“True Grit” — one of the best Westerns of recent years — Matt Damon plays Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, whose pursuit of murderer Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) leads him to join forces with U.S. marshal Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges). LaBoeuf is a by-the-book lawman who also happens to be a bit of a windbag who likes the sound of his own voice. As such, I’m not sure Tommy Lee Jones would be all that flattered to learn he was a big part of the inspiration behind Damon’s performance.
Back in 1995, Damon appeared alongside Jones in “The Good Old Boys,” a TV movie that also marked Jones’ directorial debut and which he co-wrote with J.T. Allen. The film was based on Elmer Kelton’s 1978 novel of the same name, in which a West Texas man named Hewey Calloway witnesses his town developing rapidly, much to his distaste. He dreams of a more itinerant life as a cowboy, traversing the open range and escaping the rapid onslaught of modernity. As he struggles against the tide of progress, however, he soon learns that he can’t keep the past alive and won’t be able to find happiness without some sort of sacrifice.
The movie version aired on TNT on March 5, 1995 and starred Jones as Calloway alongside a stacked cast that included Frances McDormand, Sam Shepard, Sissy Spacek, Wilford Brimley, and a young Matt Damon. It was here that Damon seemingly found his inspiration for LaBoeuf, though he wouldn’t put it to any use for another 15 years.
