People

By Guy D. Garcia

It is called the Milagro Beanfield War, a modern-day fable about a native New Mexican farmer who dares to stand up to Big Business developers. But for a while it looked as though the motion picture might be better remembered as Robert Redford's Alamo. Even before filming began, Redford was daunted by the task of rendering John Nichols' 1974 novel into a suitable screenplay. "There were several attempts made," he recalls. "It was very, very difficult." Then, shortly after arriving on location in New Mexico last summer, Redford was buffeted by bad weather and stormy relations with the locals. He was forced to move the shooting from Chimayo, a community 20 miles north of Santa Fe, to nearby Truchas, after property owners objected to the presence of a movie crew in their quiet, residential area. Next came a lawsuit by rival filmmakers claiming that Redford had violated their rights to the Nichols story; the case is still pending. By the time the movie, which stars Sonia Braga (Kiss of the Spider Woman), Salsa Singer Ruben Blades and Christopher Walken (At Close Range), finally wrapped last week, it was a month late and well over the reported $10 million budget. But despite all, the Oscar-winning director has remained philosophical. "It happens on every film," observes Redford. "Someone comes out of the woodwork with their hands out."