Lightdeossk Captivating movie !

Spoonixel Amateur movie with Big budget

Kailansorac Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Grover-15 In the tradition of "Norma Rae," this honest and commendable account of the on-going "class warfare" in Bloody Harlan County between the coal mine workers and the mine owners provides a gritty history lesson, especially for young viewers unfamiliar with this vital chapter in our labor struggles. Holly Hunter is nothing less than magnificent, as is the entire cast superbly directed by Tony Bill. The authetic music of Appallachia aids considerably to this must-see film.

rps-2 This is a powerful movie with superbly crafted characters. It's beautifully shot and captures the gritty realism of Appalachia, its hardships, its humanity, its humour. Holly Hunter has created an endearing character. But so are all the other principles. No stereotypes here but honest portraits of real working class people. This is one of the best labour movies I've ever seen.

Rob-210 I am biased about Holly Hunter, having enjoyed all her movies (excluding A Life Less Ordinary) right back to Broadcast News and Harlan County War is a fine addition to her record.In her first TV movie appearance for 7 years, she is the main focus of the gripping account of a particularly nasty miners' strike in Eastern Kentucky in the early 1970s and her portrayal of Ruby Kincaid has the ring of authenticity, extraordinary focus and real passion I've come to expect.Definite echoes of Roe vs. Wade for me - not just because that too was set in the 1970s but the whole feel of the movies is similar - both have very strong scripts and the acting of everyone involved is spot on. It was also interesting to contrast the approach taken with the UK movie " Brassed Off " which so successfully highlighted the many wounds (few yet healed totally) resulting from the 1984 miners strike in England - also a very bitter dispute.There are many wonderful moments in Harlan County - the scenes with Ruby and her black lung infected dad - evoking the poignant scenes between daughter and dad in Home For The Holidays - the strong rapport between Ruby and husband, and the gradual awareness of how strongly Ruby feels about not giving in to the mining company. For anyone who, like me, is an admirer of Holly Hunter's work this film is a must and long after watching it, images of the dispute lingered on in my mind. As usual, the other question I kept asking myself : is there a better character actor or actress than Hunter alive today ? Easy answer to that one - no.

rduchmann Lowest-class working people go on strike for better conditions. Outside agitator helps foment discontent. Working class wife expands personally by taking part in the struggle. To a large extent this sounds like, and is, a 2000 remake of NORMA RAE, which is graced with a fine lead by Holly Hunter, and looks quite good considering it is set in Harlan County, KY, but filmed "on location in Toronto, Canada." Stellan Skarsgard as the labor organizer, and Ted Levine as Hunter's miner husband also deliver good performances, and entire cast is fine though most roles are smallish vs Hunter. Nice musical score.This film takes off from the documentary HARLAN COUNTY USA and has plot resemblances to NORMA RAE. The slant is unabashedly left of center and the performances and details ring true (except the dogs don't look like mountain dogs to me). Hunter is given a fairly brief, mostly-in-the-dark seminude scene that I found a little gratuitous (possibly the first time those words have ever crossed my lips). I didn't catch the credit, this viewing, for the little guy (he's about as short as Hunter) who plays her father, but he looks exactly right as a used-up coal miner and might have been cast right off the street in my neighborhood.Picture is set in the 1970s, with Nixon references and talk of wage scales that will sound unbelievable today. Sneak previewed on Showtime the night of 5/29/2000, this is a commendable fictionalization of the story told even more dramatically in HARLAN COUNTY USA, and easily the best premium cable original film I've seen in a long time. Martin Ritt would have made it even better but he wouldn't have been ashamed of this version. And which side are *you* on, buddy?