The Milagro Beanfield War
Director: Robert Redford
Year Released: 1988
Rating: 1.5
Familiar David vs. Goliath set-up, with wealthy leftist Redford defending the Mexican-Americans from the cruel, evil White Men who want to turn their land into a golf course (the head industrialist even wears a white hat and sleeps with Melanie Griffith!) - the conflict is started by a poor landowner who steals a few gallons of water for his bean field. The first two acts are accented with some oddball characters (the one armed man, the crazy old woman that throws rocks, the shaky old eccentric and his angelic friend) that hide the premise's vacuity, but the third act is particularly condensed and sloppy (the two shootouts and a last minute 'phone call from the governor' are the most blatant script maneuverings).
