True Grit

True Grit is screening outdoors at the French Legation State Historic Site on Thursday, November 12, as part of the Painted Dreams & Western Horizons film series. It's the 2010 version of the Coen brothers' Western, rated PG-13 and running one hour and 50 minutes.

The screening isn't just the movie. It's paired with a lecture and live demonstration by Karen Maness, an artist, author, and educator who draws from her book The Art of the Hollywood Backdrop. She talks about how hand-painted backdrops—many influenced by European and French traditions—shaped some of Hollywood's most iconic visuals. Maness is an Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of Texas at Austin, Associate Director of Scenic Art for Texas Performing Arts, and oversees the Texas Performing Arts Hollywood Backdrop Collection at UT Austin. During the evening, you can see an original motion-picture backdrop on display, and refreshments are available in the Visitor Center.

Painted Dreams & Western Horizons is an outdoor film series at the French Legation rooted in the site's legacy of hosting Cinema East, a long-standing tradition of communal, open-air screenings. The series continues that tradition by pairing its films with these lectures and demonstrations. Special promotional support for the series is provided by Alliance Française d'Austin and the Texas Film Commission.

The screening is on Thursday, November 12, at the French Legation State Historic Site, 802 San Marcos Street in Austin. Gates open at 6:30 PM and the movie starts at 7 PM. Tickets are $5 for adults, and children 17 and under are free with an adult.