I admit Westerns are generally a genre I avoid, but this remake of a 1969 John Wayne film serves up perfectly entertaining fare. Possibly no more than that, but an amusing way to pass a couple of hours for sure.
The core of this film is Mattie Ross, the spunky 14-year-old played impressively well by Hailee Steinfeld, and her relationship with slurring drunkard bounty hunter Rooster Cogburn, delightfully portrayed by Jeff Bridges. She hires him to find and capture her father's killer - cue sweeping American landscapes, horses in sunset, and plenty of gunslinging.
For all their place as darlings of Hollywood's quirky fringe, this is the first time the Coen Brothers have managed to generate over $100 million at the US box office, so clearly it went down very well across the pond...
Click here to read the script.
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Dear Mr. Fish,
ReplyDeleteAlthough this comment has absolutely nothing to do with this posting, I couldn't find any other contact method.
I am an English teacher at a public school in Louisiana. Humor is actually on the curriculum this year, and the textbook offers limited literature falling in the humor genre. So, I set out to explore the internet for other reading options for my students. That is when I stumbled upon your work.
I enjoyed "Death by Scrabble" so much that I assigned it to my students.
The day we read your story and discussed it coincidentally was the day my principal and an assistant superintendent decided to audit my class. The students loved the story as well as my superiors. The two administrators commented on how much they enjoyed the lesson which spotlighted your short story. They even went as far to say that of all the classes they evaluated that day, mine was the only one that kept their interest.
Several of my students have since become fans and have read more of your work during their free time. Considering all the games and nudity at their fingertips, it is a huge compliment that eighth graders would rather read short stories on the internet.
I apologize for posting this letter on your movies blog. I'm just sending out a big, fat THANK YOU for inspiring my students to read rather than watch some silly youtube flick.
Your latest fan,
Beans
Hi Beans,
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely message! Thank you very much; I'm flattered.
Good humour stories can be hard to find... if you're looking for more, I recommend my friend RJ Silver's shorts: http://rjsilver.com/category/short-stories-2/
Meanwhile, I'll get writing and create some more. :)