The Milagro Beanfield War

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The Milagro Beanfield War

R,

1988,

1h 57m,

Comedy/

Drama

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Watchlist

61%

33 Reviews

Tomatometer

74%

2,500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

61%

Tomatometer

33 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

In the tiny town of Milagro, New Mexico, where the local water is a premium resource, shady developer Ladd Devine (Richard Bradford) has conceived a glitzy resort that will ultimately siphon off all the water from the neighboring crop-fields. When handyman and farmer Joe Mondragon (Chick Vennera) accidentally breaks a water valve reserved for major companies, he inadvertently sets off a small-scale water-rights war between the farmers and the developers.

Critics Consensus

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.

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Bob Thomas

Associated Press

Jul 23, 2019

2.5/4

Magazine articles about its making have outlined the problems: multiple script changes, wholesale reshooting. The tinkering appears to have eroded the film's basic core. It is now a series of audience-pleasing turns, with little sense of unity.

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Variety Staff

Variety

Nov 7, 2007

Redford and company have put a quirky twist on the material, investing it with a quasi-mystical aspect as well as some raw comedy.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Nov 7, 2007

Fairly choked with good intentions, whimsy, touches of fantasy, and cardboard liberal stereotypes.

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

Nov 26, 2022

3/4

“Milagro” is a wonderful film with a nice message that is too overpowering to the story

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Oct 3, 2020

3/4

A charming ensemble piece that sprinkles a dash of magical realism over the familiar tale of underdogs rebelling against a corrupt and capitalist system.

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Mark Jackson

Epoch Times

Apr 2, 2020

4.5/5

"Milagro" captures the inherent naiveté of the liberal '60s sentiment of power to the people. Hilarious and incredibly warm, it's a tribute to a fading culture, leaving one with an ache, knowing soon nobody will be able to hear the wisdom of Coyote Angel.

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George M

Oct 14, 2018

Robert Redford's crowd-pleaser about the titular hostilities between the greedy developers and a Chicano community whose land they are eyeing is crowded with underdeveloped plots overrun with hackneyed morals.

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Anakin W

Jan 21, 2011

It's a great story told with style, respect and nostalgia. It captures the essence of small town community.

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Robert Redford

Director

Sônia Braga

Ruby Archuleta, Owner Ruby's Body Shop

Chick Vennera

Joe Mondragon

Rubén Blades

Sheriff Bernabe Montoya

Richard Bradford

Ladd Devine, Owner Ladd Land & Cattle Co.

Julie Carmen

Nancy Mondragon

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Synopsis

In the tiny town of Milagro, New Mexico, where the local water is a premium resource, shady developer Ladd Devine (Richard Bradford) has conceived a glitzy resort that will ultimately siphon off all the water from the neighboring crop-fields. When handyman and farmer Joe Mondragon (Chick Vennera) accidentally breaks a water valve reserved for major companies, he inadvertently sets off a small-scale water-rights war between the farmers and the developers.

Director: Robert Redford
Producer: Moctesuma Esparza, Robert Redford
Screenwriter: John Nichols
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Universal Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 18, 1988, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $12.7M
Runtime: 1h 57m
Sound Mix: Surround

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