Directed by actor and producer Robert Redford and starring a large and colorful group of actors and non-actors, the production was shot on location in and around the northern New Mexico region of the Southwest.
Based on the acclaimed book of the same name by American novelist John Nichols, with a screenplay by Nichols and David S. This came about due to Ms. Braga and Mr. Despite the multitude of characters and the at times somewhat congested storyline, the main emphasis that viewers can come away with is the strong presence of family and β more importantly β the strength that people can derive from their culture and their collective sense of community.
Personally speaking, the biggest thrill that I got from The Milagro Beanfield War was actual location footage of the rugged New Mexico topography, along with practical FX and stunts, with such items as real vehicles, real tractors, real smoke and dust and heat; purple sunsets and golden sunrises, clouded skies, and muddy streams; and an actual beanfield with real-life foliage and plants.
Instead of seeing CGI-created shrubbery that are nowhere near what outdoor locations are supposed to be like, in sum the tactile sense of a naturally occurring environment gave a positive lift to the story by way of ambience. Fugitives from justice. Snippets and slices of life. Fights, brawls, arguments, misunderstandings. Reconciliation and reaffirmation. And ear piercing, too β ouch! That hurts. An interesting analogy. Discovering sex, but innocently.
Sam gets a hard-on and Suzy tells him to feel her breasts. Motives get twisted out of shape, overblown into something adults are incapable of comprehending. A whole lot of living in a barely lived life. At times, youthful earnestness turns individuals into budding homebodies. Partying by a campfire, picking flowers at random.
