True Grit: If only the new one had been filmed in Colorado, like the John Wayne version

For the second year in a row, a movie with Colorado ties is getting Oscar buzz.

In 2010, it was Precious, which was co-produced by Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness of Denver. This time around, it’s 127 Hours, which stars James Franco as Aron Ralston, the Colorado climber who cut off his own arm.

Another awards-circuit movie would have its roots in this state had it stayed true to the original – or at least to the original sets. The Coen Brothers remake of True Grit – which is starker and darker than the 1969 John Wayne version (and has a horrible ending) – was filmed in Texas, while the original was shot primarily in the San Juan Mountains, where the quaking golden aspen trees look fit for a 1980s-era John Denver TV special.

For a rundown of the Colorado settings in the original True Grit, go to coloradovibes.com/2010/02/true-grit-then-and-now.