Three Burials (2005)

Ranch hand Pete Perkins looks to fulfill the promise to his recently deceased best friend by burying him in his hometown in Mexico.

Director:

Tommy Lee Jones

Writer:

Guillermo Arriaga

Stars:

Tommy Lee Jones, Barry Pepper, Dwight Yoakam

5 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tommy Lee Jones	...	Pete Perkins
Barry Pepper	...	Mike Norton
Julio Cesar Cedillo	...	Melquiades Estrada (as Julio César Cedillo)
Dwight Yoakam	...	Belmont
January Jones	...	Lou Ann Norton
Melissa Leo	...	Rachel
Levon Helm	...	Old Man with Radio
Mel Rodriguez	...	Captain Gomez
Cecilia Suárez	...	Rosa
Ignacio Guadalupe	...	Lucio
Vanessa Bauche	...	Mariana
Irineo Alvarez	...	Manuel (as Irineo Álvarez)
Guillermo Arriaga	...	Juan
Josh Berry	...	Border Patrolman
Rodger Boyce	...	Salesman

Storyline

A man is shot and quickly buried in the high desert of west Texas. The body is found and reburied in Van Horn's town cemetery. Pete Perkins, a local ranch foreman, kidnaps a Border Patrolman and forces him to disinter the body. With his captive in tow and the body tied to a mule, Pete undertakes a dangerous and quixotic journey into Mexico.

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Plot Keywords:

female nudity | border | u.s. border patrol | buying a house | handcuffed | 

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Taglines:

For justice. For loyalty. For friendship.

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Genres:

Adventure | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, violence and sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Classics [United States]

Country:

France USA Mexico

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

24 February 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

The 3 Burials of Melquiades Estrada

Filming Locations:

Shafter, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$23,859, 18 December 2005

Gross USA:

$5,027,684

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,045,364

Company Credits

Production Co:

EuropaCorp, The Javelina Film Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min 121 min 107 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The producers tried to sway Tommy Lee Jones from using Mexican pastel colors for the title cards, but he told them he wouldn't budge on his decision.

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Goofs

The story takes place in the Big Bend area of Texas but there is a banner in the restaurant for the Van Horn Lion's Club. Van Horn is a long way from the Big Bend.

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Quotes

Mike Norton: I'm sorry, Melquiades! For taking your life, I'm sorry!

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Crazy Credits

The title of the film and the various title cards are in both English and Spanish.

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Connections

References The Lady from Shanghai (1947)

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Soundtracks

Opus 10 No. 3 in E Major
(1829-32)
Written by Frédéric Chopin
Performed by Paulina Reyes

User Reviews

Sad and sometimes quirky journey about friendship, loss and regret

I just had the pleasure of seeing this wholly original modern-day American western. Just when you think you have this film's plot pigeon holed it takes you in a different direction. THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA is in part a revenge story, but it's also much more than that. There are no one dimensional characters. As much as you want to hate Barry Pepper's numbed border patrol officer, you can't help but feel sorry for him. And Tommy Lee Jones' Pete will break your heart. He and Pepper have never been better and Jones' direction is natural and subtle. My only problem with the film was sometimes it got a little too quirky for its own good. But for the most part I believed every moment and really cared for these lost characters. It's one of those films that really leaves you thinking about a lot of stuff, from mortality and loss to the very real problems of racism and inhumanity. It's never preachy or self aware and isn't out to impress, it's just telling a story. I highly recommend this movie. It's by far one of the best films I've seen recently.