Cesar Chavez

Director: Diego Luna Diego Luna

Overview

The life and career of legendary civil and labor rights leader Cesar Chavez is dramatized, following Chavez's mission to officialize the rights of immigrants and farm workers, as well as his personal journey as a husband and father. Outspoken but gentle, willful but soft spoken, the organizer's unique presence and unwavering commitment to non-violent protest would make him an enduring symbol of freedom and equality for generations to come. .

Product Details

Release Date:	07/22/2014
UPC:	0031398198949
Original Release:	2014
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	LIONSGATE - 600000-AEC LGE
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:42:00
Sales rank:	40,830

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

John Malkovich	Bogdanovich Senior
America Ferrera	Helen Chavez
Rosario Dawson	Dolores Huerta
Wes Bentley	Jerry Cohen
Michael Cudlitz	Sheriff Smith
John Ortiz	Eli Ordone
Jacob Vargas	Richard Chavez
Gabriel Mann	John Giumarra Jr.
Yancey Arias	Gilbert Padilla
Mark Moses	Fred Ross
Michael Peña	Cesar E. Chavez
Maynor Alvarado	Actor
Darion Basco	Actor
Michael Brook	Composer

Technical Credits

Keir Pearson

Timothy J. Sexton

Diego Luna	Director,Producer
Keir Pearson	Screenwriter,Producer
Timothy J. Sexton	Screenwriter,Executive Producer
Lawrence Meli	Producer
Russell Smith	Producer,Executive Producer
Jeff Skoll	Executive Producer
Jonathan King	Executive Producer
Lianne Halfon	Executive Producer,Producer
Gael Garcia Bernal	Executive Producer
Rebecca O'Brien	Executive Producer
Haim Saban	Executive Producer
John Malkovich	Executive Producer
Julian Levin	Executive Producer
Emilio Azcárraga Jean	Executive Producer
Heidi Levitt	Casting
Frank Gaeta	Sound/Sound Designer
Pablo Cruz	Producer
Larry Meli	Producer

Editorial Reviews

The fight for fair wages -- a timeless struggle -- is at the center of Diego Luna's biopic Cesar Chavez. The film follows the titular labor leader and civil-rights activist (Michael Peña) as he launches a movement in support of underpaid farm workers during the 1960s. Chavez and his fellow laborers are fundamentally pitted against Bogdanovich (John Malkovich), a wealthy farm owner trying his absolute damnedest to maintain the low-wage status quo out in his grape fields. In Bogdanovich's corner are powerful friends in government and law enforcement, on whom Bogdanovich relies heavily in order to carry out the will of his iron fist. But despite the seemingly uphill battle, Chavez's relentless persistence and supernatural ability to rally followers make the matchup less like David vs. Goliath and more like Foreman vs. Ali, with the fighters going blow-for-blow to the bitter end. Chavez's efforts to secure fairer wages begin with simple unionizing among the farm workers, and then quickly grow to the organizing of an effective labor strike. Bogdanovich is ultimately victorious in his attempts to break the strike, leading Chavez to take more drastic measures, including a march to the California state capital in Sacramento and a successful boycott on Bogdanovich's grapes. Bogdanovich then tries selling his product overseas to circumvent the stateside grape boycott, giving him temporary triumph, only to have Chavez expand the boycott internationally, which proves to be the final nail in Bogdanovich's coffin. Luna's lengthy background in acting undoubtedly contributed to his success in getting the most from his cast, whose heartfelt performances rang true from scene to scene. Everyone carried their weight on set, from Peña's masterful portrayal of everyman Chavez to Malkovich's stirring creation in the complex antagonist Bogdanovich. The hand-held camerawork, while at times overdone, allowed for a more intimate connection with our characters onscreen, who, like the shaky frame, were equally rough around the edges. While the balanced screenplay from writers Keir Pearson and Timothy J. Sexton does a nice job of pulling us in as it chronicles the events and milestones of the farm workers' labor movement, it did little to allow us to get to know Chavez himself, which you might not expect given the title of the film. We're told to believe that Chavez's only source of motivation comes from the need to ensure a brighter future for his family, but in the end it seemed more like he simply had a bone to pick with The Man. The B story following Chavez's frosty relationship with his oldest and increasingly withdrawn son Fernando (Eli Vargas) felt shoe-horned into the script, and provided little insight into who Chavez was as a human being when he wasn't serving as the face of a revolution. The film's goal to inspire is achieved, however, even if it falls short of truly showing us whom we're being inspired by. Anyone who can appreciate a worker's right to a fair day's wage can relate to Chavez's plight; Luna, Peña and Co. take care of the rest.