The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005)
- Starring:
- Tommy Lee Jones, Barry Pepper, (more)
- Director(s):
- Tommy Lee Jones
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R
- Category:
- Westerns
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Veteran screen star Tommy Lee Jones makes his directorial debut with the fractured tale of murder and injustice on the U.S.-Mexico border scripted by Amores perros and 21 Grams screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga. Mike Norton (Barry Pepper) is a fresh-faced Border Patrol officer in Cibolo County, Texas whose dedication to his new job leaves his lonely wife Lou Ann (January Jones) with little to do but spend her days at the local diner, where she strikes up a friendship with waitress Rachel (Melissa Leo). Despite her own status as a married woman, Rachel is unfulfilled in her marriage and is intimately involved with both rugged rancher Pete Perkins (Tommy Lee Jones) and local Sherrif Belmont (Dwight Yoakam). Soon after Pete hires Mexican illegal Melquiades Estrada (Julio Cesar Cedillo) as a ranch hand, the growing bond between the pair is suddenly shattered when, in a moment of panic on a routine patrol, Mike hastily guns down the innocent Melquaides. When an enraged Pete learns that Mike had unceremoniously buried the illegal immigrant in an unmarked desert grave and local authorities opt to overlook the case, he kidnaps the crooked lawman and sets out to ensure that justice is served with or without the involvement of the local police force. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 121 mins
Complete Cast:
- Tommy Lee Jones - Pete Perkins
- Julio Cedillo - Melquiades Estrada
- January Jones - Lou Ann Norton
- Levon Helm - Old Man With Radio
- Cecilia Suarez - Rosa
- Vanessa Bauche - Mariana
- Maya Zapata - El Toston Woman 1
- Victoria Jones - Immigrant Girl
- Jesse De Luna - Miller
- Lonnie Nelson - Gravedigger
- Raul Molinar - Radio Announcer 1
- Jordan Henderson - Mary, Soap Opera Girl
- Montserrat De León - El Toston Woman 2
- Guillermo Von Son - Chino
- Brent Smiga - Deputy Antonio
- Paulina Reyes - Piano Player
- René Campero - Don Casimiro
- Irineo Alvarez - Manuel
- Terry Parks - Neil
- Sean Hennigan - Chuck
- Josh Berry - Border Patrolman
- Richard Dillard - Jim
- Sonny Carl Davis - Kruger
- Barry Pepper - Mike Norton
- Dwight Yoakam - Sheriff Frank Belmont
- Melissa Leo - Rachel
- Melvin Rodriguez - Captain Gomez
- Ignacio Guadalupe - Lucio
- Rodger Boyce - Salesman
- Guillermo Arriaga - Juan
- Angelina C. Torres - Adriana
- Juan Pareja - Sands Guy 1
- Adrian Navarette - Agustin
- Karen Jones - Dog Lady
- Jorge Ádrian Espíndola - Cowboy 1
- Ariel Castro - Jorge
- Spike Spencer - John, Soap Opera
- Sergio Rodriguez - Radio Announcer 2
- Lupe Campos - Sands Guy 2
- Edwin 'Bubba' Broussard - Bubba
- Hugo Perez - Man
- Gustavo Sanchez Parra - Tomas
- Richard Jones - Bob
- Uriel Chavez - Cowboy 2
- Charles Sanders - Doctor
- Barry Tubb - A.L.
- Director(s):
- Tommy Lee Jones
- Writer(s):
- Guillermo Arriaga
- Producer(s):
- Michael Fitzgerald, Luc Besson, Michael Fitzgerald
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R(Profanity, Violence, Sexual Situations)
- Categories:
- Westerns
- Closed Captioning:
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- Subtitles:
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- 2005 - The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada - Cannes Film Festival - Best Screenplay
- 2005 - The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada - Cannes Film Festival - Best Actor
- 2005 - The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada - Dallas/Fort Worth Film Critics Association - Top Ten Film
