Matewan poster

Matewan

19872h 12mDrama · History
directed by John Sayles

“It takes more than guns to kill a man.”

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TMDB
7.3 / 10
136 votes
IMDb
7.9 / 10
9,927 votes
Metacritic
73 / 100
Rotten Tomatoes
94%

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Synopsis

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.

Cast

Chris Cooper·Joe Kenehan
James Earl Jones·'Few Clothes' Johnson
Mary McDonnell·Elma Radnor
Will Oldham·Danny Radnor
David Strathairn·Police Chief Sid Hatfield
Ken Jenkins·Sephus Purcell
Kevin Tighe·Bill Hickey
Gordon Clapp·Tom Griggs
Bob Gunton·C.E. Lively
Jace Alexander·Hilllard Elkins