True Grit by Charles Portis - Research Paper Example

True Grit True Grit is a book published in 1968 by Charles Portis. The book first made entry in a serial magazine called the Saturday Evening Post. The novel is recited from a woman’s perspective who explains the time she was a 14 year old child and when her father was killed by a criminal known as Tom Chaney (Portis 8). The book is considered to be one of America’s greatest and innovative novels. Moreover, two movies have been made from the book. In 1969, the book was adapted for screen starring John Marshall as Rooster Cogburn and Kim Darby as Mattie Ross. However, the movie was not well received at that time and the plot was considered diluted from the original works of Charles Portis. In 2010, another movie was produced based on the book. The movie was made on paper and produced by the Coen brothers, Joel and Ethan. This time round the movie won numerous awards and nominations. For example, it was nominated for best directors, Coen Brothers, and best actor, Jeff Bridges. Plot of the Book: At the age of 14, Mattie Ross gives an explanation of the murder of her father by Tom Chaney. She decides to avenge the death of her father and inquires the Sheriff on how she can hire Marshall. The Sheriff gives her three recommendations, and she settles on Rooster Cogburn (Portis 23). She raises the money to pay Cogburn by trading with Colonell Stonehill, her father’s business partner. Chaney is pursued by La Boeuf for the assasination of a Texan Senator and, therefore, joins Mattie Ross and her team. However, Mattie is skeptical of his help since she desires Chaney to be killed for the death of her father instead of the murder of a Texan senator. However, Cogburn leaves without her going with Le Boeuf in search of Chaney. However, Mattie goes after them and La Boeuf expresses his displeasure by switching her with her rod, and Cogburn intervenes (Portis 27). Mattie and her team, in their pursuit of Chaney, find two criminals, Moon, Quincy, and as Cogburn interrogates Moon, Quincy kills him, and thereafter Cogburn shoots Quinsy dead. The Pepper gang knowing the hideout of Chaney arrives at the dugout where Cogburn and Mattie hide. They kill two members of the gang but Pepper manages to escape. In the same hideout, Mattie meets Chaney and tries to kill him but to no avail. He grabs Mattie dragging her to Ned who intervenes by threatening to murder Chaney if he kills her (Portis 97). Concequently, she is saved by LaBouef who knocks Chaney. After this, they devise a plan on how to confront Ned and his gang. Cogburn decides to fight against Ned’s team, assassinating two and wounding Ned. LaBoeuf kills Pepper, and Mattie, using a riffle, kills Chaney. In the fight, Mattie loses one arm that results from snake bite and the movie ends by the death of Cogburn (Portis 201). TRUE GRIT THE 2010 MOVIE BY COEN BROTHERS: The 2010 sequence of True Grit was produced by the two Coen brothers and it is borrowed from Charles Portis novel of 1968 entitled True Grit (Portis & Tartt 12). The version stars Hailee Steinfeld, who takes the character of Mattie Ross, and Jeff Bridges, as Reuben J, a US Marshall. Other actors in the movie are Barry Pepper, Matt Damon, and Jeff Bridges. The production of the movie was in March 2010, and was officially released in the United States of America on December 2010 (Portis & Tartt 24). The movie has ten nominations in the academy awards, best sound film, best cinematography, and best art directions. The Cast: The 2010 movie has the following actors as members of its cast (Portis & Tartt 89): John Brolin stars as Tom Chaney Jeff Bridges acts as Cougburn. Matt Damon stars as LaBoeuf Hailee Steinfeld stars as Mattie Ross Barry Pepper stars as Ned Pepper Leon Russom stars as the Sheriff Elizabeth Marvel stars as Mattie. Joe Stevens stars as Goudy, the lawyer. The role of Sullivan is taken by Nicholas Sadler. Paul Rae acts as Emmett Quincy. Roy Lee acts as Poindexter. Ed Lee Corbin stars as Dr Forester. Awards: The movie has won numerous awards and they include (Portis & Tartt 63): Best Young Performer in Hailee Steinfeld, it was awarded by Broadcast Film Critics association. The association nominated the movie for the following categories, Best Film Best Actor Best Cinematography Best Score This event happened on 14 of January, 2011. The movie was produced in Santa, New Mexico and in Austin and Granger, Texas. True Grit, 1969 by Henry Hathaway: The 1969 movie was in print by Marguerite Roberts and produced by Henry Hathaway. The lead actor in the movie is John Wayne who stars as Cogburn, the US marshall who tracks the outlaw Chaney (Border & Portis 12). He won an academy award for his role in this film. The movie has the following actors as members of its cast, Judge Parker is acted by James Westerfield. Donald Woods takes the role of Barlow. Jeff Corey stars as Tom Chaney. Strother Martin acts as Col G. Stonehill Deniss Hopper stars as Moon Robert Duvall as Ned Pepper. Jeremy Slate acts as Emmett Quincy. John Wayne stars as Cogburn Kim Darby stars as Mattie Ross Glen Campbell acts as La Boeuf. Awards: The lead actor, John Wayne got a golden globe award for his impressive role as Cogburn, in the movie, and an academy ward as Best Actor. The movie was shot in Colorado, a town known as Ouray County. Differences between True Grit 1969 by Henry Hathaway and True Grit 2010 by Coen Brothers. The 2010 version of True Grit won many awards as compared to the 1969 version. For instance, the 2010 version had 10 academy nominations and Haillee Steinfeld won the best young performer, an award given by Broadcast critics association in January 2011. The 1969 version had only one award, won by John Wayne, and no nominations. The filming locations are different. In the 2010 version, the movie was filmed in New Mexico, Austin and Granger, towns in Texas, while the 1969 version, by Henry Hathaway, was filmed in Colorado. The 1969 movie did not follow the plot of the book by Charles Portis and it differs from the Charles Portis’ book (Border & Portis 19): The Movie begins and ends in 1878, therefore, it does not introduce Mattie as an old woman. In the book, Mattie is introduced as an old woman narrating her incidences at the age of 14 years (Border & Portis 25). The 1969 movie gives Cogburn a central role as opposed to Mattie whom the book recognized as the central figure (Border & Portis 32). The book recognizes Tom Chaney as a young man while the Hathaway film recognizes Tom Chaney as an old man, approximately 55 years old. The biblical tone of the book is not recognized in the 1969 movie and it lays emphasis on romantic relationships between LaBoeuf and Mattie. The script identifies the location of story in Arkansas while the movie was shot in Colorado. The 2010 movie by Coen Brothers introduces Mattie as an old woman and it follows the plot of the book, unlike the 1969 version created by Henry Hathaway. Another significant difference between The True Grit of 1969 and 2010 is the cast. They have different casts. The role of Cogburn in True Grit of 1969 is played by John Wayne while in the 2010 movie it is played by Jeff Bridges. In the 1969 sequence, Kim Darby stars as Mattie while in the 2010 version the role is played by Hailee Steinfeld. Works Cited Border, Rosemary, and Charles Portis. True grit. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1983. Print. Portis, Charles. True grit: a novel. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1968. Print. Portis, Charles, and Donna Tartt. True grit. New York, N.Y.: Overlook Press, 2010. Print. Read More