MovieChat Forums > True Grit (2010) Discussion > Let's do some math on the ages

Let's do some math on the ages

posted 9 years ago by jgroub
6 replies | jump to latest

Okay, from Rooster's tombstone, he died in 1903. Their adventure takes place 25 years earlier, so that's 1878. The tombstone says he was born in 1825, making him 53 at that time. Hardly an old man, but old enough for those times, I would say.

But at the end, Mattie says that she's like to see LaBoeuf again, and that she figures he would be between 70 and 80, closer to 80.

That doesn't make much sense. Let's say he's right in between, 75. That would place his birth year as being 1828 - only 3 years younger than Cogburn! And Cogburn was an old man even in 1878! How could there be that much difference between the two of them in terms of their physical appearance and age, but only 3 years chronological difference?

I want the doctor to take your picture so I can look at you from inside as well.

[–] SilverRocv2 9 years ago

While Mattie is talking at the end she says that she has visited Rooster's grave many times over the years. So when she says she would like to see LaBoeuf again it has been a long time since Rooster died.

[–] beerguy55 9 years ago

Her narrative is set about 15-20 years after Rooster's death.

The book is a little more clear on that, but she does clearly say she's visited his grave many times.

[–] vicky_lc2001 (1907) 7 years ago

Mattie certainly looks a lot older from when she first heard of Rooster's death, she had white hair. But judging by her clothes, that last scene by the grave should not be more than 10 years. The 1910s had a very different styled dresses, think what the women wore in Wonder Woman in London. The 1920s had even shorter dresses than the 10s. But let's assume Mattie was simply an older woman who wasn't fashionable, her age still doesn't match up to her clothing or time period at the end, because if this was 10 years after his death she should be 49 only yet her white hair made her look past 60. So let's say she was a badly aging 60 year old, her clothes don't look (even if she was behind in fashion) like they belong in 1924. At the very least I would expect her to be wearing clothes from the 1910s, not the 1900s.

[–] Elemenoh 8 years ago

You missed the time lapse between her learning from Cole & Younger that Cogburn died and the final scene, when Mattie visited his grave. She even said, in voice over, that she spent decades going to his grave.

[–] Soodinum 8 years ago

Sigh. This. It seems it needs posting every now and then.^

[–] Soodinum 8 years ago

You weren't paying attention.