Matewan **** (1987, Chris Cooper, James Earl Jones, Mary McDonnell, Will Oldham, David Strathairn, Ken Jenkins, Kevin Tighe) – Classic Movie Review 6,370

John Sayles’s outstanding 1987 film Matewan is a meaty, intelligent drama about a violent clash between a West Virginia 1920s coal company and striking miners. Chris Cooper, James Earl Jones and David Strathairn star.

Writer-director John Sayles’s outstanding 1987 American film Matewan is a meaty, intelligent and stirring drama about a violent clash between a West Virginia 1920s coal company and striking miners who win the support of their fellow workers.

Long at 132 minutes, but gripping throughout, it is powerfully written by Sayles from his own novel Union Dues and directed by Sayles who, sensibly, firstly makes sure that it is a people drama and secondly deals with the political issues without sending obvious messages.

Matewan is extraordinarily well acted by a large, distinguished ensemble cast headed by Chris Cooper (in his film debut), James Earl Jones, Mary McDonnell, Will Oldham, David Strathairn, Ken Jenkins, Kevin Tighe and Gordon Clapp.

Chris Cooper is outstanding as young union organizer Joe Kenehan, an ex-Wobbly [Industrial Workers of the World] organizer for the United Mine Workers, who arrives in Matewan, West Virginia in 1920 to organize miners against the Stone Mountain Coal Company. James Earl Jones also stands out as good-natured black worker ‘Few Clothes’ Johnson, and David Strathairn is notable as the Police Chief, Sid Hatfield.

It is beautifully filmed by cinematographer Haskell Wexler, who landed the film’s sole Oscar nomination, for Best Cinematography.

And it is still probably Sayles’s best, most highly regarded film to date, but it failed at the box office. However, in 2023, the film was selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as culturally, historically or aesthetically significant. His directorial debut, Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980), was added to the US National Film Registry in 1997. Sayles pops up in the film in a cameo as a preacher and co-wrote the songs.

It is produced by Peggy Rajski and Maggie Renzi, and designed by Nora Chavooshian. Maggie Renzi (Sayles’s long-time companion and collaborator)) also appears as Rosaria, and John Sayles also appears as Hardshell Preacher. Gary McCleery, Josh Mostel, Jo Henderson, Nancy Mette, Joe Grifasi, Jace Alexander, Bob Gunton and Gordon Clapp are also in the cast.

The film depicts the events of the Battle of Matewan, a coal miners’ strike in 1920 in Matewan, a small town in Mingo County, in the hills of West Virginia, at the confluence of the Tug Fork River and Mate Creek. The population was 412 in 2020.

It is shot in West Virginia in the town of Thurmond (standing in for Matewan) and along the New River Gorge National River.

The score with Appalachian music of the period is composed and performed by Mason Daring. West Virginia bluegrass singer Hazel Dickens sings the film’s title track ‘Fire in the Hole’ and appears as a member of the Freewill Baptist Church.

Release date: August 28, 1987 (US).

It cost an estimated $4 million and took in less than $2 million at the US box office.

Matewan is directed by John Sayles, runs 132 minutes, is distributed by Cinecom Pictures, is written by John Sayles, is produced by Peggy Rajski and Maggie Renzi, is shot by Haskell Wexler, and is scored by Mason Daring.

Sayles has two Oscar nominations for Best Screenplay – for Passion Fish (1992) and Lone Star (1996).

The cast are Chris Cooper as Joe Kenehan, James Earl Jones as ‘Few Clothes’ Johnson, Mary McDonnell as Elma Radnor, Will Oldham as Danny Radnor David Strathairn as Police Chief Sid Hatfield, Ken Jenkins as Sephus Purcell, Gordon Clapp as Griggs, Kevin Tighe as Hickey, John Sayles as Hardshell Preacher, Bob Gunton as C E Lively, Josh Mostel as Mayor Cabell Testerman, Nancy Mette as Bridey Mae Tolliver, Jace Alexander as Hillard Elkins, Joe Grifasi as Fausto, Maggie Renzi as Rosaria, Jo Henderson as Mrs. Elkins, and Gary McCleery as Ludi.

James Earl Jones died at his home in Pawling (population 8,000), Dutchess County, New York, on September 9, 2024, at the age of 93.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6,370

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