf, who is constantly sassed by Steinfeld's character. Josh Brolin, however, is only in the film for a short while, near the end, so he doesn't really get much screen time.
Maybe see this movie. I haven't seen the original "True Grit" so I'm not sure how it compares, but the quick wit and banter displayed throughout was amusing. The film moved very slowly throughout, though, save for a few action scenes, which is why it wasn't really my cup of tea. If you like Westerns you will probably like "True Grit," and it should do well at the box office since it has Bridges, Damon, and Brolin in it, three A-list actors.
"True Grit" will be in theaters on December 22nd.
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Liz Parker is a 2009 graduate of the University of Michigan. She currently works as an Assistant Medical Editor for a pathology website. Visit her at her movie blog Yes/No Films