True Grit

I had high expectations for the Coen brothers' new addition to the western genre, one that appears to be on verge of extinction, True Grit. While I was a bit disillusioned discovering that it was, in fact, a remake; nevertheless, I have complete faith in the Coen's work, and am willing to consume anything they produce. Perhaps this is why I was slightly disappointed after walking out of the film. Taken, it was a very good film (I mean, it got 10 Oscar nominations), but I felt short-changed and left unfulfilled. The directing and cinematography were, as always, excellent, the dialogue was spot-on, being culturally relevant for the times, Jeff Bridges and Hailee Steinfeld gave equally terrific performances; but still, something was missing. Maybe it was the grit that was nonexistent, save for one scene. I was shocked to find that the film received a PG-13 MPAA rating. In contemporary times, films that are the most realistic are the ones that are rated R. It's as simple as that (with the exception of Pixar films). Especially with the western genre, it's is only accurate to have the characters cursing, yelling profanities and suckin' down whiskey in filthy brothels.
Essentially, it has to resemble a show like Deadwood, where the grit is pervasive, but necessary in depicting the a culture akin to the "Wild West". The studio's decision to make True Grit available to a larger demographic is, ultimately, what I believe hinders the film most. This may be a small (and even ridiculous) critique, but I believe this missing element makes this film good, as opposed to great. As far as awards go, I predict it won't win much--Jeff Bridges just won last year for Crazy Heart, the Coen's just won for No Country for Old Men; maybe it will get Roger Deakins a best cinematography award and Hailee Steinfeld has a good chance at best supporting actress, but other than that, True Grit will go home empty handed.