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True Grit

Play trailer 0:30 Poster for True Grit G 1969 2h 8m Western Play Trailer Watchlist
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87% Tomatometer 54 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
After hired hand Tom Chaney (Jeff Corey) murders the father of 14-year-old Mattie Ross (Kim Darby), she seeks vengeance and hires U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne), a man of true grit, to track Chaney into Indian territory. As the two begin their pursuit, a Texas Ranger, La Boeuf (Glen Campbell), joins the manhunt in hopes of capturing Chaney for the murder of a Texas senator and collecting a substantial reward. The three clash on their quest of bringing to justice the same man.
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True Grit

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Critics Consensus

True Grit rides along on the strength of a lived-in late-period John Wayne performance, adding its own entertaining spin to the oft-adapted source material.

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Critics Reviews

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Nick Schager Lessons of Darkness 01/05/2011
C+
Far too often for True Grit to quite overcome, [Wayne's] larger-than-life turn flirts with, if not outright topples into, self-parody. Go to Full Review TIME Magazine 12/01/2010
By growing old disgracefully as the fat, swaggering Rooster Cogburn, Wayne proves he can act -- and solves his own senior-citizen problem in one master stroke. Go to Full Review Empire Magazine 12/01/2010
3/5
Although some say Wayne's Oscar was given out of sympathy instead of his performance, he still acts well as the sheriff who's past his peak. Go to Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review 08/03/2023
2.5/4
The filmmakers lean on Wayne, who gives die-hard fans access to a rich performance that, for many, forgives all else that remains so clumsy about the picture. Go to Full Review Michael Kostelnuk Winnipeg Free Press 08/19/2021
A marvelously entertaining blend of classic Western melodrama and irresistible old-style sentiment. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 05/30/2021
3.5/4
Wayne won a Best Actor Academy Award for his rambunctious turn. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Bob L @Dudeorama5 Jul 10 One of the best movies in 1969. Story was great, acting was great, and the visual was stunning. See more Chad H. @ASOIrishWoody Dec 5 True Grit is the inspiring tale of a 14-year-old girl who decides, “You know what? I don’t need the police. I’m gonna hunt down my dad’s killer myself.” And somehow this is considered a perfectly reasonable plan. 🧀 Plot Summary (Extra Cheesy Edition): Mattie Ross hires Rooster Cogburn — a U.S. Marshal so grumpy he makes houseplants wilt. He’s half-blind, fully drunk, and 100% done with everybody’s nonsense. Perfect mentor material! Joining them is LaBoeuf, a Texas Ranger whose name no one can pronounce correctly and who is basically the cowboy version of that one coworker who insists he’s “a big deal back in Texas.” Together, the three ride off to catch a killer with a group dynamic that feels like a dysfunctional family road trip… but with more guns and fewer bathroom breaks. ⭐ Highlights: Rooster Cogburn shoots first, asks no questions, and then argues about WHY he didn’t ask questions later. Mattie out-negotiates every adult she meets, proving the deadliest weapon in the Old West was actually a teenager with a sharp tongue. LaBoeuf brings big “I graduated top of my class” energy to a group that could not care less. 😂 Best Moment: Rooster charging into battle on horseback with both guns blazing like he's trying to speedrun the entire movie. 🤠 Final Verdict: True Grit teaches us valuable lessons: Justice is best served with sarcasm. Don’t mess with a teenage girl on a mission. And if you need a job done right… don’t hire Rooster Cogburn unless you’re okay with 40% chaos and 60% whiskey. See more Lanfranco C @Lanfrancobz Oct 13 A nice old western still worth to be seen. See more alan g @agenser Sep 28 One of the best John Wayne movies. Kim Darby is great. See more Stephen C @bob25009 08/01/2025 Success in 2 hours and 8 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Starring John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Sanghamithran K @RT95177245 07/23/2025 The most beautiful film I've ever seen See more Read all reviews
True Grit

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Cast & Crew

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Henry Hathaway

Director

John Wayne

Rooster Cogburn

Glen Campbell

La Boeuf

Kim Darby

Mattie Ross

Jeremy Slate

Emmett Quincy

Robert Duvall

Ned Pepper

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True Grit

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True Grit

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Movie Info

Synopsis After hired hand Tom Chaney (Jeff Corey) murders the father of 14-year-old Mattie Ross (Kim Darby), she seeks vengeance and hires U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne), a man of true grit, to track Chaney into Indian territory. As the two begin their pursuit, a Texas Ranger, La Boeuf (Glen Campbell), joins the manhunt in hopes of capturing Chaney for the murder of a Texas senator and collecting a substantial reward. The three clash on their quest of bringing to justice the same man.
Director
Henry Hathaway
Producer
Hal B. Wallis
Screenwriter
Marguerite Roberts
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Paramount Pictures
Rating
G
Genre
Western
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 11, 1969, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 1, 2013
Runtime
2h 8m
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