The Milagro Beanfield War

Starring: Ruben Blades, Richard Bradford, Sonia Braga, Julie Carmen, James Gammon, Melanie Griffith, John Heard, Carlos Riquelme, Daniel Stern, Chick Vennera, Christopher Walken, Freddy Fender, Tony Genaro, Jerry Hardin, M. Emmet Walsh
Directed by: Robert Redford
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
1988

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A local farmer (Chick Vennera) inadvertently starts an escalating conflict when he decides to grow a bean field on a plot of land developers are anxious to control.

Review:

Tim: Robert Redford's second directorial feature, 8 years after his award-winning debut, is an interesting film. The Milagro Beanfield War is not what you'd expect from an actor-turned-director who won an Academy Award for Best Director in his feature film debut. It's too small, too fantastical, too unexpected. And yet, as the film progresses, Redford fills the movie with quirks that speak to the differences of humanity, with heart, with the the belief in the unseen. As the movie progressed, I enjoyed it more and more. It's not quite as effective as Ordinary People, but it's an enjoyable, interesting film. I ended up liking it far more than I thought I would.

The movie takes place in a small town of Hispanic and Catholic residents. It's a David and Goliath story, as a humble worker plants a beanfield, directly in opposition to big business and state government. It's a story about the power of the press, about the rich verses the poor. It's also about guardian angels. It's hard to describe the film accurately because it weaves so many different elements together. The end result is a film unlike most that we've seen- it just feels different. I really appreciated the risks that Redford took here. It might be a "small" movie, but it's ambitious.

What really made me care about this film are the characters. As the movie progresses, we begin to feel like a resident in this small town. We get to know the citizens, their hopes and their failures. Redford allows this small community to emerge throughout the 1 hour, 57 minute run time. He likely needed all that time to build that sense of community. There's some nice performances that emerge, but it's really the characters and our care for them that helps this movie to be successful. I thought Chick Vennera was fine in his role. The film is really an ensemble picture, but Joe is perhaps the main protagonist. I wouldn't say I loved Vennera's performance, but it works and Joe becomes more likeable and memorable as the film progresses. I loved Ruben Blades here. Blades should have had a far greater career than he did. He's truly excellent as the small town sheriff- he brings energy and gravitas to every scene he's in. I really thought Blades was a standout. I've never been a big fan of Sonia Braga. I think she's always solid in whatever she does, but she never seems remarkable. In most of the reviews for films of hers I've seen, I neglected to mention anything about her. That's probably close to accurate here. She doesn't do anything wrong. Sure, a few scenes feels unnecessarily forced, but mostly she works well. Her character is essential as it's one of the too few roles for women. Her performance is serviceable, not great. Melanie Griffith is underutilized. She has a few nice moments, but doesn't get nearly enough to do. I really enjoyed seeing John Heard here. He's an overlooked actor and he brings a great deal to his character, elevating him beyond what was written on the page. Heard is definitely a big lift for this film. I loved seeing Daniel Stern here. His quiet performance brings so much heart to the movie. He never really gets the spotlight, but he subtly adds to the film in every scene he's in. Christopher Walken always demands the spotlight and he brings his personal eccentricities into his antagonist character. He gets interesting reactions from the rest of the cast and worked well as a foil. I always love seeing Tony Genaro. There's something so authentic and incredible about how he performs. He gets a few nice scenes here to bring subtle humor to the movie. I wish he had an even bigger role. I almost automatically think every movie is better when M. Emmet Walsh is in it. He definitely adds greatly to the film as the Governor. James Gammon is effective in his role. The rest of the cast work well. I really did enjoy the cast greatly here.

I've read enough to know that The Milagro Beanfield War received mixed reviews from critics upon its release. I can definitely see that. The movie has a lot going for it- the characters, the community, the small fighting the big. The magical realism aspects never felt fully integrated into the story. At times, it feels disjointed, like we're watching two different movies simultaneously and they don't always fit together. The movie wanders a bit at various times and could have used more focus. There's some great scenes throughout the film, filled with heart and humor. Other scenes don't reach the same heights, giving the movie an uneven feel. I get why critics might jump on these flaws and I openly acknowledge them. This isn't a great film.

And yet, it's better than just "good". Sure, the movie is a bit sloppy at times- I don't think the film deserved to be a major player at the year-end awards. Interestingly, the movie did win the only Academy Award it was nominated for- Best Original Score. I can see that. The music was outstanding. The movie itself, though, I think gets a bad rap. Redford took a big swing here and while it doesn't always pan out, he still tells a powerful humanistic story about a culture that we don't see depicted enough on the big screen. The movie feels unique in its approach. I connected with the characters throughout the film and generally really enjoyed seeing their stories develop. This might not be a great film, but it's underrated and well worth our time.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Ordinary People, The Legend of Bagger Vance