Joel and Ethan Coen are casting for a remake of the classic western "True Grit", based on the novel by Arkansan Charles Portis. Reportedly they are going to restore the original's focus on the character of Mattie Ross, rather than making Rooster Cogburn the main character as they did when John Wayne played him:

http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/11 ... 9010.shtml

That's all well and good, but in Sunday's "Arkansas Democrat-Gazette" it was revealed that this version, like the original, will NOT be filmed on location in the regions where it's actually set. So beautiful Mount Nebo and the rolling countryside around Dardanelle are still not going to get their due!

At least it's not as bad as the film version of "Cold Mountain." That one's set in North Carolina, but was filmed in Romania!

Hmm I don't think I've ever seen True Grit(I've probably seen bits of it in french when I was younger) I like the Coen brothers so I guess I'd better get to it.

The Coens' only other remake, "The Ladykillers", was surprisingly faithful to the original film. Unfortunately, as with "True Grit", though the story took place in Saucier, Mississippi, it was actually filmed in Natchez, Mississippi.

As Rooster Cogburn might say, "It's rigoddamdiculous!"

"The Ladykillers" was a hoot. I am interested in this new project.

And "Guarding Tess", which took place here in Columbus, OH was filmed in Baltimore. Par for the course.

It MIGHT be a good movie, if they stay faithful to the book. But I wish they could have seen fit to use at least some actual locations.

Here's part of what viewers will be missing:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwilliams/4040613125/

No Duke, no Grit. Plain and simple.

I heard they're changing the character's name to Booster Goldstein.

That's what I heard... anyway.

Nice. Good one!

Mattie Ross is played by Jeff Bridges, and I found a snippet of dialogue from the script:

Mattie Ross: Rooster, what is the point? Look, we all know who is at fault here, what the fuck are you talking about?
Rooster Cogburn: Huh? No, what the fuck are you... I'm not... We're talking about unchecked aggression here, Mattie.
La Boeuf: What the fuck is he talking about?
Mattie Ross: My rug.
Rooster Cogburn: Forget it, La Boeuf, you're out of your element!
Mattie Ross: Rooster, the chinaman who peed on my rug, I can't go give him a bill, so what the fuck are you talking about?
Rooster Cogburn: What the fuck are you talking about? The chinaman is not the issue here, Mattie. I'm talking about drawing a line in the sand, Mattie. Across this line, you DO NOT... Also, Mattie, chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature. Asian-American, please.
Mattie Ross: Rooster, this isn't a guy who built the railroads here. This is a guy...
Rooster Cogburn: What the fuck are you...?
Mattie Ross: Rooster, he peed on my rug!
La Boeuf: He peed on Mattie Ross's rug.
Rooster Cogburn: La Boeuf you're out of your element! Mattie, the Chinaman is not the issue here!

That really does not sound like Charles Portis' dialog!

Actually the 1969 movie was extraordinarily faithful to the dialog of the novel. Where it departed from the book (besides the use of Colorado locations) is in shifting the emphasis from Mattie Ross--it's really her story--to Rooster Cogburn so as to take advantage of John Wayne's star power. A perfectly understandable move in a case like that, but I'd really like to see a version that put Mattie center stage.

A lot of Arkansans take "True Grit" very seriously. It's one of the best novels ever written here, and it has very strong Arkansas roots. If you grew up in rural Arkansas you know people just like Mattie Ross! Most fans of the book like the John Wayne movie, but I think this new one is going to be anticipated with a strong dose of wait-and-see skepticism.

Bravo!

Don't know if there is another True Grit thread (and this one could use a more informative title), but I just saw True Grit and it was absolutely fantastic.

Maybe I just love westerns. But perhaps because of the era we live in, just about every western that makes it to the screen seems awesome to me.

There was some expression of desire to focus on Mattie in this one, in a way more true to the novel -- I'd say that wish was granted.

What I love about going to see a Coen Brothers flick for the first time is, as I watch it, the feeling that on that screen anything can happen at any time; knowing that the Coens have final cut on all of their films, I am comforted by the fact that neither test audiences, nor studio suits, nor messageboard geeks, have had any creative input into the production of the product I am watching, and for that reason alone I am usually spellbound by what I am watching.

Wish I could see this tomorrow but it looks we will soon be buried in snow.

Looking forward to seeing this!

I can understand why you'd be upset, but I just saw this film and I think it's a classic. Everybody ready to
give the Best Actor Oscar to Colin "King Darcy" Firth and the Best Picture to The King's Speech had better
hold on a second. I think Bridges could win a second consecutive Oscar with this performance and True Grit
deserves consideration for Best Picture.

Hailee Steinfeld steals the movie from the very beginning. She should get nominated for a Best Actress Oscar
but because of her age she'll probably only get a Best Supporting Actress nomination instead. Don't be surprised
if she wins.

I've never seen the original with John Wayne, and I say that Jeff Bridges nails the role and could get
a second Oscar. He's so good that I fear that should I rent the original from Netflix, I'll think....



No Dude, no Grit. Plain and simple.

Yes, he's THAT good!

It isn't---it's a parody from The Big LIebowsky