Matewan
It takes more than guns to kill a man.
Filmed in the coal country of West Virginia, "Matewan" celebrates labor organizing in the context of a 1920s work stoppage. Union organizer, Joe Kenehan, a scab named "Few Clothes" Johnson and a sympathetic mayor and police chief heroically fight the power represented by a coal company and Matewan's vested interests so that justice and workers' rights need not take a back seat to squalid working conditions, exploitation and the bottom line.
- Year: 1987
- Country: United States of America
- Genre: Drama, History
- Studio: Cinecom Entertainment Group, Film Gallery, Goldcrest, Red Dog Films, Winwood Productions
- Keyword: based on true story, west virginia, appalachia, racism, preacher, labor organizer, labor union, coal mining, 1920s, worker's rights, miners strike
- Director: John Sayles
- Cast: Chris Cooper, James Earl Jones, Mary McDonnell, Will Oldham, David Strathairn, Ken Jenkins