Barbara Kopple sets her gaze on a Kentucky coal miner's strike and comes up with a true winner. All the elements of a classic documentary are here. The story - rich corporation versus poor working people - is as old as time itself, and is no less salient or important now than it was 25 years ago.
The cable network Showtime recently made a film called "Harlan County War". This film seems to be an adaptation of "Harlan County USA", with more emphasis on one person - Holly Hunter's character - as she rises to prominence in the union. "Harlan Cty. War" owes a lot to "Norma Rae" in this respect. I saw most of it and was generally pleased. The story is still moving, despite flaws like a sugarcoated ending and Hunter's garbled Kentucky accent.
The cable network Showtime recently made a film called "Harlan County War". This film seems to be an adaptation of "Harlan County USA", with more emphasis on one person - Holly Hunter's character - as she rises to prominence in the union. "Harlan Cty. War" owes a lot to "Norma Rae" in this respect. I saw most of it and was generally pleased. The story is still moving, despite flaws like a sugarcoated ending and Hunter's garbled Kentucky accent.