Harlan County War (2000)

You won't be disappointed!

An absolute waste of money

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

I'll keep this short. Martin Ritt's "Norma Rae" was a more original, less stereotyped study of exploited Appalachian workers and their tribulations, and so was Barbara Koppel's documentary of this confrontation between union organizers and the evil company they labor for.The acting isn't bad. Holly Hunter is good, as she usually is, and Stellan Skarsgard is fine as always. He's a remarkably relaxed performer, whether the role calls for villainy ("Ronin") or sympathetic understanding, as in "Good Will Hunting". Hunter's Southern accent may sound overdrawn to some, but thirty-five years ago I imagine it fit the template well enough.It's the story that sags. There are good people and evil people and none of them are particularly complex. That's more or less how Koppel's documentary rolled along too, but it's nevertheless not how life on the ground is structured. The conventions followed here are those of a soap opera, except that instead of a deceitful and vicious husband, we have a nefarious corporation.It doesn't matter that the film was shot in Canada. That has little to do with its quality. I only wish the script had given the audience a bit more to chew on, just a little food for thought, a ham hock or two, rather than Pablum.

Big management grinds poor workers with boot heel followed by rebellion and unionization. There's nothing new in Showtime's telling of this old story about hollow dwelling coal miners in Harlan County, KY. Nonetheless, Hunter bails out this well made but potentially monotonous film with her powerful performance as a spunky and dauntless coal miner's wife. A must see for Hunter fans.

Harlan County Kentucky is a beautiful place not Vancouver in Canada were the movie was filmed.The people of Harlan County Kentucky do not talk like Granny of the Beverly Hillbillies as Holly Hunter did.Why were the people of Harlan County Kentucky left out of this movie.The coalminers strike in Harlan County Kentucky was alot more than what this movie portrayed.I was embarrassed for the maker of this movie.

I am biased about Holly Hunter, having enjoyed all her movies (excluding A Life Less Ordinary) right back to Broadcast News and Harlan County War is a fine addition to her record.In her first TV movie appearance for 7 years, she is the main focus of the gripping account of a particularly nasty miners' strike in Eastern Kentucky in the early 1970s and her portrayal of Ruby Kincaid has the ring of authenticity, extraordinary focus and real passion I've come to expect.Definite echoes of Roe vs. Wade for me - not just because that too was set in the 1970s but the whole feel of the movies is similar - both have very strong scripts and the acting of everyone involved is spot on. It was also interesting to contrast the approach taken with the UK movie " Brassed Off " which so successfully highlighted the many wounds (few yet healed totally) resulting from the 1984 miners strike in England - also a very bitter dispute.There are many wonderful moments in Harlan County - the scenes with Ruby and her black lung infected dad - evoking the poignant scenes between daughter and dad in Home For The Holidays - the strong rapport between Ruby and husband, and the gradual awareness of how strongly Ruby feels about not giving in to the mining company. For anyone who, like me, is an admirer of Holly Hunter's work this film is a must and long after watching it, images of the dispute lingered on in my mind. As usual, the other question I kept asking myself : is there a better character actor or actress than Hunter alive today ? Easy answer to that one - no.