Admittedly, it's been a long time since I watched the original of True Grit, and I don't supplant the Duke lightly, but I thought the girl was exceptionally good in the remake. Perhaps having daughters made me credit that more than I should, because I remember making a point of watching it with my oldest and thinking that it was a good character for her to see.
Kim Darby was too old for the role, but she does a great job with the quirky cadence of the dialog. After seeing Steinfeld's admittedly good performance, I came to appreciate Darby's performance.
I suggest you have your daughter the book. It was high school assigned reading prior to the original movie. It really embraces the coming age aspect of the story from the opening two lines foward:
“People do not give it credence that a fourteen-year-old girl could leave home and go off in the wintertime to avenge her father's blood but it did not seem so strange then, although I will say it did not happen every day. I was just fourteen years of age when a coward going by the name Tom Chaney shot my father down in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and robbed him of his life and his horse and $150 in cash money plus two California gold pieces that he carried in his trouser band.”
Yep, Again after seeing Matt Damon's performance, I appreciate Campbell's more so.
Yes Hailee Steinfeld was very, very good. \
Agreed
She was good (and went on to become pretty hot). But Bridges was no John Wayne. The original Mattie was probably not someone who translates well to our modern ere. I'm a big fan of the Cohen Brothers and they did a good job, I just give an edge to the original, which also featured Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper. And yes, Glen Campbell was better than Matt Damon too.
Same. The remake wasn't bad, but the original was better.