The Milagro Beanfield War (1988) - full transcript

Thank you, God,
for letting me have another day.

I'm not even sick!

You don't look
so hot to me.

- You get yourself outta here!
- Take it easy, old man.

You should have a little more
respect for your elders.

How do you know
I didn't come here to help?

Well, nobody around here
needs your help.

Ah?

(starts laughing)

- Relax, amigo.

Relax. It's your town
that's dying.



(laughing)

Lupita.

Lupita!

- Lupita!
- Don Amarante de Milagro,

I see windmills
on your horizon.

(laughter fades)

(wind blowing)

Lupita!

Lupita!

WOMAN:
Ay, Lupita!

That's Mario's shirt!

Lupita!

Goddamn pig!

Go on! Get outta here,
Lupita! Get! Go on!



MAN: I told you
you wouldn't like it.

Okay, we're open.
Let's go to work.

Ready?

Where you gonna
drive to, anyway?

WIFE: Did you say good-bye
to Lisa? SHERIFF: Yeah.

WIFE:
Wait a moment.

- Wait a moment... here, hon.
- There's something about this day--

Oh, come on, hon.
Let a smile be your umbrella.

(cranks motor)

(motor does not start)

MAN: Oye, Ramon.
Come over here.

MAN:
Hola, muchachos.

- How are you?
- Very well, thanks.

- Good.
- It's a pretty day.

Yeah... so far.

MAN:
Dog!

MAN 1:
Heads up!

MAN 2:
Swing wide!

- Yo! We need a flat bar
over here! - What?

A flat bar!

- Hey. Look at that.

Hey, Shorty!

Yo, Joe!

You got any work
for me?

Can't help ya.
Sorry, Joe.

I can run a backhoe.
I can lay pipe.

I'm a good
finish carpenter.

What can I tell ya?

What the hell is this?

That's the future, amigo.

(Festive music)
(People talking)

MAN: You can see it.
WOMAN: Hi!

The views will just
knock your eyes out.

Ladd, is this development gonna
be as big as the Dancing Trout?

No. Miracle Valley, in fact, is gonna go far
beyond what we've done at the Dancing Trout.

It's going to be the largest leisure-time
development in the history of New Mexico.

This is the greatest thing
that has ever happened,

and the city of Milagro and the people
of Milagro are behind this project 100%.

Here's the water
and I can't use it.

You can't do this.
You can't have that.

God!... What's the use?

Lupita, go on there.
Go on!

- Shit.
- What are you doing here?

Get away from here! Who gave
you permission to enter?

- Jose.
- Good afternoon, Amarante.

Good afternoon, Jose. I was talking
to your father the other day.

He was telling me he was going to
have the squash all near the house...

- My father's dead. - And the corn
all over along the chicken coop.

- Amarante!
- Yeah?

Amarante, my father's
been dead for six years.

Yes... I know.

What are you
doing here?

I'm gonna
sell the place.

It's not good for anything anymore.
This field's dying of thirst.

Everybody else
has sold out.

Did they say you could
use the water?

- Aw, shit. It must've come
loose when I kicked it.

I ought to
shut it off, huh?

Maybe I'll sleep on it.

- Hi.
- Hi.

I'm gonna get a new motor
for that dryer.

- Is something wrong?
- Daughter!

They are fine, Papa.

How come we don't
pick raspberries anymore?

When I was a kid, my dad used to
take us up to the hills every August.

We'd pick raspberries.

Sometimes on summer nights,
he'd take me out to shoot baskets.

How come I never
get to do that with our kids?

I'm always too tired,
too busy, too broke.

Jesus, it's always
something.

(sighs)

Watch out. No!
Ay, ay, ay! Ay!

Good morning, Amarante.
How are you?

Still living,
thanks to God.

Do you know what I know?
What I saw?

The devil riding
a white horse through town?

A white horse,
the devil.

Jose Mondragon let water
into his father's bean field.

Ay, chihuahua!

I'm not saying it's good,
and I'm not saying it's bad.

Ay, crazy old woman!

You know, the Mexican
was slurping on the soup...

and he kept saying, "How do
you likey your soupy, Lupe?"

"How do you likey
your soupy, Lupe?"

The Mexican got hot, man. He said,
"Hey, man. Don't be calling me Lupe."

Your mother hit me
with another rock.

They're just pebbles.
I hid all the rocks.

MAYOR: ...you know, for other people
and the give him a standing ovation...

Jose Mondragon is irrigating his
old man's field over by the highway.

"How you likey my speechy,
son-of-a-beetchy?"

Joe Mondragon is irrigating his old man's
bean field over by the highway!

What?

He can't do that.

Did you know Jose Mondragon was
watering his father's bean field?

Que?

Sammy...
Is the mayor in?

Joe Mondragon
is irrigating...

You know, I don't know what
you do to your cars, man.

- I think it's the alternator.
- How much is that gonna cost me?

Hey!... Where in the hell
have you been?

Slow down, Sammy.

Have you heard yet?

You gonna be on
The Price is Right?

Joe Mondragon is cutting water into his
dad's old field over on the west side.

Why would he wanna do
something like that for?

- What about when Devine finds out?
- Relax. You didn't do it.

No, but I'm the mayor!

- What?
- Yeah.

What does that half-pint son of a
bitch wanna cause so much trouble for?

I knew Jose Mondragon couldn't
go through his entire life...

without attempting
at least one great thing.

How come you kids
are watching TV?

'Cause Mom said we could!

I'm gonna have this
damn thing repossessed.

I didn't raise my kids to be
lapping up that garbage!

Now get out!
Get out. All of you!

I never watched TV
when I was a kid.

You never had
a television.

Tobias called. He wants you
to fix his refrigerator.

Nobody can fix
that refrigerator.

What do you say
you and I take a nap?

(phone rings)

Aren't you gonna
answer that?

- I don't need to.
- You know already?

Everybody knows already.

I heard it from Stella Armijo
...and Betty Apodaca...

and Lucy Hernandez
and Gloria Martinez...

and everybody else
who has a telephone!

Good. We don't have
nothin' to talk about.

Maybe you should have talked
to somebody before you did it.

If I had, I'd still be talking;
it's done now!

- How could you keep this from me, Joe?
- I didn't wanna worry you.

Good, good!

My husband wants
to get himself shot...

without giving his wife
a chance to worry?

- It's my bean field, Nancy!
- It's not your water!

I'm scared, Jose.
I'm trembling, I'm so scared.

- I'm gonna plant that
bean field, Nancy. - Good.

The children and I'll decorate your
tombstone with beans instead of flowers.

- Would you like a punch
in the mouth? - Go ahead.

I'll hit you so hard, they'll
arrest you in El Paso for speeding.

Nobody gives a damn about
a lousy bean field, Nancy.

He's irrigating parcel 1477,

which is...

right here.

It's in the middle of what's
going to be the 13th fairway.

That's the only piece of property
on the west side we don't own.

Then why don't you go
tell him to stop, Bernie?

Because he'll tell me to go sit on
a chile and go right on irrigating.

- Well, then, arrest him.
- I don't think that is such a good idea.

Oh, I see. We just let lawbreakers
go in Milagro, is that it?

Why don't we see if he
needs anything out there?

Anybody here need anything?

Okay... Bye.

Mr. Devine, I think that
people will get very upset--

Aw, come on, Bernie. Nobody's
gonna go off half-cocked...

just because Joe Mondragon
gets arrested.

I know this town.
These are my people.

Jerry, your own people would like
to see you strung up by your nuts.

You're a Forest Service cop. I'm
surprised that fat, green truck of yours...

doesn't blow up every morning
when you step on the gas.

Look, the man cannot keep
running water off, and that's it.

I wouldn't even know
what to arrest him for.

Nobody even understands
the water laws.

- State engineer.
- What?

State engineer. It's really
their problem, and the governor's.

- We can't keep
stalling Williams.

- I promised him an okay
for three test wells by Friday.

You gotta put some kind of limit on
drilling permits that close to Santa Fe.

- Too damn visible. - Oh, shit.
- You want cutbacks...

Did you know Commerce just lowered our
ranking again in terms of per capita income?

- They did?
- Yes, they did.

- There's a call for you.
- You know, Clark, you think small.

You brayed like a goddamn mule when
they put in that Mesa Verde reactor.

Mesa Verde! We've already got
Los Alamos, White Sands, Sandias.

Who the fuck
is Joe Mondragon?

- Charlie Bloom? Bloom?
- Yeah?

- I'm Ruby Archuleta.
- Yeah, I know.

I wanna find out...

What do you know?

Oh, nothing, nothing.
I, uh...

Just spendin'
the afternoon, uh,

tryin' to keep old Amarante's
pig out of my garden.

A good-sized rat
could knock this over.

Is there a paper
coming out next week?

Probably.
You takin'out an ad?

You gonna write an article
about Joe's bean field?

Mmm.

Well, I don't know
if I am or not, Ruby.

That's... That's kind of a touchy
situation, don't you think?

Don't you think this new recreation
area is a touchy situation?

And what's the new recreation
area got to do with Joe Mondragon?

Nothing, if you don't
write anything about it.

Joe's bean field could draw some attention
to this whole Miracle Valley project.

You know what I think? I think
that'll just work people up.

I think they'll get all worked up,
and maybe somebody'll get hurt...

...probably Joe. In the end,
I don't think anything will change.

I thought you were supposed to
be some big, progressive lawyer.

Hmm... Big? Big?
Never. No.

But my clients couldn't pay,
so I guess, uh, progressive.

So you're retired?

I don't have to defend
my lifestyle to you or anybody.

I've been representing guys like Joe most of
my life. I know a lost cause when I see one.

- So do I.
- Meaning...?

I'll write the article myself,
and I'll pay you to print it.

Let's face it, Bloom.
You're just not up to it.

Where does she get off talkin'
to us like that, huh, daisy?

- Plus five?
- Seven!

- Right. Five plus four?
- Nine!

- This is Milagro.
- Okay, yeah. Bye.

Bye!

Appreciate it.

Hi. Excuse me. Do you know
where I can find Mr. Cantu?

Sammy Cantu? Billy Cantu?
Meliton Cantu? Felipe?

Amarante? Chemo?
Which one?

Well, uh, let me take
a look here. I got, uh...

Agh!

- Say, excuse me.
- Okay.

Excuse me.

- Would you be able to tell me
where Mayor Cantu is? - Alli esta.

"Alli esta"?

- How's your leg?
- Oh, okay.

Ah!

Mr... Mr. Cantu?

Mr. Cantu. Hi.

Hi.

Herbie Platt.

Department of Sociology,
N.Y.U.?

Yeah?

Wait. Wait a second.

Herbert Platt.

Department of Sociology.

- I'm doin' research. - Yeah.
- I'm writing a thesis. - Oh.

I'm...

I'm supposed to be here
six months.

I've got a grant
to stay here.

Hey, cut it out, woman!

- I want you to help me with these.
- Can I have a Popsicle first?

I want you to help me with this.
Yeah, but can I have a Popsicle first?

Okay.

Put these on my bill, huh?

So... you gonna
eat these beans?

- No, I'm gonna grow 'em.
- Then, you're out of credit.

You already
owe 96 bucks.

- How much for the beans?
- Nine dollars and eighty cents.

- Put 'em back. - But you said--
- Put 'em back!

- Okay, okay! - When I tell you,
do it, do you understand me?

Now. Collect those
and go to the car.

- And no one told you I was coming, huh?
- Nobody told me.

That doesn't mean
nobody told nobody.

Maybe somebody told somebody.
But nobody told me.

- I don't have a place to stay?
- We have to get you a house?

Well, no, no. But I...
I need a place to stay.

Look, I... I'm not lookin' for a handout here.
I'm gonna work. I'm planning on working.

You know...
I wanna help out!

Maybe... teach?

Look, if we don't know it already, chances
are, we're not interested in learnin' it.

Wh-Wh-Wh...
What am I supposed to do?

Join the army.

- Hey... You know that help
you were offering back there?

Is that for free?

Yeah.

Hop in. I know a place you could
stay, if you're not too particular.

- I'm... hey, thanks!
- Great.

- Move over, kids.

- Hey, thank you. I'm Herb.
- Joe. Nice to meet you.

- Hi. Who are you?
- Mario.

- Hi, Mario.
- Hello.

Aah. Gonna have to
get that fixed.

JOE: Okay, here you go.

You're sure I'm not gonna
be puttin' anybody out?

A few snakes, maybe.

I'll get you a cot and a heater.
You'll be all set.

Yeah, this'll be fine.

MAN: This was used as grazing
land by old man Devine.

Then what we did was,
we put in the Ribald Ditch...

to irrigate the land
for the small farmer.

- Who's that?
- Detective.

Then conducted an evaluation to determine
whether to continue this program.

- We found out it wouldn't
be very feasible at all.

So, as a result of the
Interstate Water Compact of '73,

these people lost
their irrigation rights.

The farms dried up.
Most sold out to Devine.

Why is this getting
dumped on me?

Because, Governor, we approved the dam
and the conservancy district up there...

in order to make
the development possible.

This will open up the north to economic opportunities
we couldn't have dreamed of, five years ago.

- That sounds good to me.
- Except the people living there now...

will find their new taxes so high, they'll have
to sell out or lose their land to the state.

- They know about that?
- That's just the point.

We don't want to wake
these folks up.

We have to do something. That son
of a bitch is breakin' the law!

Gentlemen...
exactly what is the problem?

If we arrest him, we could
end up in a hornet's nest.

- It could turn violent. It would
certainly have racial overtones.

- Very hard to keep that quiet.
- Generate publicity we don't want.

- Why should there be any publicity?
- Wait a minute.

There's an attorney up there by the
name of Charlie Bloom. He's an activist.

And he runs a small, bimonthly paper
that covers all of San Juan County.

We sure as hell don't want him
turning Mondragon into a folk hero.

So you just want to stop "Mandrigen"...
Mondragon... without an arrest.

- Yes. - Mm-hmm.
- Yes. - Exactly.

All right.

Here you go, sir.

- I asked for something used.
- That's all we've got.

JOE: Go along!
Go, Lupita!

Hey, Jose.

JOE: What are you
up to, cousin?

Lookin' around.
Keepin' an eye on things.

- What are you planting?
- Beans. Pintos.

Beans, huh?

What's the matter, Bernie? You afraid this
thing will keep you from getting re-elected?

Nah, nah. Got a heavy
majority in this town.

Come on. You beat
Luis Armijo by two votes.

That's because Domingo
and Gustave were out of town.

- So you would have won by four.
- Hell, no.

Those guys vote six,
seven times apiece.

Joe.

I want you to think about this thing
before it gets out of hand.

I'm asking you as a friend,
someone you used to run with.

Why don't you think
about running with me now?

- Run where? Where are you
running to? - I don't know!

All I know is I'm not gonna
go north like my dad...

and pick somebody else's beans
for two fucking dollars an hour.

Joe.

So you're not gonna stop.

I'll stop when I think
I'm doing the wrong thing.

It's beautiful, isn't it?

- Yes, it is.

I don't think your boy
knows what he's in for.

Nobody would do anything if
they knew what they were in for.

Maybe so, but the bogeyman
just came to town.

- Cop.
- Gotta be.

- Yeah.
- He wants money.

Here's the article.
How much?

Uh, we don't need it. I just wrote
your article. I'm almost finished.

- Is it any good?
- Well, it's not bad.

Better keep this one anyway,
in case yours isn't strong enough.

This is, uh...

- Hey, wait a minute.
- You can't write this.

This one doesn't even mention the meeting
we're going to have about the recreation area.

Well, this one will get us
both sued for libel.

Say, since you're a lawyer,

why don't you go and
talk to the people?

Give them an idea, an explanation...
what's going to be happening to this valley.

Talk to the people?
No, I don't think so.

Why not?

Well, it's very hard to get
people to agree in this town.

- First there'd be an argument.
Then there'd be a fight... - Okay.

- I don't think--
- That's okay. I don't want to argue.

- I'm happy you
wrote the article.

Will you at least
go to the meeting?

- How could it hurt you?
- I don't know yet.

Probably in a way that
I'm overlooking right now.

You can cover
it for your paper.

Yeah. Yeah,
I could cover it for the paper.

- But you won't talk?
- No, I won't talk.

Okay. It's a deal.

What's a deal?

(Amarante and Coyote Angel
speaking in low voices)

COYOTE ANGEL: You?
AMARANTE: Possible.

(Amarante and Coyote Angel
continue speaking in low voices)

(Low voices fade
slowly away)

How's your research coming? Shouldn't
you be taking notes or something?

Yeah, I am. I am. Hey, uh...
who's the old guy over there?

- Hmm? Amarante Cordova. He's
the oldest man in Milagro. - Oh.

Well, is he, uh...
You know, is he okay?

I meant, you know,
with his head.

Last night I heard him
shoutin' or something.

I think it was to himself.
I thought he was alone.

He was probably talking
to a saint or an angel.

A what?

(guys in car cursing
and shouting at them)

Hey, don't worry
about it.

- They've never seen a college guy
planting a bean field before.

Oh.

Hola!

Passerby Pray for the soul of Zopilote
Devine El Brazo Onofre

Bernie... This is
Kyril Montana.

This is our sheriff,
Bernie Montoya.

- Mr. Montana's from the capital.
- I know.

- How do you know?
- My cleaning lady told me.

This was found in my
driveway this morning.

- It's probably some kind of a joke.
- Well, I don't think it's very funny.

What does "zopilote'" mean?

Vulture. Buzzard.

And who is
"El Brazo Onofre"?

- That's Onofre Martinez's arm.

He lost it in an accident some
time ago and nobody ever found it.

People around here think
it leads a life of its own.

Yeah. Something turns up missing in
Milagro, people feel El Brazo stole it.

Young girls returning home
at night from their date...

without their underwear
usually blame him.

- Well, that looks like a death threat to me.
- I'd say it's more of a prank, Mr. Devine.

You got surveillance
on Charlie Bloom?

What for?

He's a professional agitator.

He's organized demonstrations,
disrupted courtrooms,

defended every leftist
he could.

Been in jail...
several times.

Bloom?

Mondragon didn't come up
with this by himself.

When does Bloom's paper
come out?

- Couple of days.
- You know the routes of his trucks?

He delivers them himself.

I don't think
there's a problem.

I want some copies
of La Voz.

- Sure, Mr. Capps. How many
would you like? - All of 'em.

- Will this be good? - No, that's
no good. Try the other one.

Hey, Nick? Has Bloom
delivered the papers yet?

He sure has.

- Where are they?
- Sold out.

- What are you talking about?
- They're all bought. Heh.

Nick... Where
are the papers?

Ruby, I'm--I'm sold out.

- My friends... my cousins.

Do you remember
when we were not rich,

but when our poverty
...was different...

...not a thing
to be ashamed of.

- There was a time when
our children stayed home...

and raised their children
in Milagro.

Think about that.

- We could become a town
of old men and old women.

We are a family...

and I love you very much.

But I must tell you,

sometimes when I wake up
in Milagro, I wanna cry.

I think of Ladd Devine
and the development,

and I know, if it comes,

it means THE END
for most of us.

I've spent too much of my life watching
bad things happen to my people.

But...

...if we want to fight
the recreation area,

we have to understand it.

I know.
It is very complicated.

That's why I asked
our friend, Charlie Bloom,

to talk to us tonight
and explain things.

Charlie?

Thank you, Ruby.

Uh... good evening.

See, once wealthier people from out
of state move in, they want things.

They want... They want new
schools for their children...

not necessarily yours,
for theirs.

They want new roads,
new sewage systems...

...for cleaner water for
their shiny new faucets.

And for all of these things,
they are able to pay.

But at the same time,
you also are gonna have to pay.

Your taxes
are gonna go sky high.

And it is doubtful...
very, very doubtful...

that any of you will be holding
the new, higher-paying jobs.

Unless, of course,
you happen to be a golf pro.

So my guess is that
most of you...

will be forced to sell out...
and to move elsewhere.

RUBY:
Are there any questions?

Yes?

- We ought to go out and
irrigate the whole west side!

Are you crazy? They would set up
a machine gun and kill the bunch of us.

Are we gonna let an outsider
tell us how to run our lives?

- Jerry, just let him talk. Huh?
- This could make us all rich.

- It could make you rich.
- We could get rich.

Aw, come on, Jerry G. It's a trap,
man. Don't you know that?

They build that dam, and the next morning
we'll all wake up in El Chuco, Texas,

like a bunch of wetbacks.

- Benny, think, man. Think!
- Sit down, Jerry! - Sit down!

Hey Joe, maybe you shouldn't irrigate.
A lot of innocent people can get hurt.

Over what, amigo? One little bean
field and a couple of gallons of water?

That's no little bean field.
That's trouble.

Nick, hold it!

I was hoping we could
form ourselves into a group.

Something like the "Milagro Land
and Water Protection Association".

- No way, Ruby! No way!
- I nominate Joe Mondragon to be president...

of the Milagro Land,
uh, whatever.

- No. Not me. I ain't no president.
- You started this, Joe.

If the chota puts a bullet in my ear,
it's because of your bean field!

- I didn't call for this meeting.
RUBY: Joe...

I didn't ask for help. No! If that's the way
you feel, I'm gonna plow this thing under.

- The hell you will!
- I nominate myself president.

- I nominate Ruby Archuleta for president.
- You can't have a woman for president.

Why not?

(all talking)

- Let's form a committee. - I didn't grow
this thing for you to form a committee.

And I don't wanna be
nobody's president!

- Aw, who wants you?
- You nominated him.

(all talking)

- Cousins, please! - I feel that I could
get good work in a recreation area.

- What? As a busboy?
- Come on! Come on, people!

We're all growing donkey ears
here. Let's go home.

- Let's vote on it first.
- Vote on what?

- Whatever we're gonna do.
- And what are we gonna do?

- I don't need their money.
- Like hell. You still owe me 40 bucks!

- I paid you that.
- Bullshit!

This was a good idea.

All you're gonna do
is scrub dishes, that's all.

- I can get any damn job I want, Benny!
- Yeah? Who's gonna hire you?

- I got a skill, stupid. -Yeah? Bending
over every time you see a gringo dollar?

I don't kiss nobody's ass!

Stop! Stop!

Benny! No! Stop!

(blowing whistle)

- You're under arrest!
- What for?

For creating
a disturbance.

Oh.

- And they threw
Bloom's ass in jail.

- I love it.

Idiots. Full of sound and fury,
signifying nothing.

What a start for
a revolution, eh, old-timer?

Milagro will wake up.
You'll see.

The people will fight Devine.

- Hello? - Ohhh. Will they
fight their feared enemies?

- Hello?
- Who the fuck is that?

- For that stinking, pitiful, bean field
that can't grow one good weed?

- What do you mean? These fields
have been growing beans...

since the Treaty of
Guadalupe noblemen.

- Hell, you don't know
anything about it.

Hi... I'm sorry.
Am I interrupting you?

- Well, I'm... I'm Herbie Platt.
I live-- - Yes, I know.

You work for Jose.

- Right. Well, I'm also a sociologist.
- What?

I'm doing a study on indigenous cultures
in the Southwest. If you had time a little time--

- What is that? What are you doing?
- It's a tape recorder.

What, uh, what
does "Milagro" mean?

"Miracle".
Like the town.

Ah. Oh, thank you.

- Oh, this looks good. What is it?
- Lizard tail tea.

Ohh. Been in the family
for generations, I bet.

No, I found it on the highway
this morning.

Ah. Hey, uh,
wh-what was that...

What was that little statue
I saw out there on the altar?

- Ah. Mmm. Mmm.

- Saint Jude.

He's the patron saint
of desperate causes.

- Pulled me through
six operations.

I would be long dead
except for him.

- Really? How did
he do that?

He's a saint.

- Yeah, I know. But... But... I mean...
- No, no, no, no.

- You have to put out
for him a nice... meal.

Some tamales, some salsa.

Maybe a little beer.

And then you talk to him...
and ask him for help.

Ha...

People now...
I don't know.

They have forgotten
how to act with saints...

or... talk to angels.

Angels. Now, now, angels.
I mean, do you mean...?

Yes. They are around here.
They've been dead a while.

But you actually "talk"
to the angels?

Those are the only ones
around...

get time to spare.

I'll give you
a lift home.

Get in.

RUBY: Thanks, Ruby,
for bailing me out.

Look, I'd be a hell
of a lot more grateful...

if you hadn't gotten me in
in the first place.

Or at least, if you had
bailed me out sooner.

I had no cash. I had to wait
for the bank to open.

Oh, I see! So I got
no reason to be sore?

No... You had all night
to get over it.

You were right. They weren't
ready for a meeting like that.

That's why I think it's best
to circulate a petition.

Line them up...
one at a time.

Petition? Nobody writes petitions anymore.
Mostly because nobody reads 'em.

I don't care
if they read it.

What's important, Charlie, is
people get together to sign it.

People in this town have been burned
too many times signin' papers, Ruby.

You're gonna get their hopes up.
They're gonna come crashing down.

Then they're gonna blame you.
I've seen it a hundred times.

I don't know where you come from,
but things must turn out shitty there.

Wake up, Ruby! It's not the '60s.
Nobody gives a shit anymore.

I do!

What do you know
about people here?

You're a tourist.

RUBY: You write your
sympathetic articles,

but when it gets rough, you run away
to someplace more comfortable.

My people have been here for 300
years. I have a right to stay.

Great. Stay. Your garage
business will triple.

- I don't fix those kind of cars.
- Well...

you better start.

RUBY: What good
is a hometown...

if everyone you know
is gone?

(inaudible)

(inaudible)

(inaudible)

(inaudible)

- Good afternoon, Senor Platt.
- Oh, hello, Amarante.

I brought you
Saint Ignacio.

- He helps smart people.
- Wh... Thank you.

Maybe you could use
a couple of other saints, too.

- Osha.
- Osha?

It keeps the
rattlesnakes away.

AMARANTE:
Good night, neighbor.

- Thank you.

Mmm... Oh!

If you sleep with your bed
pointed west,

you're just asking
for stomach trouble.

The scorpions will make nests in
your shoes if you leave them there.

And be sure not to lean too far
back on the seat in the outhouse...

or let your testicles
swing up under the wood.

Black widows.

Who were your parents? Do you
have your parents still living?

Oh, yeah. They live in...
I grew up in New York.

New York. That is so far
away. I saw that on a map.

HERBIE: A couple times?
AMARANTE: Yeah, yeah. Sure.

AMARANTE: Two.
(Herbie laughs)

You been around the block twice.
You don't get out much, huh?

No, not very much.

(Herbie laughs)

What are you laughing at?
You think it's--

Well, I mean... No, "around
the block" means, uh--

Never mind.

Okay, let me see if I got this right.
Over there is the lake.

- And up there, the ski lodge?
- Yeah.

- And the condos.
- Uh-huh.

And... the golf course.

That's it!
You've got it.

What's that over there?
Those shiny lines over there?

That is Joe Mondragon's bean field,
and it looks like he's watered it again.

Son of a gun. Sure got
some huevos on him.

Huevos?

Eggs.

Eggs?

You know, balls.

Huevos. I like that.
That's cute.

Joe can't afford a grazing permit, so he
keeps his cow in Sammy Cantu's field.

It's right by the forest line.
Right here.

It's cheaper there, 'cause
there's not much grass.

What do you do if you find a cow
grazing on federal land without a permit?

- We have to impound it.
- There's a fine?

Yeah, it costs a hundred
bucks to get it back.

So Mondragon's cow somehow
wanders into the national forest.

Excuse me, gentlemen.
I didn't hear this.

Okay. Come on!
Come on, cow.

Come on.

What are you looking at?
Get behind her.

- Come on!
- Jesus!

Come on. What's her name--
What's her name?

- I don't know what her name is.
- Come on, you goddamn cow.

- Come on. - That's it. That's it.
Don't let her stop. - Come on.

- They got your cow.
- Joe, they got your cow.

- They got her
on high ground.

- In the Floresta pen!
- What?

- They got your cow in the Floresta pen.
- Son of a bitch!

(speaking Spanish
quietly)

Joe?

Cow broke out of Cantu's field. The Floresta's
got her. They're gonna try to yank my permit.

- I'm gonna get my cow!

What are you gonna do,
shoot it?

- I'm gonna shoot Cantu for not keeping
up his fences! - Oh, great! Kill! Kill!

Do you remember the time I asked you
to kill a turkey for dinner?

Did you use an axe? No, not Joe!
You take a pistol and shoot it.

- Only, you don't aim so good.
- I aim good; it didn't die right away.

It didn't die at all.
It just flopped around...

Hey! What the hell
do you think you're doing?

Taking my cow.

- You got the hundred bucks for the fine?
- I'll take her and pay later.

Joe, you come back here!

Hold it right there!

You're under arrest for stealing
government property.

Holy shit!

Hold it, please!

Please.

- What's the trouble? - Joe's trying
to steal government property.

- How can I steal something that belongs--
- She ate on federal grounds!

Whoa! Whoa!

Jerry, holster the gun
before somebody gets hurt.

If I do, they'll
shoot my nuts off.

Guys, if Jerry holsters his gun,
are you gonna shoot his nuts off?

- Jerry, when did you find that cow?
- About 10:00 this morning.

Joe, when you do reckon she
escaped from Sammy's field?

She was fine
last night.

There. See?

You guys probably found the cow before she ate
any government property, so she's still Joe's.

- Bernie, you don't know your ass
from the law on this case.

It's your ass that's got a bull's-eye
on it right now, Jerry G.

Fuck the cow! He's
trying to save our lives!

Maybe you're right.

Maybe the cow didn't
eat enough grass.

I wasn't gonna
shoot anybody.

You people know that.
Right?

- Right. - Right.
- Right.

We showed them that the
Forest Service can be flexible.

Ahhh!

How 'bout
a little snack, fellas?

Huh?

What are you
gonna do, Bernie?

What do you want me to do?
Check it for fingerprints?

Yeah, so when the Spaniards
brought in Christianity...

they tried to wipe out all the
pagan rituals of the American Indian.

Yeah, but everybody
around here is Catholic.

That's true. But you see, they worship
to the carved statues of saints.

They don't
worship to God.

- We believe in God. - Yeah,
but it's still a form of idolatry,

except now those idols
represent Christian heroes,

like saints,
instead of pagan gods.

The rituals themselves--

Ohh...

Did you get any kind
of look at them?

- No!
- Pssst! Bed!

- Get your head up.
- Aah!

What happened?

The Zopilote sent them.

- Ow! - This whole thing
is getting out of hand, Joe.

- Did you get to where he says,
"This does not mean nothing"? - No.

(knock on door)

(knock on door)

- Are you expecting somebody?
- No. Wait a minute.

(knock on door)

(knock on door)
Just a minute.

Did ya hear?

- Did ya hear what happened
to Joe? - Uh, yes.

You don't look like you're
writing anything about it.

The paper doesn't come out for
three days. Could we talk tomorrow?

- What's the matter?
Got a girlfriend? - Ruby.

Okay, listen. I don't
want to ruin your evening,

but things
are heating up.

- You'd like to see 'em fried. - We're going to have
a harvesting party at Joe's when the beans are ready.

- Who's that? Sylvia Lopez? - No. Have you
cleared this harvesting thing with Joe?

No! He'd never agree
to something like that.

I want you to print an
announcement in your paper. Okay.

- Okay. - Good.
- No! You can't!

Let me rent your machines.
I'll do the flyers.

- Do you know how
to work them? - No.

- I'll do the flyers tomorrow, - Okay.
- but nothing in the paper.

Wait. The petition. You
want to be first to sign?

- Jesus Christ, woman! Don't you
ever let up? - Gloria Martinez.

- Ayyy... - Hahahahaha
- Ah, Jesus.

Hello, child!

Pistol, eh?

Get out
of my way.

I see.

Desperate times call for
desperate measures...

- ...eh?
- Bullshit!

(mumbles in Spanish)

Oh, poor thing.
But what the hell!

What kind of bullets
does this take? I forget.

.45s. Why?

How much?

Well, let me see.

- $7.95.

- Hey, what are
you doing?

You can't buy bullets
with food stamps, Grandpa.

- It is the same as money.
- It's not the same!

You can't buy beer. You can't
buy cigarettes. Where you going?

Thank you.

- What's up?

Who do you think you are,
Pancho Villa?

How do you know
you can pull the trigger?

(men laughing)

Don't encourage him.
Leave him alone. Fuck him.

(men laughing)

Scoundrel!
You are going to pay me!

Go back to the kitchen
to clean the dishes!

Do something!

Start a forest fire.

Oh... What?

Put everybody to work on the fire line.
Get their minds off that damn bean field.

Shorty...
you're crazy.

Build some more cabins out
there behind the tennis courts.

I don't need
any more cabins, Shorty.

Ladd, Joe Mondragon needs
three months' pay as crew boss.

- You buy all your plumbing
from Ruby, all the fixtures...

- She's off
your back, too.

That's pretty good thinkin'
for an old mule.

Well, if you pay 'em, they
ain't gonna slit your throat.

What, no, Bernie?

- Three cabins?
- Yes!

I head the crew. You supply the plumbing.
And do you know for what price?

Fourteen dollars an hour!
That's three months' work guaranteed.

- Just a bribe, Jose.
- Oh!

- So what?

As long as you're being overpaid... see if
you can get some work at the condos, too.

You know what I could do
with $14.00 an hour?

I could pay off the refrigerator,
that stupid TV.

- Buy yourself a new truck.
- And in return, you give up the bean field, right?

- What bean field? I'll make more
in one day than on all those beans.

- Four-wheel drive.
AM-FM.

They want to buy you!

- She's right, Jose. - Oh. Now you
want me growing the bean field?

I don't know. At first I was scared.
Now they make me mad!

- I gotta look out for this family, right?
- What about everybody else in town!?

- If you quit now, you let
a lot of people down! - Who?

Name five people who have signed that
petition. Nobody's gonna miss that field.

How about the guys who saved
your ass at the Floresta?

They're so old, they'll all be dead
by the time I get those cabins built.

- So you gonna take the job?
- I don't know!

I don't know! You know,
we could use that money.

I hate that
fucking bean field!

(gunshot)

Joe, no! Joe!

Two boxes of 30-30s.

- Put it on my bill. - Hey!
You still owe me 96 bucks!

- Take that! - 12-gauge.
- 12-gauge, high-power.

- Huh?
- 30-30 Winchester.

- What?
- 30-30 Winchester.

30-06, high velocity.

Remington, .22 long.

30-30 Winchesters.

A can of beef stew...

...and a box of
16-gauge Express.

(phone rings)

Yeah.

- ...the worse-case scenario, we'll have
80% of these units sold... - Mr. Devine.

We could actually be showing a profit
while we're still in construction.

- Mm-hmm. Yeah?
- There's a problem with your sign.

(loudly)
Ahhhhhh!

(echoes)

I want to know
who the dumb-ass was...

that shot at
Mondragon's house.

- Well, don't look at me.
- I don't think Joe did this.

- Then who did?
- I don't know.

Maybe it was El Brazo Onofre.
That guy don't like anybody.

Jesus! Yeah, maybe
it was his arm, Shorty.

Christ! This valley's turned
into a goddamn war zone!

(pop!)

Somebody sure got a lot of time
on their hands.

Hi, honey.

When did you start
carrying a gun?

I won already, okay?
You got nothin' right now.

Now you got a pair--
(thump)

TV: Tonight, President Reagan will make
a special address to the American people...

- Yeah... yeah
TV: ...from the Oval Office.

What time he'll make his speech
tonight, we're uncertain at this point.

As soon as the White house
tells us-- (mutes TV)

Did you hear anything?

Mm-mm.

Oh, it's probably Mondragon pouring
gasoline on all the cottages.

You know something, honey?

When we were first married,
it was different.

Oh, it's that
goddamn bean field!

I should've come down hard
on it right at the start.

I thought I was really doin'
somethin' good for this town.

You were, honey. I just don't know if the
world really needs another golf course.

- That bean field don't look
so bad. I've seen worse.

No thanks to you.

I thought you
were going to help.

When are you
going to do something?

I don't do things;
I give advice.

You have some advice?

(sighs) You're gonna need
a big sacrifice here.

You get down
from there.

Back off, old man!

This bean field business
has gone far enough!

You get down or I'll blow a hole in your
chest big enough for an owl to nest in.

Jesus Christ! Don't be
pointing that thing at me!

- Get out of the way!
Shit! Okay!

Okay! All right.

- Now get out of here. - Hey, hey, that's
Devine's. You better not be doing that.

- Crazy old bastard!

- We'll be back!

Butterflies
ate your arm?

Yes. I had fallen asleep
on a very warm spring day.

It was cold
the night before.

One thousand butterflies
took it,

and I haven't been able
to find it since.

- It has to be somewhere--
- Hello! What's happening?

Getting groceries
for your friend.

Hey, hope you didn't buy any beans.
We'll have our own in a few days.

Ay, my Lord!

You fucking--
(gunshot)

Son-of-a-bitch!

Go away! You're not eating
any fucking more!

Oh no.

Whoa!

- Jesus, Joe, you hit him.
- Oh, Jesus.

(gunshot)

No! Wait!
Don't shoot!

Oh, my God.

- My God! Oh, no!
- Oh, Jesus. I'm sorry. I'm sorry!

Oh, my God! Get a doctor!
Let's get him outta here.

Get him a doctor!

Come on!

Hold on, old man.
Hold on!

- You better get out of here, Joe.
- Let's get him to the clinic.

- You gotta get out of here, Joe.
- But he didn't mean to.

- Nobody's gonna believe that.
- Joe, you gotta get out of here.

- Let's go!
- I just can't leave him.

- Get away from here, Joe.
- Go, Joe, go!

Why is it...

every time we're mad at one of them,
we end up hurting one of us?

You've got to
defend him, Charlie!

Ruby, will you really--
just lay off. Don't push!

I'm trying to get it together so we can at least get
printing material. We can't even get up a spirit master.

- I do not know if I want to
represent somebody. - Why not?

- In the first place, I do
not have all the facts.

What facts?
Charlie, what facts?

It was self-defense.
Let's hope so, Ruby.

I don't know if he wants
or needs representation.

I've been away from this stuff, and
I don't know if I'm any good anymore.

And besides,
I've told ya...

or maybe
I didn't tell you...

I lost a lot
of my cases.

(knock on door)
Come in.

Both of you know that Joe Mondragon
is a fugitive from justice.

He's a fugitive, anyway.

If you have any idea where he is or any
information that might be helpful in finding him,

I suggest that now's
the time to speak.

How 'bout yourself?

I have no idea.

I remind you that withholding information
is a felony. So is harboring a fugitive.

If I discover that either of you
is involved like that,

I'll have you prosecuted
to the full extent of the law.

Hold it!

I am Joe Mondragon's lawyer.

And he has certain rights...

with which I'm sure
you are familiar.

And if you go after him and
shoot him down like a dog,

or even manhandle him
in the least little bit,

I'll hang you by your balls, even if I have
to go to the Supreme Court to do it!

Hmm.

How many men
you got, Bernie?

- Around 20 or 30.
- I mean exactly.

- Twenty-six.
- Did you count 'em?

- No.
- Count 'em.

(man starts singing
in Spanish)

(others join
in singing)

Don't sing.

(all singing stops)

(gunshot)

Hey.

(men laughing)

This posse
couldn't find itself.

Unless it wanted to.

We're wasting our time. Take the
men back down before it gets dark.

What are you
gonna do?

Take a look around.

By myself.

I doubt
you'll ever find him.

Maybe not.

If I thought
you had a chance,

I wouldn't go back.

(man starts singing)
♪ Ay-yi-yi-yi ♪

(others join in singing)
♪ Sing and do not cry ♪

♪ Because singing is happy ♪

♪ Cute baby hearts ♪

♪ Ay-yi-yi-yi ♪

♪ Sing and do not cry ♪

RUBY:
He's not gonna die.

He should have been dead a long
time ago, but he never quits.

Hey...

Hmm...
Let me see here.

Here.

Here... Let me
open that for ya.

Uh... no tamales.

I hope, uh...

that the tacos
are okay.

Sorry if I'm not
doing this right.

I mean, I don't want
to insult you or anything,

but, uh...

I'd really appreciate it if you
could help my friend Amarante.

He's a good man.

(Coyote Angel
playing acordian)

RUBY:
Hello?

RUBY:
Hello?

RUBY:
Bloom?

BLOOM:
Yeah?

RUBY:
Did you open the gate?

Somebody had to.

Be a shame
to let it all die now.

Okay, Bloom.

(acordian plays)

Do you hear that?

What?

You don't hear
anything?

Uh-uh.

(Coyote Angel
playing acordian)

Ahh.

AMARANTE:
Ahh.

(Amarante mumbling
in Spanish)

What are you
all doing here?

- Good afternoon, old man.
- Where's my gun?

I don't know where your gun is,
Amarante. I wish I did know.

But... I found one
of your bullets...

in Joe Mondragon's wall.

- .45 Peacemaker?

You wouldn't know anything about
who burned Devine's sign, would you?

No.

What about
the rest of you?

- How about
the crosses?

- Dead fish?

- Flaming arrow?

I didn't think so.

(horse galloping)

I hate climbing rocks.

(gunshot)
Mother!

Son of a bitch.
Right here.

Son of a bitch!

(gunshot)

Shit!

Don't run!

It's over, Joe.

You won't get hurt if you come out
with your hands above your head.

- Come on out now!
- I got a pistol.

- No, you don't!
- How can you be sure?

If you did...
you'd have used it by now.

- I've been saving my last bullet.
- I don't believe ya.

- Why not? It's possible.
- I'm comin', Joe.

(gunshot)

(gunshot)

(gunshot)

(gunshot)

(gunshot)

(gunshot)

I should have
built those cabins.

Joe.

Shorty?

Headed up to
Baldy Bear Creek?

Yeah.

Be some big rainbows
up there.

Oh! Looks like
Amarante's gonna make it.

Thanks, Shorty.

It'd be a shame
for it to end like that.

I'm gettin' kind of interested in
what's gonna happen next. Be seein' ya.

Hey, Shorty... How 'bout
a ride down the hill?

Well, I wouldn't
push it, Joe.

(speaking quietly)

That's the message, because...
You cannot get it from books...

I'm hungry.
I am soooo hungry.

- Luisa! Maria!
- Papa!

- Joe.
- How's Amarante?

- Joe! - The doctor says
he's okay. At least he's awake.

- Joe, what happened?
- I came back.

- You still got that petition?
- Yeah. - I want to sign it.

Ah, listen, Joe, there's things that
you and I have to talk about right now.

- Sure. Later.
- Later!?

- Let's go. -Wait a minute.
Where the hell ya goin'?

- Pick beans.
- We're gonna pick beans.

We're gonna pick beans,
beans, beans!

- Let's run!

(all horns
honking)

JOE:
Come on!

(all horns
honking)

(horns still
honking)

Joe?

Hey, Joe!

Mario,
go get the baskets.

RUBY:
Hey, sign this!

Everybody, come sign
the petition!

Come sign the petition.

You want that first pot of
beans? Then you start picking.

- The pintos, eh?
- Glad to see you.

There you go.
Taste it.

Here. Put them all in the
basket for me. Gracias, amigo.

What now?

Mondragon, you're
under arrest. Cuff him.

- Wait a minute. What's he charged with?
- Attempted murder.

Unlawful flight
to avoid prosecution.

Let's go.

I hope none of these people
cause trouble for your sake.

Montana, the key.

[MAN on RADIO] I don't have
the authority to do that.

You'd better get somebody who's
got the authority right now.

[MAN on RADIO] What's the problem?
- Because we're about to have a fucking war!

I'm warning you people...
don't try to interfere.

- Maybe we shouldn't push this.
- Be quiet.

(siren)

Hold it!

Montana!
Hold it.

Hold it right there.
Nobody move.

Put those
guns down.

- I think we better slow down here.
- Tell these people to back off!

I'm takin' him in.

- No, you're not.
- What?

Amarante's feeling much better.
He refuses to press charges.

BLOOM:
So...

there's no attempted murder;
there's no unlawful flight.

And unless he has a warrant to arrest Joe for
taking water, he's outside his jurisdiction!

Get out
of my way.

I'm deputizing everybody in this
crowd for crowd-control duty.

- You gotta be jokin'.
- Mr. Montana!

- There's a call for you
on the radio. - Not now!

Sir. Sir. It's important.
Can I speak to you?

Don't let him move!

- Governor's on the phone.
He needs to talk to you. - Bruno...

the name "Custer"
ring a bell?

GOVERNOR: Kyril?
- Yeah.

- You got Mondragon
with ya? - Yes.

- Stop the arrest procedures. Come back
to the office and bring the men with you.

What? You can't
do that to me. He's--

he's already under arrest.
I'm... I'm takin' him in.

- Don't arrest him. Get the men back in.
I'll explain it later. Do you follow?

Right.

Let him go.

Yeah.

- You can un-deputize
your crowd, Bernie.

Maybe I'll be back.

If not, I'll send you
a sack of beans.

Montana.

The key.

(all singing)

You're a pain
in the ass.

La-La-Ladd?

Yeah, uh, yeah,
it's Harry. The governor.

Yeah, how you doin'?

Yeah, listen, uh, there's a little
somethin' we gotta talk about.

I don't believe it!

"Let's put it on
the back burner"!

I gave money
to that chicken-shit!

Son of a bitch!

- I even voted
for him!

Look at all
these signatures.

Yeah. You know, they're all
gonna have hangovers tomorrow,

and they're gonna come begging and
crying to take their names off that list.

But right now,
at this moment,

isn't it wonderful?

It sure is.

Ruby.

Give me that petition.

You're gonna
lose your job.

If I'm lucky.

Nice.

♪ Ypor eso los grandes amores ♪
(And so the great loves)

♪ De muchos colores me gustan a mi ♪
(I like many colors)

♪ Por eso los grandes amores ♪
(So the great loves)

♪ De muchos colores me gustan a mi ♪
(I like many colors)

♪ Ypor eso los grandes amores ♪
(And so the great loves)

♪ De muchos colores me gustan a mi ♪
(I like many colors)

Hey, compadre,
where you going?

I've got to get
to the bean field.

Ah, yes. There's one
hell of a party going on.

- Come on.

Come on.
I know a shortcut.

- Shortcut? - Yes, my feet
are killing me. Come on!

- Sometimes you do not act like an angel.
- I want to tell you something.

AMARANTE: I don't want to know anything.
COYOTE ANGEL: I hate beans.

AMARANTE: What? You are a disgrace!
COYOTE ANGEL: I'd rather have steak.

AMARANTE: Oh, sometimes I think
you're just making fun of me.

COYOTE ANGEL: Watch out!
AMARANTE: Whoa!

COYOTE ANGEL:
Not bad. Not bad.

(both laughing)

COYOTE ANGEL:
Look. You are an athlete.

AMARANTE: I had never
walked so much in my life.

COYOTE ANGEL:
Ay, poor thing.

COYOTE ANGEL: But not
necessary much now.

COYOTE ANGEL: In a little while, I think
we are going to hear the music.

AMARANTE:
M-- M-- Music?

COYOTE ANGEL: Yes, man.
Music of the party, naturally.

AMARANTE: The fiesta.
There's a fiesta.