Synopsis: Mingo County, West Virginia, 1920. Coal miners, struggling to form a union, are up against company operators and gun thugs; Black and Italian miners, brought in by the company to break the strike, are caught between the two forces. Union activist and ex-Wobbly Joe Kenehan, sent to help organize the union, determines to bring the local, Black, and Italian groups together.

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
Gordon Clapp .... Griggs
Kevin Tighe .... Hickey
John Sayles .... Hardshell Preacher
Bob Gunton .... C.E. Lively
Josh Mostel .... Mayor Cabell Testerman
Nancy Mette .... Bridey Mae
Jace Alexander .... Hillard Elkins
Joe Grifasi .... Fausto
Gary McCleery .... Ludie

Favorite Quotes:
• "I take care of my people. You bring 'em trouble, and you're a dead man. Sleep tight, Kenehan." - Police Chief Sid Hatfield

• "You think this man is the enemy? Huh? This is a worker! Any union keeps this man out ain't a union, it's a goddam club! They got you fightin' white against colored, native against foreign, hollow against hollow, when you know there ain't but two sides in this world--them that work and them that don't. You work, they don't. That's all you get to know about the enemy." - Joe Kenehan

• "I've met, Mr. Feltch. I wouldn't piss on him if his heart was on fire." - Police Chief Sid Hatfield

Notes:
• Matewan is based off of a true incident involving coal miners in the town of Matewan and the strike that ended in bloodshed. David's character, Sid Hatfield, as well as the characters Cabell Testerman, C. E. Lively, and "Few Clothes" Johnson were all real people.
• Matewan was David's third collaboration with John Sayles (the previous being Return of the Secaucus 7 and The Brother From Another Planet.) Gordon Clapp, another Sayles regular, appeared in this film, too, and, subsequently, has appeared in several films with David. In addition, Matewan was the first of five collaborations David has had with co-star Mary McDonnell, and Chris Cooper would work with David again in Sayles's City of Hope.
• For his role as Police Chief Sid Hatfield, David received his first Independent Spirit Award nomination.

Exclusive:
Interview with director/producer Jason Brown (of the 2007 Matewan documentary)

Critical Praise & Commentary:
• "The town's sheriff (David Strathairn) stands tall, and the mayor of the town (Josh Mostel) refuses to sell his people down the river for money. Virtue roars like a lion in Matewan as ordinary citizens achieve heroic stature. This is an old-fashioned movie that will make the hearts of all idealists truly sing." -Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Health

• "There's not a weak performance in the film, but I especially admired the work of Mr. Cooper, Mr. Tighe, Miss McDonnell, Miss Mette, Mr. Gunton, Mr. Strathairn and Mr. Mostel. They may be playing Social-Realist icons, but each manages to make something personal and idiosyncratic out of the material, without destroying the ballad-like style." -Vincent Canby, The New York Times

• "...David Strathairn, who should go down in modern cinema history as the first guy to wield two guns [in Matewan] in a really cool way..." -Kerry Douglas Dye, Leisure Suite

• "The focus and Sayles's sympathies are on the union side of the conflict and as a consequence, most of the characters on that side are well drawn and ring true, from Mary McDonell as Elma Radnor to James Earl Jones as 'Few Clothes' Johnson to David Strathairn as Sid Hatfield." -Judge Maxwell, DVD Verdict

• "David Strathairn makes an impression as a wily local sheriff..." -Harvey O'Brien, Movie Reviews

• "The everymen/everywomen are the miners themselves, their wives, widows, and children (a large, and excellent, cast of Sayles regulars and semi-regulars, with standout performances by Mary McDonnell as Elma Radnor, the woman who runs the town's boarding house; David Strathairn as Police Chief Sid Hatfield; James Earl Jones as 'Few Clothes' Johnson, leader of the Black scabs who are brought in to replace the striking miners; and Will Oldham as Danny Radnor, Elma son, who is also one of the West Virginia miners and the town's softshell Baptist preacher)." -Elaine Perrone, Orbital Reviews

• "Virtue is also embodied by James Earl Jones in a small but central role as 'Few Clothes' Johnson, the defacto leader of the African-American contingent and Sayles' regular David Strathairn as the surprisingly honorable and courageous sheriff. As usual with Sayles, the acting is consistently top-drawer." -Bob Westal, Film Threat

(David On His Role:)
• "Haskell [cinematographer] told me that, just after the gun battle, when I take the gun away from the character Jo, I had to indicate my attitude toward the gun battle, because that's the only time we're going to get it. And it's in the background. Now, all I 'do' is go over and take the gun. But, because he told me that, I did something with the gun. It was really good advice in terms of working in film, because it's not something that's pointed out in the script. It's nonverbal." -David Strathairn, 1995

• "Being in West Virginia in coal mine country in Matewan, that was a lot of fun." -David Strathairn, 2006

Related Links:
http:// John Sayles Retro - Matewan