oung Mattie Ross (Kim Darby), with an ugly, boyish haircut, is wise beyond her years, routinely doing the books for her father’s ranch. She also speaks her mind, is partial to cold buttermilk, and unafraid to face the harsh realities of life – like the sudden murder of her father. He’s unceremoniously gunned down in Fort Smith by one of his employees, a drunken gambler named Tom Chaney (Jeff Corey). Mattie journeys into town to collect the body, but also to find someone capable of rendering justice.

The prime candidate is Reuben J. “Rooster” Cogburn (John Wayne), a deputy marshal that has jurisdiction in the Indian Territory, where Chaney is likely hiding out. “Rooster Cogburn? Lord, I’ve heard some terrible things about him,” comments a civilian. Texas Ranger La Boeuf (Glen Campbell), with thick hair and orneriness to match, is also hunting for Cheney, for the ruthless killing of a senator. After negotiating cuts of the reward money from the state, the family, and Mattie herself, the trio heads out to speak with a man who may know of Chaney’s whereabouts and his likely accomplices Ned Pepper (Robert Duvall) and Mexican Bob. Neither bounty hunter wants the inexperienced girl to accompany them, but Mattie won’t take “no” for an answer. When they stumble upon crooks Quincy (Jeremy Slate) and Moon (Dennis Hopper), waiting for Pepper and his gang to show up, they hatch a plan for an ambush.

“True Grit” spends plenty of time developing the three main characters, creating personalities and details that help to make them all believable, personable, and interesting. Cogburn gets some time to discuss his past and Mattie has several opportunities to prove her worth. Even though she’s searching for a man with grit to carry out the job, she steadily reveals herself as a woman of comparable substance. Her feistiness, spitfire attitude, and ambition ensure she’s included in the decision-making, along with the fact that she isn’t afraid to threaten everyone with her lawyer.

Occasionally she’s naïve and annoying, but bonds with Rooster to become a surrogate daughter – or even the son he never really knew, based on her unusually masculine characteristics. Oddly (and yet with cinematic bravery), due to her intended age (14) and her lack of typical beauty, she doesn’t serve as the standard heroine for a movie dealing with villainous cutthroats and sharpshooting heroes. She’s thrifty, not attractive, and independent, not a damsel in distress. Adding to the stellar lead characters is an impressive cast of supporting actors, including Strother Martin, Dennis Hopper, and Robert Duvall (who plays a villain with a bit more complexity than what is generally seen in a Western).

It starts with a title tune uncommon for the genre, a melodramatic Don Black song, and it’s a good 13 minutes before audiences get to see John Wayne – but he’s unmistakable as the slow-moving, overweight, broad, one-eyed lawman, in a role that earned him his only Academy Award for Best Actor. Although largely recognized as a sentimental win, it is easily one of his most memorable performances. The dialogue is hilarious, full of creative insults, sarcasm, wit, and spirit. And, of course, Wayne gets the sharpest and most quotable lines.

The pacing is slightly off, unable to support a two-hour runtime, even while closely following the source material (Charles Portis’ celebrated novel). It drags with the inclusion of several unnecessary conflicts, including a broken arm, rattlesnake poison, and a tired horse. Similarly, some praise Darby’s performance while many others feel the film is ruined by it – but John Wayne is the obvious reason for watching it, and she undoubtedly can’t interfere with the Duke’s enjoyable charisma. And with gunfights, cynical quips to complement the thunderous discharging of ammo, and one of the coolest showdowns in cinema (featuring Wayne single-handedly charging on horseback against a foursome of bandits, after absorbing the mother of all insults, and cocking his rifle like the Terminator aboard his motorcycle), “True Grit” is a winning, action-packed, humorous, road trip-styled revenge epic.

– Mike Massie