The Milagro Beanfield War

If you have not seen this, or have not seen it in a while, I recommend another watch. Robert Redford's second outing as a director and few, if any, saw this. It is a clever, charming dramady.

Chick Vennera plays a down and out guy who has lost the water rights to his Grandfather's bean farm. The ghost of his grandfather still haunts the place and inspires the locals to rebel against the evil land developers. Not a novel theme but a fun story told in a lovely way.

Sonia Braja plays a local activist who embodies the fighting spirit of the ghost and guilts the local newspaper man/ lawyer John Heard into formalizing the action. Great performances by everyone.

Well-played bit parts are played by Rubén Blades, Christopher Walken, and even Freddy Fender. Melanie Griffith even has a scene or two. Fun stuff.

The main thing to enjoy here is the subtle but power blend of music and character development. The soundtrack has stuck in my head for over 20 years. It still makes me smile.

This is an old story along the lines of David and Goliath. What makes is most worth another watch is great performance by some familiar names in one of the very early independent films. This was Redford's first big effort after the foundation of the Sundance Institute and it sets the bar very high.

Watch this with someone who has lived in New Mexico and they will explain.