At Play in the Fields of the Lord (1991)

Director:

Hector Babenco

Writers:

Peter Matthiessen (based on the novel by)
Jean-Claude Carrière (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

6 December 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

An adventure beyond the limits of civilization, faith and passion.

Plot:

Martin and Hazel Quarrier are small-town fundamentalist missionaries sent to the jungles of South America to convert the Indians...

Plot Keywords:

Missionary | Civilization | Tribe | Ancient Religion | Bow And Arrow

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Tom Berenger	...	Lewis Moon
John Lithgow	...	Leslie Huben
Daryl Hannah	...	Andy Huben
Aidan Quinn	...	Martin Quarrier
Tom Waits	...	Wolf
Kathy Bates	...	Hazel Quarrier
Stênio Garcia	...	Boronai
Nelson Xavier	...	Father Xantes
José Dumont	...	Commandante Guzman
Niilo Kivirinta	...	Billy Quarrier
S. Yriwana Karaja	...	Aeore
Jose Renato Lana	...	Uyuyu
Ruy Polanah	...	Kori
Carlos Xavante	...	Tukanu
Ione Machado	...	Pindi
Edwirges Ribeiro	...	Taweeda
Mutah Pataxo	...	Mutu
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Shannon O'Hurley	...	Song Performer (uncredited)

Directed by
Hector Babenco

Writing credits
Peter Matthiessen		(based on the novel by)
Jean-Claude Carrière		(screenplay) and
Hector Babenco		(screenplay)

Produced by
David Nichols	....	executive producer
Francisco Ramalho Jr.	....	executive producer
Paul Zaentz	....	associate producer
Saul Zaentz	....	producer

Original Music by
Zbigniew Preisner

Cinematography by
Lauro Escorel

Film Editing by
William M. Anderson
Armen Minasian

Production Design by
Clovis Bueno

Set Decoration by
Dagoberto Assis

Costume Design by
Aggie Guerard Rodgers
Rita Murtinho

Makeup Department
Anna Van Steen	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Andrez Castilho	....	assistant production manager
Flavio Chaves	....	unit production manager
Marcelo Torres	....	assistant production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vicente Amorim	....	first assistant director
J. David Jones	....	director: aerial unit
Philip A. Patterson	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Felipe Tassara	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Mark Berger	....	supervising re-recording mixer
Todd Boekelheide	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ismael Cordeiro	....	sound assistant
Lee Cruikshank	....	machine room operator
Francesca Dodd	....	dialogue editor
Tommy Goodwin	....	adr mixer
Pat Jackson	....	sound effects editor
Ann Kroeber	....	sound editor
Mark Levinson	....	adr supervisor
Dennis Maitland II	....	boom operator
Barbara McBane	....	dialogue editor
Jennifer Myers	....	foley artist
Christopher Newman	....	production sound mixer
David Parker	....	supervising sound re-recording mixer
Richard Quinn	....	assistant adr editor
Philip Rogers	....	sound recordist
David Sutton	....	boom operator
Eric Thompson	....	foley mixer
Jerome R. Vitucci	....	boom operator

Camera and Electrical Department
Phil Bray	....	still photographer
Kate Dennis	....	clapper loader
J. David Jones	....	helicopter pilot: camera helicopter
Stan McClain	....	director of photography: aerial unit
Edgar Moura	....	director of photography: additional action unit
David Norris	....	camera technician: Wescam camera
Michael Slovis	....	gaffer: USA
Paulo Souza	....	gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ilma da Costa Santos	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
David Franklin Bergad	....	assistant editor
David Franklin Bergad	....	post-production coordinator
Ruth Hasty	....	first assistant editor
Louise Innes	....	additional editor
Bob Kaiser	....	color timer (as Robert Kaiser)
Michael Kelly	....	post-production

Music Department
MJ Lallo	....	song performer
Narodowa Orkiestra Symfoniczna Polskiego Radia w Katowicach	....	orchestra
Robert Randles	....	composer: additional music
Robert Randles	....	soundtrack album producer
Kevin Rose-Williams	....	assistant music editor
Ewa Sztompke	....	music editor
Antoni Wit	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Mónica Lima	....	transportation coordinator
Marcelo Torres	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Valeria Costa Amorim	....	coordinator
Otavio Brasil	....	aerial ground coordinator: aerial unit
Judi Bunn	....	production coordinator
Alessandra Cavalcanti	....	stand-in: Daryl Hannah
Luis Claudio	....	stand-in: John Lithgow
Annette Haywood-Carter	....	script supervisor
J. David Jones	....	pilot: aerial unit
Mónica Lima	....	production secretary
Juliet Mason	....	production accountant
Peter McKernan	....	pilot: aerial unit
Marlui Miranda	....	Niaruna language creator: aerial unit crew
Estanislau Picanco	....	stand-in: Aidan Quinn
Ary Pini	....	production assistant
Margaret Relkalefsky	....	stand-in: Kathy Bates
Burton Sharp	....	adr group coordinator
Ulysses Silva	....	stand-in: Tom Berenger
Laura Smith	....	aerial ground coordinator: aerial unit Brazil
Barros Tavares	....	stand-in: Tom Waits
Maria Fatima Toledo	....	Indian acting coordinator: aerial unit crew (as Maria Defatima Toledo)
Joe Tysl	....	post-production engineering
Henry Urgoiti	....	aerial ground coordinator: aerial unit Venezuela
Dirk Vahle	....	pilot: aerial unit

Distributors

• United International Pictures (UIP) (1992) (France) (theatrical)
• Aquarius TV (2005) (Greece) (TV)
• Home Video Hellas (HVH) (1995) (Greece) (VHS)
• Transmundo Films (Argentina)
• Transmundo Home Video (THV) (Argentina) (video)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (Spain)
• Universal Pictures

Other Companies

• Otto Nemenz International  camera equipment provided by
• Reeltime Creative  trailer music
• Saul Zaentz Film Center  sound re-recording

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sensuality

Runtime:

189 min

Country:

USA | Brazil

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Australia:M | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 | Netherlands:AL | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Belém, Pará, Brazil

Trivia:

To study for his role as a Christian missionary, Aidan Quinn went undercover with the Wycliffe Bible Translator group in Belem, Brazil, passing himself off as a born again Christian from the American Midwest.

Quotes:

Martin Quarrier:The next time you strike an Indian for any reason whatsoever, it is you who is going to be sent away. They are different from us, they don't understand! And besides that, it could be very dangerous for us all.
Hazel Quarrier:Do you want Billy seeing their filthy tricks?
Martin Quarrier:It will not seem filthy to him unless we make it so. Honey, it is very natural.
Hazel Quarrier:Natural? And if one of those nasty little savages puts a hand on him?
Martin Quarrier:Then he might enjoy it.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 69th Annual Academy Awards (1997) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Halfway to Heaven

This is a very believable story.

This is a thought provoking story of missionaries in the Amazon jungle trying to "civilize" a wild tribe before the local authorities exterminate them, either pacify them by making them Christians or we will kill them. I found it to be very, very believable. There should be no missionaries going abroad such as Hazel, who refused to learn Portuguese because she thought it was a "Catholic language". Where she came up with that concept is really beyond me. What is wrong with being Catholic? Denominationalism does not add anything to Christianity, it just divides people. The raw reality of the movie annoyed me when I first watched it, but since we have the tape and have watched it a few times, I came to the realization that the reason it annoyed me was because it depicted the attitude of superiority that many missionaries and those who call themselves Christians carry. I somehow think that in the midst of their attitude of judgmentalism, stubborness, and their inability to listen to the truth they have missed Christianity in its entirety. They have become too legalistic and keep finding reasons to excuse their own poor behavior, not to say their lack of compassion and love. "Leslie Huben" John Lithgow (3rd Rock from the Sun) is indeed an outstanding actor. He is so different in this part than he is in 3rd Rock part. I thought that Leslie used all his Bible knowledge to judge others, except himself. He thought he was indeed better than everybody else.

Tom Berenger (Platoon) "Lewis Moon" is a very confused Cheyenne. He was the product of a Christian Mission and was being used as an example by being the first Cheyenne to go to college. He later rebeled against this and eventually became a mercenary. His one goal was to find real wild Indians. Once he found the Niaruna, they thought he was a god and adopted him. He accidently gave the tribe Influenza at the same time he was trying to unite the various tribes in the area to drive the white man away.

The other Protestants, thinking themselves better than the Catholics, "the Opposition", were trying to make the Indians "rice Christians" by infecting them with a taste for beads and machetes to get them to listen to the Gospel. I fail to see how making people materialistic will transform their hearts.

"Andy Huben" Daryl Hannah is one my favorite characters in the movie. She is sincere in her beliefs and has more compassion than all of them together. The other character that has redeeming values is "Martin Quarrier" Aidan Quinn (Practical Magic), who was more of an anthropologist than a missionary and eventually lost his life trying to help the Indians.

The missionary with a largest heart and mission was the little boy, Billy, who accepted the Indians for what they were and had no bias at all. We all have much to learn from the little children.

I recommend this movie to everybody because it depicts many topics really well. I especially recommend it for Christians and even more so for the fundamentalists because it is a slap in their face by showing them how stupid they can be. And by the way, what does God and Christ have anything to do with that!!!!??? I was just wondering!

Favorite Quotes: Moon: "Do you have faith in the Lord? Did you earn your faith or were you stuffed with it like a big turkey?"; "If the Lord made the Indians the way they are why are you trying to change them." Martin Quarrier: "I am calling you coward!" Moon: "You will get tired of it after awhile."