Last December, all the rave in Hollywood was focused only on one movie—True Grit.
The movie, an adaptation of the 1969 Western film based on the Charles Portis classic American novel, earned $24,850,000 on its opening week and grossed $128,339,354 as of January 16 this year, IMDB.com reports.
Aside from its eight BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) nominations, which include best picture, best actor, best actress and best screenplay, the Oscar Awards announced yesterday, January 25, the film's nomination in the best actor, best supporting actress, best director, best adapted screenplay and best picture categories.
True Grit stars Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and 13-year-old newcomer Hailee Steinfeld.
Steinfeld (who's 14 years old now) is part Filipina on her mother's side. She topped nearly 15,000 other teenage girls in a nationwide search for the role of Mattie Ross, the film's smart, feisty, sharp-tounged and gritty lead female character.
Directed by Academy Award winning filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, True Grit is a mythic Western adventure story of vengeance and valor.
The story takes place in Fort Smith, Arkansas, after the American Civil War. Mattie journeys to Fort Smith, determined to extract justice for the death of her father who was shot in cold blood. She learns that her father's murderer goes by the name, Tom Chaney (Brolin).
Chaney murdered Mattie's father, steals two gold pieces and horses and sets off to the Indian Territory as a fugitive.
Determined to follow Chaney and see him hanged, Mattie hires a trigger-happy, drunkard U.S. Marshall named Rooster Cogburn (Bridges). Cogburn has a reputation as the most ruthless U.S. Marshall in Fort Smith. Mattie wants him because of his "true grit."
After many objections, Cogburn agrees to hunt Chaney. But Chaney is already the target of the talkative Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Damon), who also aims to catch Chaney and bring him back to Texas for an ample reward—which brings the trio to collide on the trail.
Each one being willful, stubborn, and driven by their own rough moral codes, this unlikely posse rides towards unpredictable situations, surprises and dangers.
NOMINATED BEST ACTRESS. Hailey makes her feature film debut in True Grit, having landed the key role of Mattie Ross at the age of 13, following a nationwide search.
At eight years of age, Hailee revealed to her family that she had a strong desire to pursue acting.
After a full year of acting study, she signed up with an agent. She started with print work, quickly transitioning to commercials and several short films as well as regularly participating in acting workshops.
On the small screen, Hailee was cast in Kelsey Grammer's short-lived TV series Back To You and in a pilot for Nickelodeon. A native of California, Hailee lives in the Los Angeles area with her older brother Griffin, her interior designer mother Cheri and fitness instructor father Jake.
For her role as Mattie Ross in True Grit, Hailee is nominated in both the BAFTA and Oscar awards. She got a best actress nomination in BAFTA and a best supporting actress nomination in the Oscars.
True Grit is written for the screen and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and produced by Scott Rudin and the Coen brothers. The executive producers are Steven Spielberg, Robert Graf, David Ellison, Paul Schwake and Megan Ellison.
True Grit is distributed locally by United International Pictures through Solar Entertainment Corporation. Showing locally on theaters starting February 23.