For at least a few minutes of the Western remake “True Grit,” which is scheduled to open in movie theaters Christmas Day, Lampasas County viewers will see a familiar river and some Hill Country terrain that looks a lot like home.

Filming for one scene of Paramount Pictures’ “True Grit” — directed by Academy Award-winning brothers Ethan Coen and Joel Coen — concluded recently at a northwest Burnet County ranch owned by the Garrett family.

After flying in a helicopter over many rivers in several states, a movie location scout contacted several Burnet County property owners, including landowners Dave and Jamie Garrett and Kim Garrett, to ask if they would be willing to host filming.

Through acquaintances and the Texas Film Commission, the area landowners researched the logistical details of hosting a movie set before agreeing to open their property to moviemakers. Preparation of the filming site by the Colorado River — which included relocating cattle and horses, working on roads, and clearing some trees and brush to make the terrain match the movie scene’s bare, wintry setting — began at the end of April. Crew members built most of their props for the movie scene at the ranch.

The scene — likely to be featured early in the movie and to last between 90 seconds and five minutes — depicts a teenage girl, Mattie Ross (played by Hailee Steinfeld), swimming the Arkansas River on her horse to catch up to U.S. Marshal Reuben J. “Rooster” Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) and a Texas Ranger named LeBoef (Matt Damon). The lawmen are pursuing Mattie’s father’s killer, who fled into the Indian Territory.

Based on a novel by Charles Portis, “True Grit” first appeared in movie form in 1969. John Wayne, who played Cogburn, won an Oscar for his role in the Western.

Filming this month of the river crossing — the last scene shot for the movie — took three days. Although the scene is set in the winter, filming was scheduled for a warm month to avoid riding horses into a cold river.

Work days began with food preparation at 3 a.m. The crew of 150 to 200 received a call to breakfast about 6 a.m., and the Garretts ate the same catered meals crew members enjoyed.

“That was my favorite part,” Jamie Garrett said.

The Garretts received a call sheet each day and were invited to watch filming, which began about 8 a.m. and usually continued until 5:30 or 6 p.m.

The landowners enjoyed seeing the organization of such a large crew and the rapid, yet orderly flow of activities during the busiest moments of filming, Dave Garrett said.

“It’s hard to image something like that taking place,” he said, “but it went really smoothly. The people were really polite and easy to work with. It was a very good experience.”

The efficiency of the work especially impressed Jamie Garrett.

“Everyone had a job, and they knew exactly what to do,” she said.

The Garretts were surprised to learn that detailed rules about working conditions regulate where and how film crews work when child actors are involved. On-set work hours are more limited for young actors than for other cast members, the Garretts said, and a teacher traveled with the film team throughout the movie project to make sure schoolwork continued on schedule.

Crews also have to abide by strict safety and animal handling policies, the Garretts said.

Although Mattie Ross swims the river with just one horse, the film crew’s contingency plans called for several horses to be on site and ready to step in if necessary. In addition, security guards stayed near the river to stop recreational river users from floating into the filming area.

Witnessing the effort needed to prepare just one scene gave the Garretts a new perspective on moviemaking.

“We’re moviegoers anyway, so it was neat to see how they do it,” Mrs. Garrett said. “There’s a lot of work that goes into a two-hour movie.”

There’s also a lot of activity, publicity and tax revenue that flows into cities near the filming locations for major projects. Crew members bought some supplies in Lampasas, and Lampasas County restaurants and retailers enjoyed a slight sales boost from customers connected to “True Grit,” Kim Garrett said.

Several crew members praised Lampasas as an attractive and friendly town, Mrs. Garrett added.

Dave Garrett said he hopes “True Grit” not only benefitted Lampasas economically but also made people think of picturesque areas nearby that could serve as the setting for future movies.

“There are some great areas around Lampasas County for filming,” he said.

Although they were hesitant when first contacted about filming, the landowners said they are pleased to have been involved in the making of “True Grit.” “We had a good experience,” Garrett said. “We would encourage people to look into it.”

The family suggested that those interested in hosting a movie filming contact the Texas Film Commission. Landowners are compensated for changes to their property, they noted.

The full reward for the local family’s efforts — and for Western fans — will come this winter, when the film is released. Many surprises await, but the Garretts are sure of one thing.

“We know at least one scene is going to be really good,” Jamie Garrett said.