Movie Review

TRUE GRIT
The film opens with a slow and melancholy instrumental of the hymn “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” and this melody plays throughout with a haunting and beautiful effect. It’s really the theme of the story of a little girl who has lost her father because he was murdered for two pieces of gold. She vows to bring the killer to justice with the help of a washed up, over-the-hill drunken marshal named Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn.
In this remake of the classic western which formerly starred John Wayne, the Coen brothers now cast Jeff Bridges as the irascible U.S. marshal hired by 14-year-old Mattie Ross to bring to justice the coward Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) who murdered her father in cold blood. It also stars Matt Damon as a Texas Ranger who is the younger, sometimes more capable (but less comical) rival lawman who is also after the villain. Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie is likely to be nominated for an Oscar for her role. However, Mattie Ross is a sharp witted, sharp tongued young lady who can out talk and out litigate any cowboy or marshal within earshot. She can also out barter the wiliest pawn broker in town. In fact, she and everyone else in this film have no shortage of witty dialogue unless they are in fact, shooting at other people. Starting out on her mission to avenge her father’s death, she writes to her widowed mother, “Don’t worry about me Mama. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, the author of my faith shall protect me.” The film title actually describes what Mattie has more than any other character.
However misguided Mattie is for wanting to wreak revenge on her father’s behalf, you can’t help but root for her and her little band of hired guns. She begins the film missing the arms of her earthly father she used to lean on, then puts her faith in the heavenly Father’s arms and is finally saved (literally) by leaning on Rooster’s arms. This is a gritty, true to life historical glimpse of the 1800’s right after the Civil War. It is always dramatic, oftentimes funny and sometimes heart wrenching. I also noticed that apparently in the old west the language did not include the use of contractions.
So if you are a fan of the old west and scruffy old gun slinging marshals “do not” head for the hills but do head for the theater while “True Grit” is still here in Port Orange. It is almost worth the price of the ticket just to hear the closing credits version of “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” sung in a clear plaintive soprano voice (a la Alison Krause) accompanied solely by piano. It is truly, simply beautiful.
Sandra Kleinschmidt