The Three Burials Of Melquiades Estrada
Adventure, Crime, Drama, Western
Optimum Home Entertainment  (2005) 121 mins R

7.6 (15,061 votes)
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada is about Mexican cowboy Melquiades Estrada (Julio César Cedillo) who comes to Texas to work as a ranch hand. One day Melquiades is out hunting and is shot and murdered by a border patrol agent (Barry Pepper), who buries him in the desert. His body is found a week later and is reburied in the town cemetery. While working for ranch foreman Pete Perkins (Tommy Lee Jones) Melquiades asked him to bring his body back to his hometown of Jimenez, Mexico if he dies. To keep his promise to his friend, Pete kidnaps the border agent and forces him to dig up the body from the town grave and travel through Mexico with the dead body tied to a mule to Jimenez....

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Cast and Crew
Tommy Lee Jones  ......  Pete Perkins
Barry Pepper  ......  Mike Norton
Julio Cedillo  ......  Melquiades Estrada
Dwight Yoakam  ......  Belmont
January Jones  ......  Lou Ann Norton
Melissa Leo  ......  Rachel
Director  .....  Tommy Lee Jones
Producer  .....  Luc Besson; Michael Fitzgerald
Writer  .....  Guillermo Arriaga
Cinematography  .....  Chris Menges
Musician  .....  Marco Beltrami
Notes
Goofs:
Factual errors: In the scene were Pete buys two beers and asks for directions in a Mexican store, the Mexican guy in the store is drinking an orange Topo Chico soft drink. The Topo Chico brand doesn't come in orange flavor in Mexico. Just in the USA. (more)

Trivia:
Barry Pepper's character Mike Norton reads the April 2004 issue of Hustler repeatedly when he's out on patrol. (more)

Filming Locations:
Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA (more)

Quotes:
Pete Perkins: You need to investigate them border patrols that use a 223.
Belmont: You want me to investigate the Kennedy assassination while I'm at it?
(more)

Awards:
4 wins & 7 nominations (more)