The Milagro Beanfield War (1988)

In the tiny town of Milagro, New Mexico, where the local water is a premium resource, shady developer Ladd Devine has conceived a glitzy resort that will ultimately siphon off all the water... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Redford

Writers:

John Nichols (novel), John Nichols (screenplay)

Stars:

Rubén Blades, Richard Bradford, Sônia Braga

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rubén Blades	...	Sheriff Bernabe Montoya
Richard Bradford	...	Ladd Devine
Sônia Braga	...	Ruby Archuleta (as Sonia Braga)
Julie Carmen	...	Nancy Mondragon
James Gammon	...	Horsethief Shorty
Melanie Griffith	...	Flossie Devine
John Heard	...	Charlie Bloom
Carlos Riquelme	...	Amarante Cordova
Daniel Stern	...	Herbie Platt
Chick Vennera	...	Joe Mondragon
Christopher Walken	...	Kyril Montana
Freddy Fender	...	Mayor Sammy Cantu
Tony Genaro	...	Nick Rael
Jerry Hardin	...	Emerson Capps
Ronald G. Joseph	...	Jerry G

Storyline

In the tiny town of Milagro, New Mexico, where the local water is a premium resource, shady developer Ladd Devine has conceived a glitzy resort that will ultimately siphon off all the water from the neighboring crop-fields. When handyman and farmer Joe Mondragon accidentally breaks a water valve reserved for major companies, he inadvertently sets off a small-scale water-rights war between the farmers and the developers.

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Plot Keywords:

water | governor | small town | police officer | politics | 

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Taglines:

Milagro, New Mexico. Population 426. Nothing had changed here for 300 years. But there's something about this day...

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

18 March 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Milagro

Filming Locations:

Espanola, New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$22,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$13,825,794

Company Credits

Production Co:

Esparza,Universal Pictures,Wildwood Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Robert Redford's first film as a director in around eight years. Redford's previous directorial effort, his debut as a director, had been Ordinary People (1980), which had won 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director for Redford.

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Goofs

When Armarante is in the bar in the morning, he is served a shot of whiskey. He drinks it and says, "I'm not saying it's good. I'm not saying it's bad." In the next shot, his shot glass is full again and he drinks the whiskey again. It was not refilled by the bar tender.

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Quotes

Ruby Archuleta: What good is a hometown if everyone you know is gone?

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Connections

Referenced in Na plovárne: Na plovárne s Robertem Redfordem (2005)

User Reviews

An endlessly charming story. Like wine, it gets better and better!!!

This movie captured the aura of how something small can become something really big in a small town. Everyone in Milagro takes the audience along to battle for the beanfield! Somehow they are all so familiar that we already know these people when we sit down to watch. This movie gets better and better every time you watch it! Definitely a favorite. Thanks Mr. Redford you gave cinema a wonderful gift.