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Tell Others About This Page By Using This Button "THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA" (2006) (Tommy Lee Jones, Barry Pepper) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate Heavy Extreme Moderate Heavy Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild None Moderate Minor Extreme Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Extreme Heavy Mild Moderate Heavy QUICK TAKE: Drama: A Texas rancher abducts a border patrolman -- who tried to cover up accidentally killing his friend -- and makes him help return the body to Mexico for burial. PLOT: Pete Perkins (TOMMY LEE JONES) is a Texas rancher who, when not fooling around with local waitress Rachel (MELISSA LEO) who's also having an affair with Sheriff Frank Belmont (DWIGHT YOAKAM), enjoys the company of his new friend, Mexican rancher Melquiades Estrada (JULIO CÉSAR CEDILLO). Things change, however, when Mike Norton (BARRY PEPPER) and his wife Lou Ann (JANUARY JONES) move into town. While Lou Ann is bored out of her mind, Mike is busy working as a border patrolman, nabbing those trying to immigrate illegally from Mexico. Startled one day by a gunshot he mistakenly believes was aimed at him, Mike fires back, but then realizes he hit Melquiades who was shooting at a coyote on his ranch. Scared, Mike hurriedly buries the body and doesn't tell anyone. But when Pete eventually learns what happened to his friend, he violently abducts Mike and makes him dig up Melquiades. Obligated to fulfill his promise to his friend to return him to his Mexican home and bury him there, Pete makes Mike help him transport the body back there. With Belmont hot on their trail, Pete, Mike and Melquiades make an unlikely journey through Texas and across the border into Mexico as Pete tries to find his friend's home and give him his third and final burial. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Anyone who's a fan of someone in the cast might be interested, but beyond them and some older teens, it doesn't seem too likely that most kids will be. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For language, violence and sexuality. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: TOMMY LEE JONES plays a rancher who kidnaps Mike and makes him help take Melquiades' body back to Mexico, all as retribution for Mike shooting and killing his friend. He uses profanity and fools around with Rachel, a married woman. BARRY PEPPER plays a hard-nosed border patrolman who roughs up those who try to sneak into the country. After he accidentally kills Melquiades and tries to cover it up, he must deal with Pete kidnapping him and their subsequent journey for Mexico. He uses strong profanity. JULIO CÉSAR CEDILLO plays Pete's Mexican rancher friend who ends up being shot and killed by Mike. DWIGHT YOAKAM plays the unfriendly local sheriff who fools around with Rachel and pursues Pete. JANUARY JONES plays Mike's wife who puts up with him until she starts hanging out with Rachel. She also smokes. MELISSA LEO plays a waitress who befriends Lou Ann and is having affairs with both Pete and Belmont (thus cheating on her husband). CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a quick look at the content found in this R-rated drama. Profanity consists of at least 27 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered. Sexually related dialogue (some of it explicit) is present, while a man has sex with his wife from behind while standing and nearly masturbates while looking at a girlie magazine featuring photos of bare-breasted women (in a separate scene). Other sex is implied (two men separately having an affair with a married woman), while footage from a porno movie includes nudity, movement and sounds. Violence consists of a man accidentally shooting another man dead, people hitting or roughing up others, a rattlesnake biting a man and a horse falling to its death. A twice buried corpse is taken on a trip home and progressively decomposes along the way. All of that and moments of peril might be unsettling or suspenseful to viewers, while various characters have bad attitudes. Some smoke and others drink, one to the point of slight inebriation, while an old, lonely and blind man wants another man to put him out of his misery (but that doesn't occur). If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there's some bouncy camerawork from time to time. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Mike drinks from a bottle. Pete has a beer from a six-pack by him. He then pours some on a grave. Miscellaneous people drink in a small bar where Pete has some liquor and seems intoxicated (he calls Rachel and asks if she'll marry him). Miscellaneous men drink liquor from a bottle, as does Mike later when he and Pete come across these men who offer him a drink (one then gives him the bottle). Later, Mike and Pete share that bottle. Pete buys some beer in a small store. BLOOD/GORE We hear but don't see Pete vomit from the sight of Melquiades' body. We see Melquiades' dead body ling on a table, his face (with eyes open) somewhat torn up from a coyote earlier feeding on him. Melquiades' body is dragged out and we see blood on the face and shirt. A woman has a bloody nose after Mike punches her there. We see a flashback to Mike's hands that are bloody from having just killed Melquiades (the body is also bloody). Melquiades is suddenly shot (from a distance by Mike) and falls to the ground, mortally wounded. He coughs up some blood and has blood on his face and shirt. There's some blood on the side of Mike's head after Pete hits him. Pete orders that Mike dig up Melquiades' corpse and he does so, but vomits from the smell. We then see him pulling the corpse from the grave (in a body bag), but both end up falling back into the grave (with the bag on Mike). Pete puts salt on the corpse in hopes of stopping it from decomposing even more. We then see that he's carrying it on a horse. We see more views of the corpse that looks even worse than before (and his eyes and mouth are open). Pete then spots ants all over the head (and mouth, etc.) and tries to wipe them away, but there are too many. He then uses alcohol to light them (and the corpse's face) on fire and then quickly puts that out. We see Pete with a hose in the corpse's mouth as he fills the body with anti-freeze (hoping it will stop the decomposition). Mike has some dried blood on his face. Melquiades' face looks even worse with the passage of time. Pete tries to make the body look a little better by combing its hair, but big chunks of that pull out of the head as he does so. We see a dead bear (that's been hunted) with an open incision and one man gives Pete some raw meat from it. We see bad bruises on Mike's wrists (from where he was bound). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Mike chases several border crossers, eventually tackling some. He then punches a woman in the face, knocking her to the ground (telling her, "Stay down bitch"). Belmont has a bad attitude toward Pete. A kid throws a rock at another kid on a bike. Belmont tells Rachel that he'll turn queer before using Viagra, despite not being able to perform (sexually) with her. A sheriff refers to a Mexican as a "wetback." We hear that Rachel is cheating on her husband with two men (who turn out to be Pete and Belmont). Lou Ann tells Mike not to smoke but he does. Mike does not report his shooting of Melquiades (and tries to hide that by burying his body), so when Pete hears what happened, he takes the law into his own hands, beating and then taking Mike hostage. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence and "Blood/Gore" may be unsettling or suspenseful to viewers with low tolerance levels for such material. Pete holds his gun on Mike again. Belmont aims his rifle at Pete (a distance away), but can't get himself to shoot him. Pete's small caravan (himself, Mike and the corpse) travel along a high cliff, with the last horse suddenly panicking. It then falls off the side, bounces and hits hard after a long fall (all seen from a long distance). A rattlesnake bites Mike (we briefly see it attached to his leg), followed by him smashing it with a rock (we don't see the impact). Mike lets out an agonizing scream as a woman uses a knife to cut into his swollen foot (from a rattlesnake bite). Pete shoots all around Mike to make the latter ask for forgiveness and Mike screams while doing so. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Rifles: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill others. See "Violence" for details. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "F*ck it," "F*cking mommas-boy," "First f*cking time," "Little f*cker," "F*cking nuts," "You're totally f*cking crazy," "F*cked up," "That sh*t don't mean sh*t," "Bullsh*t," "I don't give a sh*t," "Oh sh*t," "I don't want any sh*t," "You dirty bitch" (sexual), "Hell yes," "That's a dead son of a bitch," "Are you crazy?" "Stay down, bitch," "You G*ddamn son of a bitch," "Busting your ass," "Before you start bitching," "Wetback," "Hell, I don't know," "Crazy bitches" (said playfully), "Hell no," "What the hell's wrong with you?" "You know damn well," "You stupid gringo son of a bitch," "Shut up," "On your ass" and "You look like hell." We see miscellaneous tattoos. A kid throws a rock at another kid on a bike. A person has a tattoo on their butt. Lou Ann wears a midriff-revealing top. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A moderate amount of suspenseful music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) There's a song with lyrics about down at the cheating motel looking for fun. PROFANITY At least 27 "f" words (1 used sexually, and another possible one that sounded like it was used with "mother"), 21 "s" words, what sounded like 1 slang term using male genitals ("pr*ck"), 12 hells, 9 S.O.B.s, 6 damns, 4 asses (2 used with "hole"), 7 uses of "G-damn," 4 of "Swear to God" and 1 use of "God Almighty." SEX/NUDITY We see the shape of Lou Ann's nipples in her sheer top that also shows cleavage. Mike looks at a porno magazine that shows bare-breasted women in small bikini style bottoms. Belmont has his hand on Rachel's skirt from behind (he's seated, she's standing). His hand then goes up her skirt and he says it's been a while since they've been together, sexually calling her "You dirty bitch." Mike comes up to Lou Ann in the kitchen and says, "You're my red hot momma." He then unzips his pants and lifts her skirt and she doesn't want to continue, but doesn't put up much of a protest. As she then looks bored and watches TV, he has sex with her from behind while both stand (we see thrusting and hear his sexual sounds). Lou Ann shows some cleavage. We see an overweight woman in a bikini. Pete jokes with Melquiades that the only woman the latter has had is his own hand. Belmont tells Rachel that he'll turn queer before using Viagra, despite not being able to perform (sexually) with her (both are sitting side by side -- we see her bare breasts and the side of her bare butt). A person has a tattoo on their butt. Mike has the above porno magazine again out in a remote section (the cover shows a woman sporting cleavage) and he puts it in his back pocket. When he gets to his spot, we hear the sound of him opening his pants and then see him looking at the magazine (that shows bare breasts), but a distant gunshot interrupts him and he quickly gets his pants back on. There's a song with lyrics about down at the cheating motel looking for fun. Pete and Melquiades meet up with Rachel and Lou Ann and they head off for a motel. We then see what's presumably porno on the TV that features bare breasts, male to female oral sex, thrusting and related sounds. Pete somewhat playfully but also jealously asks Rachel if it's the sheriff's turn (with her, sexually). We partially see Lou Ann's small panties under her nightgown when Pete raids their house to abduct Mike. The sheriff asks Rachel where Pete is, with her replying she doesn't know. He then replies, "You should, you've been f*cking him," with her replying, "We don't talk a lot." This conversation occurs as they sit next to each other (she's clothed, he has a pillow over his crotch and we see that his pants are down). Mike has his hand on his own clothed crotch when he wakes up. SMOKING Lou Ann smokes at least 5 times, while Rachel and a miscellaneous character each smoke once. Lou Ann tells Mike not to smoke but he does. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Pete states that Melquiades was married with kids but hadn't seen them for five years since he came to the U.S. Lou Ann states that she's leaving the town (and thus Mike, although he doesn't know it, as she doesn't seem happy in her marriage or their new home). TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Pete's quest to fulfill his promise to his dead friend. Border patrols and those who try to immigrate illegally into the U.S. We hear that Rachel is cheating on her husband with two men (who turn out to be Pete and Belmont). The notion that Lou Ann thinks she's fat (she's not). A blind man (who lives alone in a very remote section) asks if Pete will shoot and kill him. He says that his son used to come by, but got cancer and it's been six months since he last visited (the blind man says he doesn't want to offend God by committing suicide, but Pete won't do it). The fact that a woman who saves Mike's life is the same person he earlier punched for trying to sneak into the U.S. VIOLENCE A coyote seen feeding on a corpse (seen from a distance) is shot, but we don't see the impact. Mike chases several border crossers, eventually tackling some. He jumps on one man and kicks him in the gut, and then punches a woman in the face, knocking her to the ground (telling her, "Stay down bitch"). A kid throws a rock at another kid on a bike. After hearing a gunshot, Mike runs up and eventually fires his weapon (we don't see the impact, although this is the shot that kills Melquiades). We see a flashback to Mike's shot that sends Melquiades falling to the ground (we also see a dying coyote that Melquiades had just shot). Melquiades sees a coyote on his ranch and shoots several times at it, with the last shot hitting it. He's then suddenly shot (from a distance by Mike) and falls to the ground, mortally wounded. He coughs up some blood and has blood on his face and shirt. Pete pushes Mike over a chair, hits him with his gun and then aims that gun at Mike and his wife. Outside, Mike resists, so Pete shoves his head against a vehicle. Pete backhands Mike to the face. Pete's small caravan (himself, Mike and the corpse) travel along a high cliff, with the last horse suddenly panicking. It then falls off the side, bounces and hits hard after a long fall (all seen from a long distance). We see more views of the corpse that looks even worse than before (and his eyes and mouth are open). Pete then spots ants all over the head (and mouth, etc.) and tries to wipe them away, but there are too many. He then uses alcohol to light them (and the corpse's face) on fire and then quickly puts that out. While on a hill, Pete's horse falls over and lands on him in the sand. It then pulls him around a bit as Mike manages to escape (and turns his pants into shoes to replace his missing boots), but Pete frees himself and nearly shoots Mike. A rattlesnake bites Mike (we briefly see it attached to his leg), followed by him smashing it with a rock (we don't see the impact). When others find Mike, he bites one on the leg, with Pete then lassoing Mike and dragging him through a river. Mike lets out an agonizing scream as a woman uses a knife to cut into his swollen foot (from a rattlesnake bite). A woman Mike earlier hit (who has since saved his life, but only for Pete), pours hot coffee on him and then hits him in the face with the coffee pot. Pete shoots all around Mike to make the latter ask for forgiveness and Mike screams while doing so. Reviewed December 8, 2005 / Posted February 24, 2006

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