If you know the role, you know he’s fine for it. The original was played by glen campbell - he’s supposed to be a pretty boy lightweight.
Seriously? John Wayne was a huge star and an icon, but it’s not like he was an amazing actor doing stellar films, not by a longshot.
I thought Matt Damon did a fine job of playing a Texan (including a fine job with the accent) in All the Pretty Horses. So I’d say he’s passed the audition.
Is John Wayne in it?
No?
Nope, won’t be seein’ it.
Rumored to be next up: a remake of McLintock! starring Mel Gibson’s and one of the Kardashian sisters. Mel’s already spanking them to figure out which is best for the Maureen O’Hara part.
Have you seen Stagecoach or She wore a Yellow Ribbon?
I’ve gotta get back to work, but let me just rush in here, say that Stagecoach wasn’t much at all. Neither was Rio Bravo. Neither was John Wayne.
The Wayne/Campbell True Grit was okay, but not a great iconic film.
Haven’t seen Yellow Ribbon, and have been burned by supposed Wayne classics too many times to even want to.
(Good Westerns? High Noon. McCabe & Mrs Miller. Tombstone. I’m definitely looking forward to the new True Grit; I’ve got my personal list of 3 or 4 Coen Brothers’ masterpieces and don’t think they’ve shot their wad just yet.)
I’d bet that during at least one take, Bridges did his lines as The Dude (or El Duderino, if you’re not into that whole brevity thing).
“That’s brave talk for a one eyed fat man!”
“Well, that’s just, like, your opinion, dude.”
No.
Nobody fucks with dee Pepper!!
To see Wayne actually acting, and doing it damn well, check out his performance as Captain Rockwell Torrey in In Harm’s Way. For something a little more in the Western line, you may have heard of a little picture called The Searchers.
Yes, Wayne often played John Wayne. But, when called upon to do so, he could act his ass off.
Yeah, I get really tired of the John Wayne bashing. You may or may not like the guy, for whatever reasons, but it’s just BS to say he couldn’t act. Watch The Cowboys and The Shootist, then come back here and tell me he couldn’t act.
As for John Wayne playing John Wayne, so what? When has Jack Nicholson ever played anybody but Jack Nicholson?
Little Shop of Horrors.
Since then? Never. Which is why I stand amazed that people go so crazy about him.
Because no one plays a better Jack Nicholson than him. Filmmakers often want a Jack Nicholson in their movies, so why not go with the best?
For what its worth (nothing), True Grit was shut out of the Golden Globes nominations.
Once. In 1960. For 20 minutes. 
He doesn’t know it yet, but my mom wants me to get Dad out of the house for a few hours on the 23rd so he’s not home when they deliver his new recliner, so I’m going to take him to see this. We watched the orginal this weekend, and I think the trailer looks better than it was. Perhaps only because I like the cast in the new movie better. And maybe there will be contractions in this version.
So, now that I’ve seen True Grit, I’m curious: does anyone else think The Professional (aka Leon) was inspired by this film? Not only does the girl in The Professional hire someone to kill the man who murdered her family, her name is even Mathilda.
Off the top of my head, Easy Rider, The Pledge, Chinatown, The Departed, About Schmidt, Batman, Prizzi’s Honor, Reds, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, The Last Detail. I’m sure there’s more.
Gangster Octopus, I don’t think True Grit was screened for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the Golden Globes people.
The only one where he might be said to have created a character was Batman, but even that’s being generous.