The Burning Plain (2008)

A drama with a two-tiered storyline concerning a mother and daughter who try to form a bond after the young woman's difficult childhood.

Director:

Guillermo Arriaga

Writer:

Guillermo Arriaga

Stars:

Charlize Theron, John Corbett, José María Yazpik

2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charlize Theron	...	Sylvia
John Corbett	...	John
José María Yazpik	...	Carlos
Robin Tunney	...	Laura
Gray Eubank	...	Lawrence
Fernanda Romero	...	Sophie
Kacie Thomas	...	Vivi
Martin Papazian	...	Young Man
Sean McGrath	...	Cook
JD Pardo	...	Young Santiago
Diego J. Torres	...	Cristobal (as Diego Torres)
José Gallardo Jr.	...	Xavier
Rachel Ticotin	...	Ana
Rosalia De Aragon	...	Aunt Rebecca (as Rosalia de Aragon)
Debrianna Mansini	...	Paula

Storyline

The Burning Plain follows the story of several different people separated by time and space -- Sylvia, a woman in Oregon who must undertake an emotional odyssey to rid herself of her past; Mariana and Santiago, two teenagers trying to piece together the shattered lives of their parents in a New Mexico border town; Maria, a little girl who goes on a border-crossing voyage to help her parents find redemption, forgiveness, and love; and Gina and Nick, a couple who must deal with an intense and clandestine affair... because they are both married.

---

Plot Keywords:

female star appears nude | female nudity | caught having sex | unhappy wife | trailer on fire | 

---

Taglines:

Love heals. Love absolves. Love burns.

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality, nudity and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

In a 2008 interview, Charlize Theron said taking her clothes off in front of cameras in this and any other film is is as easy as drinking for her. "I don't really think about it much. I read the scene and if it makes sense I do it I treat it the same way as I would any other scene. Whether it's a nude moment or sitting at a bar drinking, it's all choices. I don't think about it as nudity."

---

Goofs

In the airborne scene of the crop duster dusting the field, the course and actions of the dusting process were inconsistent with real crop dusting. Spraying began at a point well into the field, and no distinct pattern was set such as to avoid missing or re-spraying spots.

---

Quotes

Laura: Late night?
Sylvia: I guess.
Laura: Again?
Sylvia: Again.
Laura: Hmm. Same guy?
Sylvia: No.
Laura: Do I know him?
Sylvia: Maybe.
Laura: Do you know him?

---

Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Jennifer Lawrence/George Lopez/Tom Odell (2016)

---

Soundtracks

Las Golondrinas
Written by Ricardo Palmerín & Luis Rosado
Performed by Flaco Jiménez (as Flaco Jimenez)
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc.
By Arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

.

The movie reminded me of Babel, which is not that crazy since Arriaga wrote and directed Babel together with Alejandro González Iñárritu. (I only found this out after I saw The Burning Plain). Whereas I thought Babel was good but not superb, I absolutely loved The Burning Plain. just like Babel, The Burning Plain doesn't do chronology and I love the way Arriaga uses the lack of a chronological time-line to put you on a sidetrack time and time again. Of course I suspected things but I completely missed one of the biggest twists. Past and present are so mixed up that it isn't until quite far into the movie that you realise how all the characters are connected. And in this connection you'll find the big difference between the two movies. Whereas Babel shows the stories of people that are only connected by coincidence, The Burning Plain goes much further than that. When, almost in the end, you find out what really happened you cannot but acknowledge the genius of the person who wrote the story and the stylish way the movie was directed.

Once the 'big twist' is revealed it was like an 'aha-Erlebnis'. From beginning until ending you are wondering about the connections between the characters. "What does Sylvia have to do with Mariana and Santiago, or with Gina and Nick"? When eventually you find out, it is like a puzzle with the last piece falling in place. The result is a beautiful picture with a sad undertone, but not one I would have wanted to miss.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan] Official site [UK]

Country:

USA Mexico Argentina

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

5 November 2009 (Argentina)

Also Known As:

The Burning Plain

Filming Locations:

Oregon, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$58,749, 20 September 2009

Gross USA:

$200,730

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,642,478

Company Credits

Production Co:

2929 Productions, Costa Films, Parkes/MacDonald Image Nation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min 111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1