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Valley of Tears

Play trailer Valley of Tears Released Nov 28, 2003 1h 20m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
89% Tomatometer 9 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
In 1979, documentarian Hart Perry begins chronicling striking Latino laborers in Raymondville, Texas, who demand an increase in minimum wage from the 25 cents per bag of onions picked they had been receiving for more than 20 years. In the 1990s, he returns during a controversial school board election as the Latino community struggles to elect a candidate of their own to the all-white board. In 2000, Perry comes back again to cover lawyer Juan Guerra's campaign for district attorney.

Critics Reviews

View All (9) Critics Reviews
Frank Scheck The Hollywood Reporter An ultimately moving effort that well illustrates the often hopeless situation faced by the people whose lives it depicts. Dec 18, 2003 Full Review Dave Kehr New York Times Dense, contradictory and distressingly honest, Valley of Tears is that rarity among political documentaries: a genuinely thought-provoking film. Rated: 3.5/5 Nov 28, 2003 Full Review V.A. Musetto New York Post Perry, a longtime filmmaker, should have given the doc more urgency and punch. Rated: 2/4 Nov 28, 2003 Full Review Chris Hewitt St. Paul Pioneer Press The movie leaves us with a lot of questions, but its rawness draws attention to the cataclysmic social shift the workers are trying to achieve and the long odds against them. May 21, 2004 Full Review Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat Spirituality & Practice A hard-hitting documentary about the injustices heaped on the Mexican-American community of migrant workers by a small Texas town's white power brokers. Dec 4, 2003 Full Review Joshua Tanzer Offoffoff Never feels very thorough but is well worth seeing for clues to the state of race relations from the '70s to the present, especially in out-of-the-way locales like rural Texas Rated: 2.5/4 Nov 29, 2003 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (1) audience reviews
Audience Member Honest. As a 9 year old in Raymondville during this time it brought back the unspoken racism and suppression that infects the town even today. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Valley of Tears

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Movie Info

Synopsis In 1979, documentarian Hart Perry begins chronicling striking Latino laborers in Raymondville, Texas, who demand an increase in minimum wage from the 25 cents per bag of onions picked they had been receiving for more than 20 years. In the 1990s, he returns during a controversial school board election as the Latino community struggles to elect a candidate of their own to the all-white board. In 2000, Perry comes back again to cover lawyer Juan Guerra's campaign for district attorney.
Director
Hart Perry
Producer
Hart Perry
Distributor
Seventh Art Releasing
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 28, 2003, Limited
Release Date (DVD)
Mar 4, 2014
Runtime
1h 20m