If you’ve only seen the movie of True Grit, starring John Wayne as the one eyed Rooster Cogburn, you might think that the Coen Brothers are a weird fit for a new version. But apparently the book is very, very different from the movie, and it’s the book that the Coens are going to for their film.
While their True Grit will have the same basic plot as the first film – a young girl hires Rooster to hunt down the man who killed her father – the Coens will be coming with a different POV. Ethan tells Rotten Tomatoes:
“The book is entirely in the voice of the 14-year-old girl. That sort of tips the feeling of it over a certain way.
“I think it’s much funnier than the movie was so I think unfortunately they lost a lot of humour in both the situations and in her voice. It also ends differently than the movie did. You see the main character – the little girl – 25 years later when she’s an adult.”
Joel also chips in that the book is more violent, which will be reflected in their version. I actually had a couple of friends pick up True Grit the book just before the Coen announcement happened, and they were really impressed with the book on its own merits. I guess it’s time for me to buy a copy and check it out.