True Grit

I really wanted to read the book first but my parents (notoriously hard to please when it comes to movies) and I decided this would be good common ground. And I love Glen Campbell's music, what a nice surprise to see him here! It's beautifully shot, nothing extravagant or fancy which I reckon suits its humble story, but its so full of gorgeous scenery. The soundtrack as well is lovely, never overpowering or attention stealing, but I found it really immersive and gentle. The story and characters are solid and of course, so very western. I also didn't expect to laugh as much as I did, both John Wayne and Glen Campbell have good delivery but some of the smaller characters especially shone in terms of comedic timing. Chaney and the man Maddie bullies into buying her horses back had me and my parents genuinely laughing. Kim Darby is fantastic as Maddie, had I consciously seen this movie any younger she'd have impacted my development greatly. Its nice to see a stubborn girl character who's able to speak up for herself and not be mocked or made a fool of by the story. I get really sappy over westerns, especially with John Wayne, because I've so many fond memories of watching The Cowboys as we used to call them with my Grandad. Although we usually didnt watch any John Wayne flicks because nanny loves John Wayne and grandad might have been the tiniest bit jealous. But True Grit I must've seen as a child, it feels so so familiar to me. Maybe becuase of the association with my grandparents, but theres something so comforting about it. Its a really nice watch.