True Grit
A headstrong girl recruits a hard-drinking marshal and a bounty-hungry ranger for a perilous frontier pursuit of her father’s killer.
Overview
A young girl seeks vengeance in the untamed American frontier, proving that grit can conquer all.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- rugged
- witty
- tense
- classic western night
- weekend movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an amusing, well-crafted western elevated by John Wayne’s iconic performance, strong photography, and an entertaining central trio.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Mattie Ross personally pursues justice for her murdered father and initiates the search for his killer.
Rooster Cogburn is an aging, one-eyed marshal whose reputation and rough methods coexist with personal shortcomings.
The tense pursuit is repeatedly tempered by humorous clashes among Mattie, Cogburn, and La Boeuf.
The trio travels across expansive Indian Territory while tracking Ned Pepper and his gang.
Films like True Grit, and why
The Searchers
Shared traditional western setting, pursuit narrative, frontier justice, and rugged lawman protagonist.
The Shootist
Shared western genre, revenge-driven quest, morally complicated frontier figures, and dry humor.
The Wild Bunch
Shared period western atmosphere, bounty pursuit, and tension between youthful determination and aging gunfighters.
Movie Details
- Director
- Henry Hathaway
- Release Date
- 1969-06-11
- Runtime
- 128 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (890)
Cast
- John Wayne
- Kim Darby
- Glen Campbell
- Jeremy Slate
- Robert Duvall
- Dennis Hopper
- Alfred Ryder
- Strother Martin
- Jeff Corey
- Ron Soble
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is True Grit about?
- A headstrong girl recruits a hard-drinking marshal and a bounty-hungry ranger for a perilous frontier pursuit of her father’s killer.
- What is True Grit like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of True Grit as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is True Grit violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in True Grit as mild.
- What did critics think of True Grit?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an amusing, well-crafted western elevated by John Wayne’s iconic performance, strong photography, and an entertaining central trio.
- Which films are like True Grit?
- Films with a similar feel include The Searchers, The Shootist, and The Wild Bunch.
- How long is True Grit?
- True Grit runs 128 minutes.
- Where can I watch True Grit?
- In United States, True Grit streams on Philo, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel.
