The Field (1990)
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43% of critics liked it
(14 reviews) -
79% of users liked it
(2,694 ratings)
Richard Harris was nominated for several awards (including the Oscar and Golden Globe) for his performance in The Field. The time is the mid-1930s; the place, western Ireland. For many years rugged individualist Bull McCabe (Harris) has been cultivating a small plot of rented land, nurturing it from… More Richard Harris was nominated for several awards (including the Oscar and Golden Globe) for his performance in The Field. The time is the mid-1930s; the place, western Ireland. For many years rugged individualist Bull McCabe (Harris) has been cultivating a small plot of rented land, nurturing it from barren rock into a fertile field. Now, however, the widow who owns the land plans to sell it at auction. The infuriated Bull shows up at the bidding, secure in his belief that none of his neighbors will dare bid against him. But Bull has not taken into consideration a wealthy Irish-American (Tom Berenger), who intends to pave over the land and bring new industry to the area. "This is deep, very deep, deeper than you think" warns Bull, as he sends his grown son (Sean Bean) to "persuade" the American to withdraw his bid. Armed with the foreknowledge that Bull's tenacity has caused heartbreak and tragedy in the past, the audience steels itself for the awful consequences still to come. Punctuating the storyline are the periodic appearances of the toothless village idiot, played by John Hurt. Originally produced for British television, The Field was based on the landmark play by John B. Keane, and directed by My Left Foot's Jim Sheridan. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Jim Sheridan
- Written By
- John B. Keane, Jim Sheridan
- Genres
- Art House & International, Drama
PG-13,
- In Theaters
- Jan 1, 1990 Wide
- Studio
- Live Home Video
Critic Reviews
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Vincent Canby, New York Times
The Field is a movie that all too often reveals its origins as a play.
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Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
As overwrought as [My Left Foot] was understated.
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Eve Zibart, Washington Post
A painfully overwrought combination of A Touch of the Poet and Zorba the Greek.
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Rita Kempley, Washington Post
Sheridan seems out in left field here, undone by the sheer hokum of the material.
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Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The Field is a grim allegory of hard life on the land -- a symbolic play, transplanted uneasily to the greater realism of the film medium, where what we might accept on the stage now looks contrived and artificial.
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Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Richard Harris
as "Bull" McCabe
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John Hurt
as "Bird" O'Donnell
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Tom Berenger
as Peter the American
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Sean Bean
as Tadgh McCabe
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Frances Tomelty
as The Widow
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Brenda Fricker
as Maggie McCabe
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Jenny Conroy
as Tinker Girl
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John Cowley
as Flanagan
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Sarah Cronin
as Girl at Dance
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Rachel Dowling
as Girl at Dance
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Brendan Gleeson
as Quarryman
- Mairtin Jaimsie
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Tom Jordan
as Villager
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Eamon Keane
as Dan Paddy Andy
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Peadar Lamb
as Paddy Joe O'Reilly
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Ruth McCabe
as Tinker Woman
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Malachy McCourt
as Sergeant
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Sean McGinley
as Father Doran
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Bina McLoughlin
as Villager
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Johnny Choil Mhike
as Villager
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Aine Ni Mhuiri
as Priest's Housekeeper
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Noel O'Donovan
as Tomas
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Jer O'Leary
as Tinker Girl's Father
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Sara Jane Scaife
as McRoarty Girl
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Joan Sheehy
as 2nd Tinker Woman
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David Wilmot
as Boy at Dance
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Ronan Wilmot
as Tinker
- Nuala Moiselle
- Frank McDonald
