A Bare Bones Movie about the Famous Labor Leader that isn't Interested in Details or Minutia, just the Fact that Big Business (you know the Free Market) that Left to its Own Greedy Devices will Repress, Underpay, Exploit, De-Humanize, Employ Children, Withhold Benefits, and Simply do Anything They Can to Make More Money on the Backs of People Without Power.So it is Really Unnecessary to get into the Weeds. This is Basic Human Rights. The Bill of Rights and All that Jazz. It Seems that there Still Remains a Clear and Present Danger in this Land of Opportunity to this Day as the Unions are Vilified and the Trickle Down Theory of Ronald Reagan (his insensitivity and inhumanity are touched on in the Film), is Still Around and Sold as the "Rising Tide that Lifts All Boats".This is a No-Brainer and Counter-Mined and Pontificated Against Every Day by Pundits, Politicians, and Big Corp that have a Lot of Power but Very Few Brains and come Equipped with a Total Lack of Empathy. They have Undergone, Somewhere at Sometime, a "Cremation of Care". Every so often there is a Need, Once Again, for this Type of Bumper Sticker ("Yes We Can") Sloganism just to Remind and Tweak Folks of the Perpetual Inconvenient Truth that Regular People just Want Decent Pay for a Decent Days Work and are Not Receiving it. No More Intellectualizing is Needed and No More Attention to Detail is Necessary. Just a Wake Up Call. Anybody Home?

I was in awe when I viewed this movie. Finally a film that brought Cesar Chavez's story to life. I am from Phoenix, Arizona and often heard stories of Cesar Chavez. I even met some of his family members and supporters while working at Chicanos Por La Causa but still had no idea how much violence he and his party encountered. This film angered me and brought me tears on more than one occasion. I have viewed this film so far four times to take in all of it. This movie touched me and hit home since my mother is Filipino/Mexican-American. I did not expect to see Filipinos in this film at all. I had no idea that that they were part of the movement. To see the harsh treatment and environments that my ancestors encountered enraged me. I would have never known about these acts if I did not read about it in a book. Since I was not moved to read about Cesar Chavez I am glad that this film was made otherwise I would have no knowledge of this part of my history.Due to this movie I have more respect for Cesar Chavez and his supporters and their efforts. I also see why President Kennedy is known for being a great leader. He to was an intelligent and amazing man. I am a former Civil Rights Compliance Officer/Investigator for the Arizona Attorney General's Officer and marched in several Immigration and Dr. Martin Luther King Marches with a background in History, Ethnic Studies,and Law so I am thrilled that this movie brought Cesar Chavez,Mexican-Americans, Filipino-Americans plight in the United States story to life. It also demonstrates how powerful law, faith,community, knowledge, and unity is. Wonderful film looks like a lot of research was put into it. I am also happy that some of my favorite actresses are in it Rosario Dawson and America Ferrera. I love that another one of my favorite actors Donte Basco's brother Darion Basco starred in this film too. Excited to see actors of color becoming more visible in American Films. I learned so much by watching this film more power to the writers,entire cast, and crew. Job well done! I will most definitely be buying this DVD and also sending some as gifts to family members.

Firstly, I disagree with the external critic reviews that bring the overall rating of the film down very much. Unfortunately, these are the criticisms that will keep Hollywood from investing in future endeavors that symbolize the Latino/Social Justice/Consciousness-Inducing narratives that the public desperately needs. I work in the immigrant social justice movement and I work closely with a lot of farm worker justice orgs, including Chavez's UFW. I understand that there are contexts missing and that there were a lot of things at stake during that particular movement, but I'm more aware of the fact that it would be hard for the general public and the folks that really need to go and watch this film to understand the greater context and be moved by the politics that plagued the social advocates and continue to plague our movement today. I also took my Spanish-speaking, first generation immigrant family to watch this film. They are not involved in any of my work but some of them have worked on the fields as guest workers, etc. I was glad to see that they were moved and even brought to tears by the simplicity of the film and that they appreciated that someone was acknowledging their struggle. At the end of the day, the film was entertaining, well acted, and it served its purpose to educate and inspire people like my family.

This fast paced film is simply riveting. Producer Diego Luna cast Michael Peña in the lead. Peña honestly portrays one of the most important leaders in American labor struggles. John Malkovich joins Luna, co-producing as well as in acting in a villainous role. He exquisitely plays a fictionalized composite, an exploitative Machiavellian grower, comfortable with manipulating family as well as local and national public officials to frustrate Chavez's organizing,and not above promoting lethal violence when it suited his agenda.The movie tracks the dangerous and demanding path taken by Chavez in the decades it took for him and his compañeros to win dignity and living wages for mostly Hispanic and Filipino farm workers. It faithfully displays his courage, religious devotion, acumen and self sacrifice, and the alliances he built, as well as the political and public relations solidarity and coups necessary for success. Only so much can be covered in a film of this length, but it fairly faithfully tracks his intense commitment to "la causa," and how that conflicted with his competing desires to be a father, husband and provider. It touches on his personal sacrifices that extended to long fasts and marches of hundreds of miles, and a willingness to be subjected to brutal physical and political attacks meant to defeat his efforts, but never abandoning Ghandian non-violence. His career, though longer due to Martin Luther King's youthful assassination, overlaps King's considerably in era, unwavering commitment, allies and methods.Given the magnitude of the substantial task to portray such a major and complex figure and movement, the development of other important characters suffers. They include his brother Richard (played by Jacob Vargas), his career-long ally and foil, activist Dolores Huerta (Rosario Dawson) who has outlived and outperformed most of her contemporaries, and the late, long time United Farm Workers powerhouse attorney/negotiator, Jerry Cohen, though all deliver strong performances. Absent from the screenplay are the equally demanding lettuce strike and most of the frustrations with the Teamsters Union and the UFW's eventual settlement with them.This film recapitulates an essential part of late 20th Century American political and social history that legitimately deserves a wider audience than it will likely receive.