Stories, Movies and Our Lives

Growing up in Oklahoma, history was a subject at school that seemed a recital of names and dates that had little effect on our lives.




That was until the 7th grade(1977) and the Oklahoma history teacher gave us a short list of books from which to do a book report.  I chose "Hell on the Border", which is the story of "Hanging Judge" Parker, and his court over Indian Territory ( Oklahoma ) in the latter part of the 19th century. This book was amazing. It was violent, quirky, and opened my eyes to an amazing world that took place right where I lived.

The way they dressed, talked, and lived was far removed from Hollywood Westerns and I was mesmerized.

So later that year, when I picked up an issue of The Saturday Evening Post and realized the a story they were featuring in a serial was a fictional account of the Judge and his Marshals , I had to read it. The title was "True Grit", and was compiled and released in book form, so I went to the city library and checked it out.

Here was an author that "got it", Charles Portis had written an American classic. He may have lifted stories and events directly from "Hell on the Border", but like the Beatles once said, steal from the best.

Of course it had been made into a movie some years earlier(1969) and John Wayne had won his only Oscar for his portrayal of the one-eyed Marshall Rooster Cogburn.





I was so excited to watch it when it came on one Saturday afternoon. My thoughts on the movie? Certainly entertaining, but as my vision of being true, it fell far short, just another formula- looking western with a better than average story.

Years late, while on " the million dollar highway " in the San Juan mountains of south western Colorado, I remember reading a marker proudly boasting of being the site for the filming of True Grit. Beautiful country but little does it look like Oklahoma, even the rugged, green southeast corner of the state. Of course there, along Talimena drive, you'll find a marker explaining that this is the setting for the climatic scene from the book between the Marshall and outlaws.

So,memorable stuff from being a kid, but years go by and life happens , and in 2009 I find myself with a new family and life in Tulsa, traveling to Little Rock to pick up my 12 year old daughter from a previous marriage. Now let me tell you a little about Mandy. She's a platinum blonde , 80lb, 5'3" outdoor type, a living doll.

Always excited to see us , she begins to tell us of an audition for new movie that she attended. The name of the movie? True Grit!

A quick search by my wife Shannon on her smart phone revealed that the Coen brothers were re-imaging and directing the film more closely to the book with Rooster being played by Jeff Bridges, and also starring Matt Damon and Josh Brolin.

The auditions were part of an nation wide search with over 15,000 girls trying out.

Mandy did get a call back and film test. They liked her hobbies( caving, riding a unicycling, repelling ). Eventually the part went to a beautiful 13 year old in California, but it was exciting for her and us just to think about having a part in a book and movie that was so important to me as kid.

The movie was filmed in Texas and New Mexico this past summer( still not Oklahoma!) and will be released December 25th and already there is talk of Oscars for the movie and Jeff Bridges. Deja Vu ? The trailers do look spectacular.

But two things are for certain, I'll be first in line, and Mandy, you are my star.