September 19th: THE MILAGRO BEANFIELD WAR (Robert Redford, 1988)

A deeply-rooted Hispanic farming community faces off against corrupt politicians and land developers.

When Robert Redford's acting career began to take off in the late 1960s, he was afraid of being stereotyped as an empty sex symbol, and became more selective with his projects as well as developing his own production company. He spearheaded two films analyzing public image and success with Downhill Racer and The Candidate, and soon after came the critical and commercial hit All The President's Men about the Watergate scandal. When he finally decided to direct, many were surprised at the choice of Ordinary People, an intimate drama about a midwestern suburban family, but it went on to win Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Direction for Redford.

It would be another 8 years before Redford stepped behind the camera again, and he wasn't spending much time in front of it, either, focusing more on conservation efforts as well as developing his Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival. His second film would be another odd choice: the adaptation of a magical realism novel by New Mexico author John Nichols. Redford was fascinated by the long-term blending of the cultures of Native Americans, Spanish conquistadors and Catholic missionaries, and native Mexicans.

The script was written by Nichols along with Oscar-winner David S. Ward (The Sting), who were tasked with whittling down an 700-page book to manageable length. The process, as well as the eventual shoot, proved to be very stressful to Nichols, who hadn't been involved with filmmaking before.

Aside from a small role for Christopher Walken, the cast was made up of lesser-known character actors, including Panamanian musician Rubén Blades (Mo' Better Blues, The Two Jakes), Brazilian actress Sônia Braga (Kiss of the Spider Woman), Melanie Griffith, Home Alone co-stars John Heard and Daniel Stern, James Gammon (Major League), and 74 year-old Mexican actor Carlos Riquelme in his English language debut.

Behind the camera was Robbie Greenberg (Free Willy). While shot on location in New Mexico, Redford's original plans to shoot at a historic fortified Spanish plaza, but ironically local protests led him to relocate elsewhere, between Santa Fe and Taos in the town of Truchas. The film was edited by the pioneering veteran Dede Allen (Bonnie & Clyde, Dog Day Afternoon, Reds) and Jim Miller. The musical score was composed by 10-time Grammy winner Dave Grusin (Tootsie, The Graduate, The Firm).

The Milagro Beanfield War played out of competition at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival. Upon its U.S. release, it received mixed reviews and did modest business at the box office. It would go on to win an Oscar for its only nomination, Grusin's score.

Running time is approx. 2 hours.