The Field (1990)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Jim Sheridan

Writers:

John B. Keane (play)
Jim Sheridan (writer)

Release Date:

March 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

He's let no outsider take it away.

Plot:

"Bull" McCabe's family has farmed a field for generations, sacrificing endlessly for the sake of the land...

Plot Keywords:

Auction | Murder | Tragedy | Land Rights | Ireland

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 nominations

Cast

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	...	Tinker Girl
Joan Sheehy	...	2nd Tinker Woman
Sean McGinley	...	Father Doran
Malachy McCourt	...	Sergeant
Frank McDonald	...	Quarryman

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

Ireland | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Australia:PG | Spain:13 | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:14 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG-13 | UK:12 (original rating) | UK:15 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Aasleigh Church, Aasleigh, County Galway, Ireland

Company:

Granada Television

Trivia:

Rather than use prosthetic effects in his mouth, John Hurt had his caps removed and played the role of Bird with his own teeth.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the final sequence when Tadhg gets to the edge of the cliff and turns, a crew members head can be seen at his feet.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 63rd Annual Academy Awards (1991) (TV)

Terrific performances, scenery, tragic, tragic, tragic

Riveting performances by Richard Harris, Sean Bean, and John Hurt (nearly unrecognizable!) in a dark, tragic tale of life in post-famine Ireland. This is the perfect film to launch a film discussion group with. There's plenty to talk about after viewing it, that's for sure. It's not what I'd call an "intellectual" film, but it's definitely memorable. If you're an American, like me, and you saw John Hurt as Caligula in the PBS series "I, Claudius"--you won't believe his performance in "The Field". Amazing. (Note from my wife to Beanstalkers: There are a couple of scenes...) Details? The horses pulling the gypsy wagons are the right breed. And in the pub scenes, you can almost taste the beer.