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Matewan

  • 19871987
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h 15m
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
8.1K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Matewan (1987)
A labor union organizer comes to an embattled mining community brutally and violently dominated and harassed by the mining company.
Play trailer1:40
1 Video
75 Photos
  • Drama
  • History

A labor union organizer comes to an embattled mining community brutally and violently dominated and harassed by the mining company.A labor union organizer comes to an embattled mining community brutally and violently dominated and harassed by the mining company.A labor union organizer comes to an embattled mining community brutally and violently dominated and harassed by the mining company.

IMDb RATING
7.9/10
8.1K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • John Sayles
  • Writer
    • John Sayles
  • Stars
    • Chris Cooper
    • James Earl Jones
    • Mary McDonnell
Top credits
  • Director
    • John Sayles
  • Writer
    • John Sayles
  • Stars
    • Chris Cooper
    • James Earl Jones
    • Mary McDonnell
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 65User reviews
    • 39Critic reviews
    • 73Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 2 wins & 8 nominations total

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:40
    Official Trailer

    Photos75

    Matewan (1987)
    David Strathairn in Matewan (1987)
    Matewan (1987)
    Matewan (1987)
    Kevin Tighe in Matewan (1987)
    Matewan (1987)
    John Sayles in Matewan (1987)
    Matewan (1987)
    Chris Cooper in Matewan (1987)
    Bob Gunton in Matewan (1987)
    Matewan (1987)
    Matewan (1987)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Chris Cooper
    Chris Cooper
    • Joe Kenehanas Joe Kenehan
    James Earl Jones
    James Earl Jones
    • Few Clothesas Few Clothes
    Mary McDonnell
    Mary McDonnell
    • Elma Radnoras Elma Radnor
    Will Oldham
    Will Oldham
    • Danny Radnoras Danny Radnor
    David Strathairn
    David Strathairn
    • Sid Hatfieldas Sid Hatfield
    Ken Jenkins
    Ken Jenkins
    • Sephus Purcellas Sephus Purcell
    Kevin Tighe
    Kevin Tighe
    • Hickeyas Hickey
    Gordon Clapp
    Gordon Clapp
    • Tom Griggsas Tom Griggs
    Bob Gunton
    Bob Gunton
    • C.E. Livelyas C.E. Lively
    Jace Alexander
    Jace Alexander
    • Hillard Elkinsas Hillard Elkins
    Joe Grifasi
    Joe Grifasi
    • Faustoas Fausto
    Nancy Mette
    Nancy Mette
    • Bridey Maeas Bridey Mae
    Jo Henderson
    • Mrs. Elkinsas Mrs. Elkins
    Josh Mostel
    Josh Mostel
    • Cabell Testermanas Cabell Testerman
    Gary McCleery
    • Ludieas Ludie
    Maggie Renzi
    Maggie Renzi
    • Rosariaas Rosaria
    Tom Wright
    Tom Wright
    • Tomas Tom
    Michael B. Preston
    • Ellixas Ellix
    • (as Michael Preston)
    • Director
      • John Sayles
    • Writer
      • John Sayles
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Mingo County, West Virginia, 1920. Coal miners, struggling to form a union, are up against company operators and the gun thugs of the notorious Baldwin-Felts detective agency. Black and Italian miners, brought in by the company to break the strike, are caught between the two forces. UMWA organizer and dual-card Wobbly Joe Kenehan determines to bring the local, Black, and Italian groups together. While Kenehan and his story are fictional, the setting and the dramatic climax are historical; Sid Hatfield, Cabell C. Testerman, C. E. Lively and the Felts brothers were real-life participants, and 'Few Clothes' is based on a character active several years previously. —Susan C. Mitchell <susanm@indirect.com>, expanded by Silverwhistle
    • company town
    • strike
    • 1920s
    • labor union
    • west virginia
    • 87 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • It takes more than guns to kill a man
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • History
    • Certificate
      • PG-13
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Debut feature film of actor Chris Cooper.
    • Goofs
      In the scene where the coal company executives are trying to bribe the Mayor and Sid Hatfield, the calendar behind the mayor reads September 1920. The historical shootout at the climax occurred in May of 1920, four months beforehand.
    • Quotes

      Joe Kenehan: You think this man is the enemy? Huh? This is a worker! Any union keeps this man out ain't a union, it's a goddam club! They got you fightin' white against colored, native against foreign, hollow against hollow, when you know there ain't but two sides in this world - them that work and them that don't. You work, they don't. That's all you get to know about the enemy.

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll/Like Father Like Son/Baby Boom/Big Shots/Matewan (1987)

    User reviews65

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    A great history lesson!
    You might say we have it pretty good today, we don't have to pick up a rifle to form a union. This movie is based on the Battle of Matewan that took place in Matewan, West Virginia in 1920.

    The conditions these workers faced were brutal. Miners had to pay for all their own equipment, their housing was owned by the mining company and they also paid for it, workers were also paid in credits which they could only use at the mining company store. Workers who went strike were subsequently evicted from their homes.

    This movie is great. It's a page from history which should be told much more often. James Earl Jones is terrific as a black miner who is signed up as a scab but he's actually a union sympathizer who encourages the black scabs to strike with the West Virginia workers.

    Chris Cooper is also great as a union organizer. I think he's a highly underrated actor. He was very good in American Beauty as the hick next door neighbor and he's great in Matewan as well. Proof, I believe that he can really take on any role.

    Bob Gunton is also a great actor. This movie was made long before he was playing every two bit villain of the week. I think that was due to his role as the warden in The Shawshank Redemption where he just let it all out.

    I liked one scene in particular early in the film where the union men on strike try to weed out Cooper by finding out how much he knows about union history. Where was Joe Hill buried? In which eye was Big Bill Haywood blind in? Cooper also quips, "I was a Wobbly, back when that meant something" But he does support the notion of One Big Union. The IWW will rise again!
    helpful•6
    1
    • GethinVanH
    • Jul 7, 2009

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 28, 1987 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Italian
    • Also known as
      • Мейтвон
    • Filming locations
      • New River Gorge, New River Gorge National River, West Virginia, USA
    • Production companies
      • Cinecom Entertainment Group
      • Film Gallery.
      • Goldcrest Films International
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $4,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,680,358
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $23,850
      • Aug 30, 1987
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,680,358
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 15 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

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