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Though he made well over a hundred movies throughout his career, it wasn’t until legendary gunslinger John Wayne was in his 60s that he won an Oscar for his portrayal of the wild west’s meanest US Marshall, Rooster Cogburn, in 1969’s True Grit.
Fat, old, and one-eyed, Cogburn is hired by feisty young Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) after her father is killed by hired hand Tom Chaney (Jeff Corey). After killing her father, Chaney ran off with her family’s money and hid in the Indian territories—but Mattie is determined to find him and see him hanged for his crime. It takes some quick thinking (not to mention a lot of money) on Mattie’s part, but she finally talks the ornery old drunk into helping her out—and even letting her go along. But then comes La Boeuf (Glen Campbell), a Texas Ranger who’s also looking for Tom Chaney. With promises of a hefty reward, La Boeuf talks Cogburn into working with him. But while he’s determined to keep the headstrong young woman from holding them back, she refuses to be left behind—so the unlikely trio heads off to the Indian territories to find their man.
Filled with gunfights and rattlesnakes and sweeping wilderness landscapes, True Grit is, nevertheless, more than just a classic western. More than just a story about the guys in white hats fighting the guys in black hats, it shows a little more depth. Cogburn is a complex character. He’s practically an outlaw himself, known for his heavy drinking and his overactive trigger finger—but, deep down, he’s just a nice old guy with a soft spot for the girl he calls “Baby Sister.”
And Darby’s Mattie isn’t always easy to love. The mouthy, headstrong kid is filled with energy. When she’s excited, she’s way too excited—and when things don’t go her way, she threatens legal action. With her “must”s and her “cannot”s, Darby’s performance is sometimes stiff and uncomfortable. In fact, in the DVD’s special features, the late actor Jeremy Slate notes that sometimes Wayne seemed baffled by Darby’s performance—and the literal way she delivered her lines. And I can’t blame him. Sometimes I was pretty baffled, myself. But, at the same time, her character is often amusing. She does a good job of standing up to her two tough companions—sometimes even managing to shut them up for a while.
At the center of the movie, though, is The Duke. Wayne, who really was a fat old man at the time, takes it all in stride. His character is tough and ornery—but he’s also funny. And he gets to say some great lines (like, “Why…you’re no bigger’n a corn nubbin.”). When he pulls out his gun, though, it doesn’t matter how fat or old or funny he is. He’s still The Duke. He makes True Grit the classic western that it is. It’s just the thing to watch on a lazy Saturday afternoon.
Released in celebration of the John Wayne 100th Anniversary, the special edition DVD contains an impressive collection of special features—especially for a movie that’s nearly 40 years old. It includes a commentary, as well as features on the writing, location, and more. There’s also an insightful feature on working with John Wayne and another one on the outlaws of the old west. The special features are a great bonus for western fans—and even casual viewers will find them worth watching.
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