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:

He's let no outsider take it away.

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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: There's another law stronger than the common law.
Father Doran: What's that?
"Bull" McCabe: The law of the land.

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Connections

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

User Reviews

Compare with "The Quiet Man"

It's surprising that none of the comments about "The Field" make reference to one of the most popular films of all time, John Ford's "The Quiet Man". The stories are almost identical. An American of Irish descent returns to buy land wanted by a local farmer. Both Irish farmers are brutish and readily prone to violence. Both inspire fear in their neighbors. In "The Field", the farmer murders the American, but in "The Quiet Man", the American is John Wayne, so you know who will prevail. John Ford's movie is one of remarkably beautiful scenery, of charming folk and peaches and cream complexions. Except for the land-owning farmer, there doesn't seem to be a calloused hand in the cast. Hardly anyone works and drinking seems to be everyone's way of spending the day. Movie fans have spoken of seeing "The Quiet Man" dozens of times, as I have. It's a feel good movie. But "The Field" shows the true harshness of rural life in Ireland and how it brutalizes those poor who struggle for their daily existence. It's an uncomfortable movie but a truthful one which gives the lie to "The Quiet Man's" sentimental view of 'the old country'. It also shows the foolishness inherent in rosy nostalgia. Millions of Irish left their homes for good reason. Unlike John Ford's nostalgia, "The Field" helps you understand why they left.