[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:07.65,0:00:11.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Mattie Ross is the star of the award winning film True Grit made by the Coen Brothers.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:11.77,0:00:16.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is a remake of the 1969 film starring John Wayne which is in itself
Dialogue: 0,0:00:16.16,0:00:19.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,an adaptation of the 1968 Charles Portis novel.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:19.55,0:00:22.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The 14 year old lead character is played by Hailee Steinfeld
Dialogue: 0,0:00:22.50,0:00:25.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who much to my surprise was only 13 when filming the movie.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:25.71,0:00:29.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is a significant and welcome change from the original casting
Dialogue: 0,0:00:29.02,0:00:32.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where actor Kim Darby was 21 when playing Mattie Ross.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:32.10,0:00:36.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's always nice seeing young actors playing lead roles in serious films
Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.24,0:00:38.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,especially young women, because they are offered so few of these.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:38.99,0:00:42.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Without giving too much away, this is a classic western narrative about the search
Dialogue: 0,0:00:42.93,0:00:47.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for revenge, self-reliance, and independence in a harsh and unforgiving land.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:47.05,0:00:51.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The movie follows Mattie on her quest for revenge against the man who killed her father.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:51.09,0:00:56.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,To help her on in this venture, she hires notorious US Marshall Rooster Cogburn, known for his ruthless grit.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:56.74,0:01:01.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The Marshall initially dismisses and ridicules Mattie because of her age and gender
Dialogue: 0,0:01:01.42,0:01:05.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,however, she convinces him of her confidence and they set out on the trail to find the killer
Dialogue: 0,0:01:05.54,0:01:08.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For those of you who haven't seen True Grit, there's going to be a few spoilers ahead.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:08.98,0:01:13.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What's so captivating about Mattie's character is how witty and smart she is
Dialogue: 0,0:01:13.00,0:01:15.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and how daring, self-reliant and independent she is.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:15.76,0:01:20.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She's full of confidence in herself and her abilities in a hostile, male-dominated world.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:20.37,0:01:25.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These are traits rarely ascribed to female characters, let alone female teenage characters
Dialogue: 0,0:01:25.06,0:01:29.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,One of my favorite scenes comes early on when Mattie sucessfully negotiates with
Dialogue: 0,0:01:29.15,0:01:30.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,an unscrupulous horse trader.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:30.82,0:01:35.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I want $300 for Papa's saddle horse that was stolen from your stable.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:36.94,0:01:39.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You have to take that up with the man who stole the horse.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:39.72,0:01:43.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Tom Cheney stole the horse while he was in your care. You are responsible.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:43.24,0:01:49.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,hahaha... Yeah, I admire your saying, but you'll find I'm not liable for such claims.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:49.68,0:01:54.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You are the custodian. If you were a bank and it were robbed you could not simply tell the depositer to go hang.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:54.64,0:01:59.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I do not entertain hypothetical, the world as it is is vexing enough.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:59.27,0:02:04.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Secondly, your evaluation of the horse is high by about 200 dollars.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:04.40,0:02:05.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,How old are you?
Dialogue: 0,0:02:05.43,0:02:08.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If anything, my price is low. Judy is a fine racing mare.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:08.64,0:02:12.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I've seen her jump a 8 whirl fence with a heavy rider. I'm 14.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:12.25,0:02:14.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Mattie really is a breathe of fresh air
Dialogue: 0,0:02:14.72,0:02:17.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As Rebecca Keegan points out in her LA Times article
Dialogue: 0,0:02:17.08,0:02:24.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,“Given that female adolescents are frequently depicted on-screen as vapid, angst-ridden, pregnant or merely decorative.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:24.32,0:02:29.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Mattie Ross is a remarkable role. She never shakes out her braids in a makeover montage, swoons
Dialogue: 0,0:02:29.22,0:02:32.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,over a cute stable boy or frets about the daunting task at hand.”
Dialogue: 0,0:02:32.70,0:02:37.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I wholeheartedly agree, however, I've been a little dismayed by some mainstream media articles
Dialogue: 0,0:02:37.63,0:02:41.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and some blog posts that are quick to label Mattie a "feminist character."
Dialogue: 0,0:02:41.00,0:02:43.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Personally, I think it's a little bit of a leap
Dialogue: 0,0:02:43.01,0:02:45.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,While it is certainly true that Mattie possesses a number of admirable traits
Dialogue: 0,0:02:45.85,0:02:47.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,rarely seen in female movie rolls,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:47.97,0:02:50.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm just not convinced she's a feminist character.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:50.28,0:02:51.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Here are the two main reasons why:
Dialogue: 0,0:02:51.98,0:02:56.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,All characters need a good story arc where they're one way when the story starts
Dialogue: 0,0:02:56.20,0:03:01.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they learn a lesson or change or grow or regress or something.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:01.59,0:03:05.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The point is that the character has transformed from the place that they were
Dialogue: 0,0:03:05.03,0:03:07.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,at the beginning of the story to some place different by the end.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:07.95,0:03:11.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For all intents and purposes, Mattie is basically the same person
Dialogue: 0,0:03:11.35,0:03:13.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from the first scene to the closing credits.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:13.54,0:03:16.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When she first steps off the train, she may be a little bit naive
Dialogue: 0,0:03:16.95,0:03:21.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but she is still fairly confident, self-assured, independent and emotionally cold.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:21.53,0:03:24.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,During her experiences traveling with Rooster and LaBoeuf she retains all
Dialogue: 0,0:03:24.81,0:03:30.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of those traits and seems fairly unaffected by the danger, brutality and death all around her.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:30.79,0:03:34.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As an adult, she seems to have changed very little, if at all
Dialogue: 0,0:03:34.29,0:03:36.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and that leads directly into point number 2.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:36.46,0:03:40.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,At no point in the film do we see a real range of emotion, such as sorrow,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:40.19,0:03:43.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,despair, or grief for the loss of her father
Dialogue: 0,0:03:43.38,0:03:46.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Mattie's entire reason for being, as far as we're shown in the movie
Dialogue: 0,0:03:46.64,0:03:50.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is to seek the death of his murderer, an outlaw named Tom Cheney.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:50.40,0:03:54.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She is unwavering in her conviction that justice can only come through
Dialogue: 0,0:03:54.47,0:03:56.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the hanging of Tom Cheney in the town square
Dialogue: 0,0:03:56.62,0:04:00.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In fact, the whole film frames the murder of Tom Cheney as justice
Dialogue: 0,0:04:00.33,0:04:04.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,whether he meets it by the state, by the US Marshalls, or by Mattie herself
Dialogue: 0,0:04:04.70,0:04:08.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's never questioned that maybe "an eye for eye" is not such a good idea
Dialogue: 0,0:04:08.02,0:04:12.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We don't see Mattie questioning capital punishment ie. the death penalty,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:12.09,0:04:15.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or really considering any other potential forms of justice.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:15.46,0:04:18.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Even after she kills Cheney, she still shows no emotion
Dialogue: 0,0:04:18.70,0:04:24.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In fact, no one in the movie seems to be effected by brutality, death or the suffering of others.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:24.05,0:04:26.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As we know, all people, regardless of gender
Dialogue: 0,0:04:26.64,0:04:29.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are capable of the entire range of human behaviors
Dialogue: 0,0:04:29.54,0:04:32.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But since we live in a male-dominated, male-centered society
Dialogue: 0,0:04:32.96,0:04:37.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,traits stereotypically identified as masculine
Dialogue: 0,0:04:37.60,0:04:42.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are more valued and consequently, more celebrated by Hollywood.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:42.01,0:04:46.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,While traits stereotypically identified as feminine,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:46.56,0:04:49.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are undervalued and often denigrated.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:49.04,0:04:53.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This may be one of the reasons why people are quick to adopt Mattie as a feminist character,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:53.55,0:04:57.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and other female pop culture characters who are considered strong and tough.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:57.74,0:05:01.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The feminism I subscribe to and work for involves more than
Dialogue: 0,0:05:01.08,0:05:04.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,women and our fictional representations simply acting like men
Dialogue: 0,0:05:04.72,0:05:08.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or unquestionably replicating archetypal male values
Dialogue: 0,0:05:08.93,0:05:13.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,such as being being emotionally inexpressive, the need for domination and competition
Dialogue: 0,0:05:13.12,0:05:15.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and using violence as a form of conflict resolution.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:15.91,0:05:20.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In my feminist vision, part of what makes a character feminist is watching her struggle
Dialogue: 0,0:05:20.58,0:05:24.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with prioritizing values such as cooperation, emathy, compassion
Dialogue: 0,0:05:24.62,0:05:29.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and non violent conflict resolution in a world largely hostile to those values.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:29.34,0:05:32.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I think feminist characters should, like feminists in real life
Dialogue: 0,0:05:32.98,0:05:35.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,push beyond societal norms, challange gender roles
Dialogue: 0,0:05:35.96,0:05:38.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the institutions that actively work to maintain them.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:38.90,0:05:43.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And let me be clear here, this is not to say that I don't want characters who are flawed, because I do,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:43.69,0:05:48.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I want characters who are subtle, who make mistakes and who don't always do everything right.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:48.74,0:05:52.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but I want those characters to fit into overarching themes where they're not stuck
Dialogue: 0,0:05:52.45,0:05:57.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in stereotypical roles such as the damsel in distress, the girlfriend, or the love interest.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:57.09,0:06:02.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And on the other hand, I don't want them to just recast tough male roles for women to play,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:02.64,0:06:04.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which we've been seeing a lot of lately.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:04.85,0:06:08.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In True Grit, Mattie is certainly subverting expected gender roles
Dialogue: 0,0:06:08.20,0:06:11.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by being witty and smart and competent and independent
Dialogue: 0,0:06:11.86,0:06:14.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,yet she is not challagenging the set of partiarchal, archetypical
Dialogue: 0,0:06:14.99,0:06:18.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,male values ever-present in most mass media narratives,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:18.24,0:06:20.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,she is actually adopting them.