Our beloved and fearless Off the Shelf Blog Leader, Andy, convinced me some months ago to read Charles Portis’s wonderful novel True Grit. He assured me that my vague memories of a John Wayne flick were no guide to the treasure that awaited me in the novel’s heroine and narrator, Mattie. Andy’s recommendation , as always, was spot on. The novel and Mattie are treasures. Ditto Mattie’s horse, Blackie. Now, the Coen brothers have made a film adaptation that promises to keep the novel’s wonderful heroine at the center of the story where she belongs. Their Mattie, young actress Hailee Steinfeld, looks and sounds promising, as does the casting of Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon as Mattie’s helpers and Josh Brolin as the story’s murderous villain. No advance word yet on who plays Blackie.
Mary H.
