By Connie Lee
leeconni@grinnell.edu
Most film watchers cringe at sequels, prequels, and remakes. It is extremely difficult to build upon a movie and make it better, especially if the original was a classic or an Oscar favorite. When the Coen brothers, known for “The Big Lebowski” and “No Country for Old Men,” chose to direct “True Grit,” a remake of the 1969 John Wayne movie, they faced the same pressures.
True Grit revolves around Mattie Ross, a 14-year-old girl played by Hailee Steinfeld. She earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress and was only 13 when the film was made. Ross learns that her father has been murdered by Tom Chaney, a hired hand. She sets out for revenge and hires the toughest U.S. Marshall in town, Reuben J. Cogburn, a drunk and a man with “true grit.” Cogburn’s role is beautifully done by Jeff Bridges. The duo is joined by a Texas Ranger played by Matt Damon. Along the journey, each member encounters situations and surprises that test each of them for “true grit.”
With True Grit being the fifteenth full-length feature film written and directed by the Coen brothers, it was no surprise when it received ten Academy Award nominations, including a second Best Actor nomination for Jeff Bridges, who won the previous year. The film will be showing at Harris this Friday at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
