True Grit

I didn't know much about True Grit before I watched it, other than that it starred John Wayne and Kim Darby. I had no preconceived ideas before I watched it. I remember after the movie was released, one of my classmates wrote, "John Wayne had true grit, but Kim Darby had more." Those words kept running through my mind while watching the movie. She was right.

Kim Darby's Mattie Ross was no damsel in distress, even though she needed Rooster Cogburn to help her find the man who murdered her father. When Rooster and a brash young Texas Ranger (played by Glen Campbell) scheme to leave her off the ferry that will take the two men and their horses to the other side of the body of water, Mattie rides her horse into the water and they swim to the other side. They beat the ferry by a few seconds.

The movie has a good balance of quiet moments and action. Nothing in the movie detracts from the main story: Mattie's desire to see the man who murdered her father brought to justice. Mattie asks the sheriff for help first; unfortunately, since the murderer - Tom Chaney - has escaped into Indian territory, he can't help her as he has no jurisdiction there. Only a U.S. Marshall can pursue a criminal into Indian territory. She decides Rooster Cogburn is the right man for the job.

The Texas Ranger, La Boeuf, has his own reasons for wanting to find Chaney. He's wanted for the murder of a Texas state senator and his dog. While La Boeuf means well, he's young, eager and doesn't always think before acting. His actions ruin Cogburn's plan for grabbing the gang Chaney is now running with.

Mattie stays tough and strong until near the end of the movie. She falls into a pit, breaking her arm in the process and then finds herself with a rattlesnake nearby and no way to defend herself. Cogburn and the mortally wounded La Boeuf are able to get her out of the pit, but not before the snake bites her. La Boeuf dies. Cogburn doesn't take time to bury the Texas Ranger; his first priority is to get Mattie to a doctor in time.

The movie has a bittersweet ending, but at least the bad guys were all defeated.

The bonus features were fun to watch and gave added background information on the making of the movie. I didn't know before watching the extras that True Grit was the movie that earned John Wayne his one and only Academy Award as Best Actor.

I'm not sure I'll borrow the movie from the library again or not, but I'm glad I saw it at least once.