I threw up a little in my mouth when I first saw the trailer for this movie. True Grit is the movie that turned me onto John Wayne's movies and westerns in general. I simply can't see this cast producing a movie of superior depth and raw artistic value as the original. Steak mentioned Wayne and Duvall, but even Glen Campbell is an amazing addition to the screen and Kim Darby's portrayal of sassy Mattie Ross is beyond reproach. Who can forget her constant invocation of Lawyer Daggett (the voice of Piglet from the original Winnie The Pooh), even years after seeing the film?
Nope, the original was simply too iconic to be trumped. Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn? Seriously?
The only positive I see from the Coen's approach is the focus on Mattie as the central character, which is the same perspective as the original novel from which the first screenplay was adapted. The problem arises in the fact that they cast an unknown actress to carry the film. Who is Hailee Steinfeld anyway?