The Milagro Beanfield War
| The Milagro Beanfield War | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
|
|
| Directed by | Robert Redford |
| Produced by |
Moctesuma Esparza Gary Hendler Charles Mulvehill Robert Redford |
| Written by |
John Nichols David S. Ward |
| Based on |
The Milagro Beanfield War by John Nichols |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Dave Grusin |
| Cinematography | Robbie Greenberg |
| Edited by |
Dede Allen Jim Miller |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
|
Release date
|
|
|
Running time
|
117 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $22 million |
| Box office | $13,825,794 |
The Milagro Beanfield War is a 1988 American comedy-drama film directed by Robert Redford from a screenplay written by John Nichols and David S. Ward based on Nichols' novel of the same name. The ensemble cast includes Ruben Blades, Richard Bradford, Sônia Braga, Julie Carmen, James Gammon, Melanie Griffith, John Heard, Daniel Stern, Chick Vennera, and Christopher Walken.
Filmed on location in Truchas, New Mexico, the film is set in the fictional rural town of Milagro, with a population of 426, a predominantly Hispanic and Catholic town, with a largely interrelated population.
The film tells of one man's struggle as he defends his small beanfield and his community against much larger business and state political interests.
Nearly 500 residents of the agricultural community of Milagro in the mountains of northern New Mexico face a crisis when politicians and business interests make a backroom deal to usurp the town's water in order to pave the way for a land buy-out. Due to the new laws, Joe Mondragon is unable to make a living farming because he is not allowed to divert water from an irrigation ditch that runs past his property.
Frustrated, and unable to find work, Joe visits his father's field. He happens upon a tag that reads "prohibited" covering a valve on the irrigation ditch. He kicks the valve, unintentionally breaking it, allowing water to flood his fields. He decides against repairing the valve and instead decides to plant beans in the field. This leads to a confrontation with powerful state interests, including a hired gun brought in from out of town.
An escalation of events follows, leading to a final showdown between law enforcement and the citizens of Milagro.
According to an article by Patricia Rodriguez in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Robert Redford was interested in filming part of the movie in the Plaza del Cerro of Chimayo, New Mexico, which is argued to be the last surviving fortified Spanish plaza in North America. Some locals responded favorably, but many objected to the idea of big business changing the small community, which forced Redford to film the movie in Truchas.
...
Wikipedia