At Play in the Fields of the Lord
Performance & Direction: At Play in the Fields of the Lord Review
Last updated: February 6, 2026
Quick Verdict: Hit or Flop?
Is At Play in the Fields of the Lord (1991) worth watching? According to our cinematic analysis, the film stands as a ABOVE AVERAGE with a verified audience rating of 6.4/10. Whether you're looking for the box office collection, ending explained, or parents guide, our review covers everything you need to know about this Drama.
Cast Performances: A Masterclass
The success of any Drama is often anchored by its ensemble, and At Play in the Fields of the Lord features a noteworthy lineup led by Tom Berenger . Supported by the likes of John Lithgow and Daryl Hannah , the performances bring a palpable realism to the scripted words.
Performance Analysis: While the cast delivers competent and professional performances, they are occasionally hampered by a script that leans into familiar archetypes.
Final Verdict: Is it Worth Watching?
Story & Plot Summary: At Play in the Fields of the Lord
Quick Plot Summary: At Play in the Fields of the Lord is a Drama, Romance film that explores complex human emotions and relationships through detailed character development. This summary provides a scannable look at the movie's central conflict and narrative structure.
Ending Explained: At Play in the Fields of the Lord
Ending Breakdown: At Play in the Fields of the Lord concludes its story with a mix of closure and open interpretation. The finale presents its approach to drama resolution.
The emotional climax centers on character transformation, offering viewers material for post-viewing discussion.
Ending Analysis:
- Narrative Resolution: The story concludes by addressing its primary narrative threads, providing closure while maintaining some ambiguity.
- Character Arcs: Character journeys reach their narrative endpoints, reflecting the film's thematic priorities.
- Thematic Payoff: The ending reinforces the drama themes established throughout the runtime.
The final moments of At Play in the Fields of the Lord reflect the filmmakers' creative choices, offering an ending that aligns with the film's tone and style.
Who Should Watch At Play in the Fields of the Lord?
Worth Watching If You:
- Enjoy Drama films and don't mind familiar tropes
- Are a fan of the cast or director
- Want a character-driven story with emotional moments
Box Office Collection: At Play in the Fields of the Lord
| Metric / Region | Collection (Approx) |
|---|---|
| Production Budget | $36.0M |
| Worldwide Gross | $1.3M |
| Trade Verdict | FINANCIAL DISAPPOINTMENT |
At Play in the Fields of the Lord Budget
The estimated production budget for At Play in the Fields of the Lord is $36.0M. This figure covers principal photography, talent acquisitions, and visual effects. When accounting for global marketing and distribution, the break-even point is typically 2x the base production cost.
Top Cast: At Play in the Fields of the Lord
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Where to Watch At Play in the Fields of the Lord Online?
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1991 AdvisoryWondering about At Play in the Fields of the Lord age rating or if it's safe for kids? Here is our cinematic advisory:
⏱️ Runtime & Duration
The total runtime of At Play in the Fields of the Lord is 189 minutes (3h 9m). Ensuring you have enough time for the full cinematic experience.
Verdict Summary
Analyzing the overall audience sentiment, verified rating of 6.4/10, and global performance metrics, At Play in the Fields of the Lord is classified as a ABOVE AVERAGE. It remains an essential part of the 1991 cinematic calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is At Play in the Fields of the Lord worth watching?
At Play in the Fields of the Lord is definitely worth watching if you enjoy Drama movies. It has a verified rating of 6.4/10 and stands as a ABOVE AVERAGE in our box office analysis.
Where can I find At Play in the Fields of the Lord parents guide and age rating?
The official parents guide for At Play in the Fields of the Lord identifies it as R. Our detailed advisory section above covers all content warnings for families.
What is the total runtime of At Play in the Fields of the Lord?
The total duration of At Play in the Fields of the Lord is 189 minutes, which is approximately 3h 9m long.
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Critic Reviews for At Play in the Fields of the Lord
At Play in the Fields of the Lord is shot through with rich, complex irony (two characters, for instance, discuss having Indian blood, but while one is talking about having it in one’s veins, the other is talking about having it on one’s hands). Its main characters, except one whose hypocrisy borders on cognitive dissonance, are torn between perception and reality – struggling in vain to have their thoughts and deeds, their words and actions, meet halfway. Four of them form two couples that are in and of themselves counterintuitive; after all, Aidan Quinn and Daryl Hannah would make more sense than John Lithgow and Hannah, or Quinn and Kathy Bates. The only pairing that seems to belong together is that of Tom Berenger and Tom Waits. Perhaps the most conflicted of them all is Berenger’s Lewis Moon – a “half-breed Cheyenne” mercenary hired to drop bombs on a native tribe’s village deep in the Brazilian Amazon River basin; he thinks better of it, though, after evangelical missionary Martin Quarrier (Quinn) calls his attention to the similarities between the Plains Indians and the Niarunas (“the Sioux word for ‘Great Spirit’ is ‘Wakantanka,’” and the Niaruna word is ‘Wakankon’ – now, the Niarunas are fictional, but I think the point is valid nonetheless. Having said this, Quinn’s idealistic preacher will later be sorely disappointed when he finds out about the similitude between his own Jesus and the Niarunas’ ‘Kisu’). Moon then goes to live with the Niarunas, but whereas he may have dispensed with the white man, the white woman, specifically Hannah, retains her allure, and a brief exchange of fluids later, Moon introduces the flu into the village; thus, in a perverse twist, he manages to unwittingly find a more subtle and effective means of destroying the Niarunas. The film, co-written and directed by Héctor Babenco, is filled with this sort of poetic paradoxes through which the characters learn the hard way that the road to hell is indeed paved with good intentions. PS. Lithgow is excellent as a holier-than-thou prick who views his ministry as a competition with the local catholic priest, and Bates is perfect as a prude who despises the natives almost as much as she loathes herself (few can descend into madness as well as she does), but Quinn (also pretty good elsewhere) is the star of my new all-time favorite movie moment (at least until further notice). It’s a scene with Martin and his child Billy (Niilo Kivirinta, nine years old at the time, in his only credit). Billy’s line is “Why were they doing that?”. I only picked this up the second time I watched the movie, but you can actually hear Quinn saying “Why…”, after which the kid immediately catches on and follows through. Now, not only does Quinn give Kivirinta his cue, but does it almost as if on cue himself (he doesn’t look at the child; instead, he looks over his shoulder, as if gazing outside the shot, in the process accidentally, or as I see it, serendipitously, turning toward the camera, so that we can also see his mouth moving); there is no pause, no benefit of the doubt. Who knows how many takes they did before they finally settled on this fourth wall-breaking solution. The result is a little meta-textual moment wherein the relationship between the characters is solidified through the actors’ interaction – it’s not just the caring father and his beloved son; it goes beyond that, revealing the adult performer looking out for the inexperienced one. I always suspected Quinn to be a hell of a nice guy in real life, and this incident confirms my suspicions; he and Babenco – who already had Pixote and Kiss of the Spider Woman under his belt – risked looking sloppy in order to get through the scene, which they deemed important enough to warrant this slip, and strong enough to survive it.
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This review has been verified for accuracy and editorial quality by our senior cinematic analysts.
This analysis is compiled by our editorial experts using multi-source verification and audience sentiment data for maximum accuracy.









