In the Time of the Butterflies (2001)

In the Time of the Butterflies is inspired by the true story of the three Mirabal sisters who, in 1960, were murdered for their part in an underground plot to overthrow the government.

Director:

Mariano Barroso

Writers:

Julia Álvarez (novel), Judy Klass (teleplay)

Stars:

Salma Hayek, Lumi Cavazos, Edward James Olmos

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Salma Hayek	...	Minerva
Edward James Olmos	...	Trujillo
Mía Maestro	...	Mate
Demián Bichir	...	Manolo (as Demian Bichir)
Pilar Padilla	...	Dede
Lumi Cavazos	...	Patria
Marc Anthony	...	Lio
Pedro Armendáriz Jr.	...	Captain Pena (as Pedro Armendariz Marquez)
Ana Martín	...	Mama
Fernando Becerril	...	Enrique Mirabal
Anthony Alvarez	...	Palomino
Ermahn Ospina	...	Jaimito
Raúl Méndez	...	Pedrito
Mariana Sánchez	...	Minerva 13 Years Old (as Mariana Sanchez)
Géraldine Bazán	...	Patria 15 Years Old (as Geraldine Bazan)

Storyline

On November 25, 1960, the bodies of three sisters were found near the bottom of a cliff on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. The official daily 'El Caribe' reports that it had been an accident, but it does not mention that a fourth sister lives. Nor does it mention the sisters' fierce opposition to the General Trujillo's dictatorship. This is their story: how Minerva started the tragedy by refusing Trujillo; how Patria became an opponent from the church itself; how Maria Teresa joined the revolution through the love. And how they lost their wings, but not their courage. They were Las Mariposas - "The Butterflies".

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Plot Keywords:

violence | butterfly | 1960s | courage | government | 

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Taglines:

Women had their place. Hers was in the revolution.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some intense scenes of violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

Filming ended on the 40th anniversary of the Mirabal sisters' assassination.

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Goofs

When Leo enters the chicken coop to talk to Minerva he leaves the door slightly ajar. When he makes to leave the coop, the door is wide open.

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Connections

Referenced in Vecinos: La pareja de ventas (2005)

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Soundtracks

Que Merengue
Written by George Hernandez
Performed by Orquestra Tropicana
Courtesy Tropicana Records/Hall of Fame Music

User Reviews

Never judge until you know the whole story

Last week in our local paper there was a photo and a story of the surviving Mirabal sister. I read the story, thought it was awful about the sisters murder, but kind of blew off the article as: "old news", "get over it already". Today I turned on the TV and this movie was on. I wasn't going to watch the whole thing, but got to putzing around and got kind of into just watching it while I did other stuff. I thought it was taking place in Mexico until I heard the part about the Haitians and figured out it was Santo Domingo. It was 3/4 of the way through the movie before I figured out it was the sisters I had read about in the paper. What a profound moment for me. These women were real heroes and their story should be told. I felt like such a jerk. It was a real lesson for me: you should never "blow anyone off" until you have heard their story. If you take the time, you may come to like and, maybe, even admire them. And you may learn something about them and yourself. No wonder their sister never stops telling their story.

Details

Country:

USA Mexico

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 August 2004 (Hungary)

Also Known As:

In the Time of the Butterflies

Filming Locations:

Mexico

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Showtime Networks, Ventanarosa Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1