Matewan
“It takes more than guns to kill a man.”
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.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Matewan (1987) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p]
Type: Trailer • Published 2019-12-28
Top Cast
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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
Joe Grifasi
Fausto
Nancy Mette
Bridey Mae Tolliver
Jo Henderson
Mrs. Elkins
Josh Mostel
Mayor Cabell Testerman
Gary McCleery
Ludie
Maggie Renzi
Rosaria
Tom Wright
Tom
Michael B. Preston
Ellix (as Michael Preston)
Release History & Theatrical Window
Cannes Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
August 28, 1987
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$4M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$1.7M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.42x
-$2.3M deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- John Sayles
- Screenplay & Story
- John Sayles
- Original Score
- Mason Daring
- Original Title
- Matewan
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English, Italian
- Runtime
- 2h 12m
- Production Budget
- $4M
- Worldwide Gross
- $1.7M
- Production Studios
- Cinecom Entertainment Group, Film Gallery, Goldcrest Films International, Red Dog Films, Winwood Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
John Sayles
John Sayles
Mason Daring
Newton Thomas Sigel, Haskell Wexler
Sonya Polonsky
Amir Jacob Malin, Mark Balsam, Jerry Silva, Peggy Rajski, Maggie Renzi
Department Leadership Roster
John Sayles
Director
John Sayles
Writer
Edgard Mourino
Stunt Coordinator
Haskell Wexler
Director of Photography
Sonya Polonsky
Editor
Peggy Rajski
Producer
Mason Daring
Original Music Composer
Nora Chavooshian
Production Design
Maggie Renzi
Producer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG-13: Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
International Certification Matrix
Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Matewan.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Matewan.
Criterion Collection
The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
80's-90's rare stuff
80 and 90 and sometime 70's too
EclecticMIX
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Frequently Asked Questions About Matewan
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Matewan about?
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.
Who directed Matewan?
Matewan was directed by John Sayles.
Who stars in Matewan?
The principal cast of Matewan includes Chris Cooper, James Earl Jones, Mary McDonnell, Will Oldham, David Strathairn.
When was Matewan released and how long is it?
Matewan was released in 1987 with a total runtime of 2h 12m.
What was the box office and production budget of Matewan?
Matewan had a reported production budget of $4M and grossed $1.7M at the worldwide box office (0.42 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for Matewan?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Matewan was composed by Mason Daring.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Matewan?
Matewan holds official age classifications: US: PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.).