Matewan

"It takes more than guns to kill a man."

Aug 28 1987 PG-13 2h 15m
Drama, History

Filmed in the coal country of West Virginia, "Matewan" celebrates labor organizing in the context of a 1920s work stoppage. Union organizer, Joe Kenehan, a scab named "Few Clothes" Johnson and a sympathetic mayor and police chief heroically fight the power represented by a coal company and Matewan's vested interests so that justice and workers' rights need not take a back seat to squalid working conditions, exploitation and the bottom line.

Plot

Mingo County, West Virginia, 1920. Coal miners, struggling to form a union, are up against company operators and the gun thugs of the notorious Baldwin-Felts detective agency. Black and Italian miners, brought in by the company to break the strike, are caught between the two forces. UMWA organizer and dual-card Wobbly Joe Kenehan determines to bring the local, Black, and Italian groups together. While Kenehan and his story are fictional, the setting and the dramatic climax are historical; Sid Hatfield, Cabell C. Testerman, C. E. Lively and the Felts brothers were real-life participants, and 'Few Clothes' is based on a character active several years previously.

Written by

John Sayles

Directed by

John Sayles

Cast

Chris Cooper, James Earl Jones, Mary McDonnell

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

United States of America

Production Companies

Cinecom Entertainment Group, Red Dog Films, Goldcrest, Film Gallery

Languages

English, Italiano

Awards

Nominated for 1 Oscar. 3 wins & 8 nominations total

Trailers
MATEWAN TRAILER (1987)
Matewan (1987) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p]
Scores
# of Votes
10,342
Average Rating
7.9 out of 10
Metascore
73
Popularity
NA