Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Maidexpl Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Dawg! Some years ago, when IMDB had user comments (and the "six degrees of separation game" - good times!) I left a comment that said something to the effect of "If you're from NM, you get it. If not, well..."I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of Robert Redford, but he and the cast of the movie hit the nail on the head with this movie. Is it slow? Yes, sometimes painfully so; sometimes, deliciously so. But then, so is life in the area of NM where this was filmed. Personally, I prefer reading the book to watching the movie, but should you ever decide you want to visit northern NM afterward, you'll almost immediately say, "Oh, yeah. I can totally see that happening here."I will admit, I'm a bit biased since I had a couple of family members who had bit parts in the movie. (Watch for the lady selling chile peppers in the town, as well as the one trying to climb into the truck as it's taking off!) Give it a chance, enjoy the music and cinematography, At the end, you may just say, "Huh. I actually liked it." It's rated R, but by modern standards it's barely a soft PG-13 - for at least one f-bomb, as I recall. Take that out, and I could see it almost passing as a PG.

Wuchak Released in 1988, "The Milagro Beanfield War" is a whimsical drama about a Hispanic town in Northern New Mexico that's being invaded by land developers who want to turn the town into a resort and drive out the Chicano villagers. Chick Vennera plays the owner of the beanfield, Sonia Braga the champion of his cause, John Heard an aging ex-hippie lawyer who supports them and Daniel Stern a New York college student who takes up living on the beanfield property; Christopher Walken and Richard Bradford play the villains while Melanie Griffith has a cameo.This was Robert Redford's second movie in the director chair after the successful "Ordinary People" (1980). It failed at the box office perhaps because, while "Milagro" isn't bad at all, it's not great either; it's somewhere in between. It's professionally made with a great cast and locations, but it's only mildly engrossing. The problem is that there are so many characters, Braga's being the best, none of them are portrayed with much depth. It would've been a better movie if they cut out the fat and focused on a few of the characters, throwing in a dramatic hook, like Jack & Rose in "Titanic." A good example of something that could've been cut is Daniel Stern's character. Although Stern does fine in the role it's really an unnecessary character since the story already features a gringo who sides with the villagers. Despite this negative, I enjoyed the film and it leaves you with a good feeling. It's reminiscent of 1984's "The River" in tone and quality, albeit chipper and quirkier.The film runs 117 minutes and was shot in Espanola, Los Alamos, Truchas and Santa Fe, New Mexico.GRADE: B-

dimplet It is interesting to compare the opening of The Milagro Beanfield War to Chocolat. The music is similar, there is an odd wind blowing throw the sleepy village. Both are about the transformation of a town, from a collection of individuals into a community. No matter how bad I feel, this movie never fails to cheer me up. Just the opening alone is enough to change my attitude: An old, unshaven man opens his eyes, looks around at his poor hovel, pulls himself out of bed slowly, moves with difficulty to a mirror, and says, "Thank you, God, for letting me have another day."Although made in 1988, it has a lesson for America in 2011. If we as a community come together we can save our country; if not, the powerful business interests will kill it. But everyone has excuses to not get involved. Sonya is trying to get the newspaper editor to talk at the town meeting, but he wants no part of it: "Talk to the people? I don't think so. Well, it's very hard to get people to agree on anything in this town. First there would be an argument, then there would be a fight. I don't think so."That's America, circa 2011. No one can agree on anything in this country. In 1988, there was still optimism that the people could win; now I'm not so sure. America is dying, like the town of Milagro. It will take a miracle to save it now. But miracles are possible. Remember Lake Placid?Please watch this movie. And watch Robert Redford's Lions for Lambs for an updated statement on the subject. If you are interested in a wonderful early work of Christopher Walken, see Who Am I This Time?

Robert J. Maxwell A small town of mostly Mexican residents is about to be ruined by a land developer who has visions of hotels, motels, condos, and ski lodges dancing in his head. The few hundred men and women in Milagro are divided about what to do. Some see construction jobs bringing in money and excitement. Others feel that "our town is a family." The developer and his team of henchmen are all in this together, but the conflict between the townspeople grows until an accidental shooting takes place. The main mean guy, Christopher Walken, hunts down the accidental shootist, Chick Vennera, but the victim of the shooting recovers and refuses to press charges. Richard Bradford is the head of the development company and gives up his attempt to buy the land, raging against his advisers. This summary makes it sound like some angry docu-drama, but it's a surprisingly gentle and whimsical movie.This is a kind of tricky area to deal with in any kind of fiction. The tendency is to make the villagers and the interlopers generic. How many times have we seen these romanticized peasants? They always go about their business in a languid informal manner. They sing a lot. They eat with gusto. They don't mind a drink now and then. They have a great sense of humor and a mystical feeling for the land. Often there's a highly respected, or at any rate easily tolerated, dotty ancient man or woman.And how often have we seen the equivalent of these land developers? They dress in suits and ties. They're full of guile. They press the law to its limits and maybe a little beyond. They have no particular feelings for each other. Their only interest is pelf.The director, Robert Redford, doesn't entirely avoid these clichés, but he keep them about as toned down as this kind of story permits. Some of the actors aren't that convincing, but Christopher Walken certainly is. Every performance he gives seems like a polished gem. The film has virtues beyond the plot and the other usual elements. The photography captures a magnificent landscape. Not staggeringly majestic -- not the Grand Canyon -- not that raw -- but a silent and self-satisfied ocean of pinyon and juniper clotted rolling hills. You can almost smell the Pinesol.Alas, though, the tony resort development is a canard. That's not the problem facing these small-town good guys. It's the people who are going to live in those condos and ski on those slopes that present the problem and the problem extends far beyond the town limits of Milagro or even San Juan County. And it's not a pleasant problem to contemplate because it involves us.The people who will live in those condos must live somewhere, and some day they will have to live here, and, as the local editor, John Heard, points out, they'll demand clean water and restaurants. Taxes will skyrocket and urban sprawl will sprawl.In 1950, the population of the earth was roughly 2 billion. It's now 6 billion and by 2050 will have doubled.Robert Bradford and the Ladd Devine Development company may give up in disgust but can anyone doubt that there will be another such entity offering greater bribes ten years from now? Or that eventually one or another such entity will get what it wants? Or that such entities are only the thin end of the wedge of a change process whose proportions are monumental?The good folks of Milagro are going to lose their village, just like everybody else. But how can we argue against population growth? You might as well argue against motherhood and apple pie.