The Milagro Beanfield War 1988

Vincent Canby, New York Times: The film is very big on sunsets and sunrises. It also has a touristy appreciation for all manner of things folkloric. What it doesn't have is dramatic coherence or backbone. Read more

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader: Fairly choked with good intentions, whimsy, touches of fantasy, and cardboard liberal stereotypes. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: If Redford had left out a few of the waffling, undecided characters and drawn his dramatic lines more strongly, the film might have been a lot more powerful. Read more

Wally Hammond, Time Out: Redford's film sustains a slow mood of simpatico amiability and photographs the landscape with moony or golden washes that are perhaps hard to dislike, but is slain by its adherence to an outdated populist mythology. Read more

Variety Staff, Variety: Redford and company have put a quirky twist on the material, investing it with a quasi-mystical aspect as well as some raw comedy. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: Redford and his crack cast of familiar gringos and less-familiar locals had an infectiously good time making it. Read more

Rita Kempley, Washington Post: Corny, you bet. But that's to be admired in an old war horse on the last frontier. Read more