True Grit

The Coen Brothers' adaptation of the Henry Hathaway western of the same name holds the distinction of being one of the few films in history to have an Oscar-winning performance (John Wayne in the original) be re-imagined by another actor (Jeff Bridges in the remake) and have equally Oscar-worthy results produced. Though Bridges did not manage to take home the gold statue, his nomination was accompanied by nine others, making the Coens' remake the runner-up for number of nominations that year. The 2010 version hews fairly close to the original material, opting to keep things exactly the way they were, but where it really shines is in the gorgeous production design and acting - not just Bridges, but co-stars Matt Damon and Hailee Steinfeld, who was also nominated for her work.