True Grit Redux

I largely agree with this guy on the three True Grits--the book, the original movie starring John Wayne, and the Coen remake: http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/lgrin/2011/01/04/a-tale-of-three-true-grits/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BigHollywood+%28Big+Hollywood%29&utm_content=FaceBook.  I watched the Wayne movie again about two days before viewing the Coen vehicle and several things struck me:
1. The strength of the dialogue from the Portis book--the guy is one of the most underrated wordsmiths of 20th century American writing and how particularly well that Wayne and the new Hattie Ross actress pulled off the tricky dialogue.
2. Both Wayne and Bridges are excellent and very different in their approaches.  Wayne's was intentionally over the top and full of bravado while Bridges was more understated but very believable. 
3. The young actress that plays Hattie in the Coen movie is light years better than the hideous Kim Darby.  In fact, she's remarkable and worth the price of admission alone.
4. Damon is obviously better than Glenn Campbell as the Ranger La Bouf(sp).  Shaking my head about this though, as the one actor who was born to play this role was Matthew McConnnaaggggghyy(sp).  Damn shame he didn't get it.
5. Barry Pepper plays Ned Pepper in the Coen version and does it well.  He even sounds a lot like Robert Duvall did in the same role.  He ain't Duvall, though.  Josh Brolin, on loan from the commie stooge directors he usually works for, is good, too as the murderous dumb ass Cheney.
6. The Coen Brothers Grit is an outstanding movie.  It's one of those rare films that comes along that you will watch multiple times over the years--every time it comes on TV--and you will buy the DVD in the same sense as "Saving Private Ryan" and others.  Like "Ryan," it will lose out in the Academy Award nomination to something of a more artsy nature ("Shakespeare in Love") that you'll never, ever see again after shelling out twelve bucks or so at your local movie house.

Go see it.  Solid effort.