Watch The Milagro Beanfield War For Free

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

***SPOILERS*** In the movie " The Milagro Beanfied War" we have an unlikely hero in Joe Mondragon,Chick Vennera,who in his David against Goliath fight against big land developer Ladd Devine, Richard Bradford,rallies all the people of that little New Mexican town without him even realizing that he's doing it. All Joe wanted was to irrigate and plant crops, beans, on his small strip of land so he could have enough money to pay his bills. Land that was being flooded with precious life giving water by Joe accidentally striking a water pipe! Just like Moses by striking a rock provided the children of Israel with water in the Sinai Desert. Joe who was planning together with his family to move out of his home and go north to find work is now determined to stay in place, the town of Milagro,and start a new life as a bean grower. But with big time land developer Devine determined to get his condos golf courses and swimming pools built Joe now knows he has his work cut out for him but, with really nothing to lose, he's more then willing to go all the way to do it!Robert Redford's, who directed and financed the movie, attempt to show the movie audience in how big business or big land developers use both money and the power of local government officials,up to the governor of the state, to drive people out of their homes that they lived in for generations. In the case of the people of Milagro we see how those with power use every flimsy law on the books, that was put there to help them get what they want, to drive people like Joe not just out of business but out of town as well. It's when everything fails Devine gets his top gun Kyril Montana,Christopher Walker, together with the local sheriff's posse to get the dirty job done for him. Only to have Montana & co. facing the ends of the barrels of the outraged people in town who just when things look as bad as they could be came to Joe's, who was charged with a slew of crimes like breaking the land and water code laws to attempted murder, rescue. And it was the law that Devine used against Joe as well as themselves that that put that witch hunt against the people of Milagro to an end.The movie shows that when people get organized and refused to be intimated they can accomplish a lot more then just leaving it up to local politicians, who are in the pay of big business interests, to do the job for them. Joe Mondragon was forced to make a stand when he saw that an injustice was being done to both him and the people of the town of Milagro. Without even realizing it Joe's actions energized the townspeople who at first were more then willing to give up their homes feeling that It was a hopeless cause on their part but later stand their ground and fight back against the likes of the powerful and well connected land developer Ladd Devine. But once they flexed their political muscles as well as their trigger fingers Devine & Co. knew that they just didn't stand a chance!

I saw this movie a long time ago, and it was so boring it stuck in my mind ever since. It's on the order of Solaris (starring George Clooney and directed by Steven Sodenbergh). Sleepy town, underwhelmed characters, boring story, unexciting plot, nothing to catch or hold your attention, just a lot of limp-as-a-dishrag apathy. I'm not a person who has to have fast action shoot em ups all the time, either. I'm just fine with quiet, intelligent, thoughtful films too. But there has to be something. And this movie has nothing. So do yourself a favor. Run away. Run away fast. Or take a long nap. You'll get just as much out of it, and save yourself money too. Or at least a slot in your Netflix queue.

The word milagro means miracle, but don't expect any from this artificial staging of author John Nichols' comic Southwestern fable about a poor farmer in a sleepy mountain village who challenges a network of greedy real estate tycoons hoping to plunder the pristine New Mexican countryside. It's ironic that such an outspoken champion of independent filmmaking would produce and direct such a trite and simplistic movie, affecting a fanciful, light-hearted tone even while it falls victim to emotional and dramatic overkill. The issues are presented in a transparent conflict between noble, good-natured small town folk and evil ecological rapists, carrying an idealistic message wielded with all the grace and subtlety of a giant rubber mallet. The northern New Mexico scenery is postcard perfect, but everything in the foreground (characters, dialogue, and plot) is coated with enough sugary sentiment to make even the most dedicated liberal feel queasy.

The tiny New Mexico town of Milagro is about to be taken over by developers. However farmer Joe Mondragon (Chick Vennera) builds a beanfield using their water. This sparks off a war that threatens to get more and dangerous between the developers and townspeople.This came (and went) very quickly in 1988. The only reason it was made at all was because director Robert Redford's previous film ("Ordinary People") had been a big hit and won multiple Oscars. The title alone probably turned away most moviegoers. That's too bad because this is a sweet, lyrical movie. It somehow manages to draw the viewer into this small town and the inhabitants and make you care and side with them. It helps that there is some simply gorgeous cinematography and it has an Oscar-winning score that perfectly matches the films mood and tone. Also there is a huge cast of American and Latino actors--all of them are just great! The beautiful Sonia Braga is on hand and takes a minor role and really brings it to life. Also there's a simply wonderful scene where John Heard tells off evil Christopher Walken (Walken's always dazed expression perfectly fits this scene). A one of a kind beautiful film.The films R rating is unnecessary. There's no nudity, sex and minor bloodless violence. There's a little swearing but it's casual and done so quickly you're not even aware of it. It deserves a PG-13. Worth catching but not for everybody.