Matewan

IMDb 7.4 1987 β€’ 132 min β€’ DramaHistory

Director

John Sayles

Country

US

Plot Summary

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.

Top Cast

Chris Cooper
Chris Cooper Joe Kenehan
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones 'Few Clothes' Johnson
Mary McDonnell
Mary McDonnell Elma Radnor
Will Oldham
Will Oldham Danny Radnor
David Strathairn
David Strathairn Police Chief Sid Hatfield