The film was released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber on September 29, 2020.
Plot
In the opening credits, a lively Latino dances through the fields of Milagro, New Mexico. Ladd Devine, a real estate mogul, has plans to build a grand vacation retreat in the area, potentially the largest in the state. Local resident Joe Mondragon is eager for work at the construction site but faces rejection, despite his willingness to take on any task. He confides in an elder neighbor about his concerns over the drought.
Desperate for water, Mondragon taps into an irrigation canal, unaware of the legal consequences. News of his actions spreads quickly, catching the attention of Ruby Archuleta, who runs a gas station and repair shop. She seeks help from Charlie Bloom, a socially conscious lawyer and publisher, to address the situation.
Meanwhile, sociologist Herbie Platt arrives from the East Coast to study local customs but faces mixed reactions from the residents. Mayor Sammy Cantu remains distant, and Mondragon reluctantly agrees to host Platt in exchange for assistance in the fields.
Mondragon's land is the only plot Devine hasn't acquired yet. Tensions rise, prompting the state governor to send Kyril Montana to intervene. Efforts to suppress Bloom's coverage fail when magazines are scattered across town, leading to a heated community meeting.
In the chaos, Bloom is arrested, causing strain between him and Archuleta. The state forestry department tries to seize Mondragon's cow, leading to a standoff defused by Sheriff Bernabe Montoya. Mondragon is offered a foreman position at the construction site, causing conflict with his wife and Archuleta.
As tensions escalate, the townsfolk arm themselves, leading to confrontations, including a shootout leaving Amarante injured. Montana pursues Mondragon, who seeks refuge with Shorty. Despite arrests and clashes, Mondragon persists in harvesting his beans.
Eventually, the governor steps in, halting Devine's project and fostering reconciliation among the townsfolk. Celebrations erupt in the bean field, culminating in a kiss between Archuleta and Bloom.
According to an article by Patricia Rodriguez in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Robert Redford was interested in filming part of the movie in the Plaza del Cerro of Chimayo, New Mexico, which is argued to be the last surviving fortified Spanish plaza in North America. Some locals responded favorably, but many objected to the idea of big business changing the small community, which forced Redford to film the movie in Truchas.
In his essay, "Night of the Living Beanfield: How an Unsuccessful Cult Novel Became an Unsuccessful Cult Film in Only Fourteen Years, Eleven Nervous Breakdowns, and $20 Million," John Nichols gives an account of the film project as he saw it.[4] Nichols also described the origin of the novel and the making of the film in the biographical documentary, The Milagro Man: The Irrepressible Multicultural Life and Literary Times of John Nichols, which premiered at the 2012 Albuquerque Film Festival.[5]
The film received mixed reviews from critics. Vincent Canby, film critic for The New York Times, believes the film missed its mark, and wrote, "The screenplay, by David Ward and John Nichols, based on Mr. Nichols's novel, is jammed with underdeveloped, would-be colorful characters, including a philosophical Chicano angel, who face a succession of fearful confrontations with the law that come to nothing. The narrative is a veritable fiesta of anticlimaxes, from the time the sun sets at the beginning of the film until it sets, yet again, behind the closing credits."[7]
Roger Ebert also gave the film a mixed review and had problems with the film's context, writing, "The result is a wonderful fable, but the problem is, some of the people in the story know it's a fable and others do not. This causes an uncertainty that runs all through the film, making it hard to weigh some scenes against others. There are characters who seem to belong in an angry documentary—like Devine, who wants to turn Milagro into a plush New Mexico resort town. And then there are characters who seem to come from a more fanciful time, like Mondragon, whose original rebellion is more impulsive than studied."[8]
Critic Richard Scheib liked the film's direction and the characters portrayed. He wrote, "Redford arrays a colorfully earthy ensemble of characters. The plot falls into place with lazy, deceptive ease. Redford places it up against a gently barbed level of social commentary, although this is something that comes surprisingly light-heartedly. There’s an enchantment to the film – at times it is a more successful version of the folklore fable that Francis Ford Coppola's Finian's Rainbow (1968) tried to be but failed."
Scheib believes the film is "one of the first American films to fall into the Latin American tradition of magical realism. This is a genre that usually involves an earthily naturalistic, often highly romanticized, blend of the supernatural and whimsical."[9]
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 61% of critics gave the film a positive rating, based on 33 reviews. The consensus states: "Arguably Robert Redford's most inchoate work, The Milagro Beanfield War has plenty of beautiful moments, but they don't quite add up to a worthwhile whole."[10]
Academy Awards: Oscar; Best Music, Original Score, Dave Grusin; 1989.
Political Film Society: PFS Award; Democracy; 1989.
Nominations
Golden Globes: Golden Globe; Best Original Score - Motion Picture, Dave Grusin; 1989.
Political Film Society: PFS Award; Exposé; 1989.
Soundtrack
Veteran jazz pianist and composer Dave Grusin contributed the film's original music. A formal soundtrack album has never been released, although tracks from the score were included as a bonus suite on Grusin's 1989 album Migration.
