The Field (1990)

"Bull" McCabe's family has farmed a field for generations, sacrificing endlessly for the sake of the land. And when the widow who owns the field decides to sell the field in a public ... See full summary »

Director:

Jim Sheridan

Writers:

John B. Keane (play), Jim Sheridan

Stars:

Richard Harris, Sean Bean, Frances Tomelty

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Harris	...	'Bull' McCabe
Sean Bean	...	Tadgh McCabe
Frances Tomelty	...	Widow
Brenda Fricker	...	Maggie McCabe
John Hurt	...	Bird' O'Donnell
Ruth McCabe	...	Tinker Woman
Jer O'Leary	...	Tinker Girl's Father
Noel O'Donovan	...	Tomás
John Cowley	...	Flanagan
Ronan Wilmot	...	Tinker
Jenny Conroy	...	Katie - The Tinker Girl
Joan Sheehy	...	2nd Tinker Woman
Sean McGinley	...	Father Chris Doran
Malachy McCourt	...	Sergeant
Frank McDonald	...	Quarryman

Storyline

"Bull" McCabe's family has farmed a field for generations, sacrificing endlessly for the sake of the land. And when the widow who owns the field decides to sell the field in a public auction, McCabe knows that he must own it. But while no one in the village would dare bid against him, an American with deep pockets decides that he needs the field to build a highway. The Bull and his son decide to convince the American to give up bidding on the field, but things go horribly wrong.

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Plot Keywords:

field | american | village | widow | land | 

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Taglines:

An unforgettable story of power and passion from the producer and director of My Left Foot.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

Ireland UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

March 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

A rét

Filming Locations:

Aasleigh Church, Aasleigh, County Galway, Ireland

Box Office

Budget:

IEP 5,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$1,414,017 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Granada Television, Noel Pearson, Sovereign Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In order to secure his role, Richard Harris arranged a meeting with director 'Jim Sheridan' and turned up in full costume and in character. Sheridan, who was initially reluctant to cast Harris because of his difficult reputation, decided to cast him based on this meeting.

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Goofs

During the opening scene when the donkey is thrown off the cliff, as it hits the water its legs collapse into it. This shows that the donkey was a stuffed animal.

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Quotes

"Bull" McCabe: The field is mine.
The American: Well we'll see about that won't we?

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Oscar Nomination Surprises (1991)

User Reviews

A much overlooked classic

The Field is film which carries a universal message about the ongoing struggle between modernity and traditionalism. It is also a uniquely Irish film which may make some of the scenes lack relevance for an international audience. The meaning of such scenes as the "American Wake", which was essentially a death wake which was held for young Irish people up until as recently as the 1960s on the night before they left for America never to be seen again, might be missed by non-Irish people. However the final scene where the Bull McCabe aka Richard Harris attempts to push back the incoming Atlantic tide speaks of the universal futility of man's attempts to control nature or indeed, inevitable progress.An excellent movie.