August 15 - True Grit(2010)

This is a movie with a scene that happens today – August 15. I hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.

TRUE GRIT(2010)

Frank Ross is murdered by his hired man, Tom Cheney on a trip to Fort Smith, Arkansas when Ross tries to stop Cheney from shooting the other players in a poker game after Cheney believed he was cheated. Cheney stole two gold pieces off of Ross’s body and stole his horse. Frank’s daughter 14 year old Mattie Ross comes to Fort Smith to get her father’s body and find Cheney. When the sheriff says Cheney has fled with Lucky Ned Pepper to the Indian Territory, where he has no jurisdiction, he names three US Marshals who might find Cheney for a reward. She approaches Marshall Rueben “Rooster” Cogburn, described as the’ meanest” marshal, but he rebuffs her, because Mattie is a child and he does not believe she actually has the reward money. In spite of her youth Mattie out-trades Col. Stonehill, who had done business with her father and gets $320.00. Mattie meets a Texas Ranger named Le Boeuf, who has  been tracking Cheney and wants to take him back to Texas to answer for a murder committed there, but Mattie opposes this and will not partner with him. Mattie buys a horse from Stonehill and hires Cogburn for $100.00. Cogburn heads out after Cheney without her, but she swims the river and catches up to Cogburn, who has partnered with LeBoeuf. LeBoeuf later goes off on his own, but Cogburn and Mattie get directed to a dugout where they capture two members of Ned Pepper’s gang. One kills the other, but not before they learn Pepper is coming to the dugout. They set an ambush, but LeBoeuf shows up at the dugout just before Pepper’s gang arrives. In a shoot-out some outlaws are killed, but Pepper escapes. After an argument, LeBoeuf leaves again. One morning Mattie is going to get water and finds Cheney. After he taunts her she (much to his surprise) shoots him with her father’s pistol. Only wounded Cheney carries Mattie back to Pepper’s camp. By threatening Mattie, Pepper forces Cogburn to ride off. The gang leaves, but Cheney is forced to stay behind with Mattie, as he lost his horse in the earlier fracas. Cheney tries to kill Mattie, but is knocked out by LeBoeuf. Cogburn and Pepper’s gang charge each other, with Cogburn killing all but Pepper himself, who is killed by an amazing rifle shot by LeBoeuf. Cheney knocks out LeBoeuf. Mattie uses his rifle to kill Cheney, but the recoil knocks her into a pit filled with rattlesnakes. She is bit and Cogburn has to ride with her until the horse dies and then carries her to get help. Mattie had to have most of her left arm amputated. Years later, she travels to Memphis to see Cogburn at the Cole Younger Wild West Show on August 15, 1903 [1:41:00 to 1:43:12] but learns he died three days ago,

This film is a good western and if we didn’t have to compare it to the 1969 version, might be considered a great film. However, while this film is good, the performances in the 1969 version are great. However, this version was at least filmed using the correct topography as background.

At 1:42:28 Cole Younger says Cogburn died three days ago. At 1:43:31 his tombstone

shows he died August 12, 1903, so three days later is the 15^th.

Producer - Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Scott Rudin and Megan Ellison

Director - Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Screenplay - Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Narrator - Elizabeth Marvel

Awards – This movie was nominated for the Best Actor(Bridges), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Director, Best Picture, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Supporting Actres(Steinfeld) at the 83^rd Academy Awards.

Runtime – 1 hour 51 minutes

Released – December 22, 2010

Starring -

Jeff Bridges as Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn

Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross

Matt Damon as LeBoeuf

Josh Brolin as Tom Chaney

Barry Pepper as "Lucky" Ned Pepper

Domhnall Gleeson as Moon

Ed Corbin as Bear Man (Dr. Forrester)

Roy Lee Jones as Yarnell Poindexter

Paul Rae as Emmett Quincy

Nicholas Sadler as Sullivan

Dakin Matthews as Colonel Stonehill

Elizabeth Marvel as 40-year-old Mattie

Leon Russom as Sheriff

Jake Walker as Judge Isaac Parker

Don Pirl as Cole Younger

Jarlath Conroy as The Undertaker