True Grit/YMMV

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • Award Snub:
    • The 2010 movie had ten Oscar nominations, but no wins—making it tied with Gangs of New York for second place among the biggest losers in Academy history.
    • And one of those nominations was Hallie Steinfeld for Best Supporting Actress, despite her clearly playing the main protagonist. Considering that she would've been going up against Natalie Portman for Black Swan (a guaranteed win) it was probably assumed that she would have had a better chance at winning in the Supporting category.
  • Non Sequitur Scene: The encounter with the Bear Man. Both Rooster and Mattie are... er, a tad confused.
  • Crazy Awesome:
    • Read here as "holding your horse's reigns in your teeth so that you have both hands free for Guns Akimbo."
    • Part of what makes Mattie so awesome, even more so in in the 2010 film. Young girl, on her own, who will not take "no" for an answer, crosses two states and travels the wilderness to find the man that killed her father and bring him in for justice.
    • Rooster too, especially when he Runs his horse to death, and nearly himself as well, all to save Mattie.
    • LaBoeuf has his moment, too. Can't be easy to stay on the trail with a bullet through your shoulder and a half-severed tongue. He eventually leaves when Rooster yells at the two of them after being way too damn drunk.
    • Even Ned Pepper is tough. Can't be a successful thief/murderer for long if you aren't.
  • Crosses the Line Twice: The hanging of the three men at the beginning of the 2010 movie where the first two made their last pleas. The first man is sobbing and begging for people not to follow his example. The second just says a few words about that he wouldn't be hanged if he killed the right man. The last man, an Indian, attempts to say his last words but is bagged mid-sentence.
  • Crowning Music of Awesome:
    • Johnny Cash's "God's Gonna Cut You Down" in the remake's trailer.
    • Carter Burwell's score is also quite awesome in the film itself, using the hymn "Leaning On the Everlasting Arms" to great effect.
  • Hollywood Homely: Averted in the 2010 version. Mattie's not ugly by any stretch but she does look plain and normal - a long way from the teenagers we're accustomed to seeing on Nickelodeon and Disney.
  • Never Trust a Trailer: The trailers for the 2010 film gave it a gritty, bleak feel that felt right at home on the heels of No Country for Old Men. But surprisingly, the Coens filmed a pretty straightforward Western true to the source material, elevated by the acting, the reliably superb Roger Deakins cinematography, and the signature Coens humor. The PG-13 film was probably a lot lighter than some would have expected from the Coen brothers, although the film does have its share of dramatic moments.
  • Papa Wolf: Rooster and LaBoeuf both become this for Mattie to a certain extent.
  • Squick/MayDecemberRomance:
    • For the 2010 version, at least, people appear to be having a variety of reactions to the tension between LaBoeuf and Mattie, like when he says he was considering "stealing a kiss" while she slept and the scene in which he spanks her for her obstinate behavior. Nothing actually happens, but a Bodyguard Crush could be implied...
    • The Bear Man says that he has no place to sleep, except for his blankets and furs (which he hints he would share with the two travelers). When they refuse his "hospitality" he clearly looks disappointed.
  • Unfortunate Implications: Most of what LaBoeuf says to Mattie early on, as well as him being in her room when she wakes up. No one seems to remember that being in the old version of the film as well.
  • Viewer Gender Confusion:
    • Come on, if it weren't for the dress, one could hardly tell Mattie is a girl (in the 1969 film).
    • It's been pointed out too. There's one picture on the internet comparing 1969 Mattie to Justin Bieber. Looking at the picture, they could've been twins.
  • What Do You Mean It's Not for Kids?:
    • PG-13? Seriously? It's pretty damn gory in some scenes. What makes this even weirder is the Coens specifically said they wanted the movie to be a family film.
    • The violence is quite realistic though in that it's harsh, yet understated and very brief.