What's the Difference between True Grit the Book and True Grit the Movie?
| In the Book |
In the Movie |
Rooster Cogburn
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Rooster Cogburn
Portrayed by: John Wayne
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Mattie Ross
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Mattie Ross
Portrayed by: Kim Darby
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La Boeuf
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La Boeuf
Portrayed by: Glen Campbell
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Ned Pepper
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Ned Pepper
Portrayed by: Robert Duvall
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Tom Chaney
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Tom Chaney
Portrayed by: Jeff Corey
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| In the Book |
In the Movie |
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The book is entirely from Mattie's point of view. |
The film is also from Cogburn's point of view. |
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Mattie is 14 years old and plain looking. |
Kim Darby is 22 years old and beautiful.
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The book is set in Arkansas. |
The movie was filmed in more mountainous regions of Colorado. |
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Rooster Cogburn is in his 40's and missing an eye. |
John Wayne was 62 during filming and wore an eye patch.
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The book begins with Mattie talking about the death of her father at Tom Chaney's hands. |
The movie begins prior to the horse buying trip showing Mattie and her parents. |
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Cogburn is not above shooting a bad guy in the back. |
Cogburn is not a back shooter.
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After La Beoeuf shoots Ned Pepper at long range, he is knocked out by Tom Chaney with a rock. He recovers from his injury, continues to live in Texas and is still probably alive 25 years later at the end of the book. |
La Boeuf appears to be dead from Chaney's knock on the head after he shoots Ned Pepper. |
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Cogburn and Mattie ride on Blackie (Mattie's horse) to a doctor after she is bit by a rattlesnake. Cogburn's abuse of Blackie is very extreme. He slashes the horse's hind quarters to induce him to run and later rubs salt into the wound when he slows. Cogburn runs Blackie to death then carries Mattie to a doctor. |
Cogburn runs Blackie into the ground then shoots him. He then commandeers a horse/wagon to get her to the doctor.
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Mattie loses her arm as a result of the rattle snake bite. She is still unconscious when Cogburn leaves. |
Mattie's arm is saved. |
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Mattie never marries and never sees Cogburn again. 25 years later she gets a letter from Cogburn and goes to meet him at a Wild West show where he will appear. She is informed at the show that he died several days before. She has him buried at her family's plot. |
Mattie is recovering from the snakebite when Cogburn visits her to say goodbye.
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