THE THREE BURIALS OF MELGUIADES ESTRADA

Drama

DEFINITIONS
Wetback: a Mexican who enters the U.S. illegally; from the practice of wading or swimming the Rio Grande where it forms the U.S.-Mexico border;usually offensive

Gringo: a foreigner in Latin America especially those of English or American origin; often disparaging

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Barry Pepper: rookie Border Patrol agent Mike Norton
January Jones: his wife Lou Ann
Julio Cesar Cedillo: Melquiades Estrada, an illegal Mexican immigrant
Tommy Lee Jones: Pete Perkins, a West Texas rancher who gives him a job tending goats
Mel Rodriguez: Norton’s superior, Captain Gomez
Dwight Yoakam: Sheriff Belmont
Melissa Leo: Rachel, wife of Bob and the sole waitress in his diner

REVIEW
Since the flashbacks are not always that easy to discern, it is somewhat confusing at the beginning. But then things settle down and we’re off on a good old-fashioned story of right and wrong, loyalty and compassion. Adequate time is given to developing the main characters so we get to understand who they are and why they act the way they do. It’s all very well done despite the fact things don’t always turn out the way we figure they should.

CLASSIFICATION
for language, brief violence and some sexuality

P.S.
Melquiades is pronounced “mill-key-ah-dez”