True Grit vs True Grit

Both versions of “True Grit” are now on Netflix. The classic version with John Wayne, and the new one with Jeff Bridges.
After reviewing them both carefully and considering everything… I’ve come to the conclusion that new version is indeed the better movie. Better casting, acting, directing, and it’s more realistic. John Wayne plays a great John Wayne, but Jeff Bridges absolutely becomes Rooster Cogburn. Hailee Steinfeld plays Mattie Ross brilliantly, and upstages both veteran actors. She is amazing and adorable… unlike the original version’s Mattie Ross, who was completely annoying throughout. Better violence, harsh and stark, the way it should be. A better ending too. And the new version has the ultimate creature of nightmare making… The Bear Hat Man.

34 thoughts on “True Grit vs True Grit”

  1. Always thought him getting an Oscar for True Grit as wrong. He deserved it for the Searchers. And you are right Ogre, the new version is better.

  2. Yep.

    “John Wayne plays a great John Wayne” this I find is what to expect of most John Wayne movies.

  3. I’ll agree except for the “fill your hands…” line. John Wayne made me feel it. Jeff’s delivery was just OK.

  4. You are wrong. John Wayne plays two characters. John Wayne in a cowboy hat and John Wayne in a helmet.

  5. Not a John Wayne fan at all.
    In general, anyone playing his role in a movie would be an improvement.
    Pretty much the way I feel about Pink Floyd and the Beatles also.

    Jim

  6. Agree wholeheartedly on pretty much all of your points. The Coen Brother’s remake stands head and shoulders above the Wayne movie, largely because of Ms. Stanfield (and the conspicuous absense of Mr. Plays-Myself-In-Every-Film).

    My one disagreement with your assessment: Bear Skin Man. Mo lie, when my friend and I saw the film in the theaters we actually started cracking up at him.

  7. But did you read the book before or after you saw the movie(s)?

    Geoff
    Who read the book, and it was short, first. Mattie in the book was an annoying little…

    1. thats the point. mattie was intended to be annoying and a pushy bitch. she uses this to hide the fact that she is scared. i have not seen the new movie but i was happy to see how well the old movie tried to follow the book. of course in the book mattie gets bitten by a snake and has to have her arm amputated. did that happen in the new movie?

  8. Ogre, I agree with your assessment 100%. I also thought that Barry Pepper did a great job as “Lucky” Ned Pepper, and stole the few scenes that he was in. I read somewhere that he campaigned heavily for this role because he is a big Duvall fan and wanted to play the same role as his screen idol.

      1. It made me think of the Terrible Old Man from the Lovecraft story; “A body just gets a hankerin’…”

  9. I hate Kim Dargy’s Mattie Ross so much I was glad she was snake bit and I worried about that poor rattler that had to bite the annoying twit.

    Hailee Stenfeld portrayed Mattie Ross the way I’d want my daugter to be out all alone in the cold, cruel world. I’m a Duke fan and I usually despise remakes but the Cohen Brother’s True Grit is “The One” on so many levels.

  10. Probably make a few enemies with this but I think most westerns could stand to be remade. True Grit and 3:10 to Yuma being prime examples of the possibilities that are there.

    Except for anything by Peckinpah. Hollywood just doesn’t understand him and the craziness of his movies. They twist the meaning and intent because they dont’ get it. See the remake of Straw Dogs for an example (But don’t actually see it that’d be like sleeping with your wife’s sister and gross).

    1. You’re dead nuts on! Peckinpah and Samuel Fuller movies can stand on their own w/o any “help” from Hollywood and their “remake of the week” mentality.

      1. Actually I was just watching The Outlaw Josey Wales and wishing it had been shot with a more cinematic eye. Its a great story and acting, but the practical/special FX and the camera work is severely lacking.

        That said perhaps the Blu-Ray of some of these classics would revitalize them, but that remains to be seen. It sometimes breathes new life into film and others dates it further.

  11. I thought the new version was the better film as well, but I couldn’t help think” Man there’s 5 or 6 actors that could protray Rosster much better than “Mushmouth” Bridges”…He is an over-rated turd.
    Powers Booth, Nick Nolte or Ray Winstone would have done a much better job of it.

  12. oof Ray Winstone would be an incredible dirty nasty western anti-hero preferably opposite Christian Bale going full on nasty villain.

  13. During the movie my friend and I started laughing out loud just over the dialect. It is amazing how people in the past used the english launguage properly vrs today with all the slang used. One has to ask in a quote: “WHY CAN’T THE ENGLISH, SPEAK ENGLISH”?

  14. During the movie my friend and I started laughing out loud just over the dialect. It is amazing how people in the past used the english launguage properly vrs today with all the slang used. One has to ask in a quote: “WHY CAN’T THE ENGLISH, SPEAK ENGLISH”?
    One has to ask what happened here?

  15. Could not disagree more strongly. JOHN WAYNE vs jeff bridges. Thats like RONALD REAGAN vs obama. Whats next, Pee Wee Herman in a remake of Dirty Harry?

    1. thats buying into the John Wayne hype & legend rather than looking at the movie if its a good one or not.

      1. Did you ever see “The Shootist” ? As said after “The Cowboys” , ” Old Dusty Britches could act”

    2. I saw Pee Wee’s version of Dirty Harry….oh no wait, that was just footage of him getting caught jerking-off in a movie theatre…..

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