IN THE TIME OF THE BUTTERFLIES (TV)
Summary
This made-for-television movie, adapted from the 1994 Julia Alvarez book of the same name, tells the story of the Mirabal sisters, nicknamed "The Butterflies," who helped foment the rebellion against Dominican dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo. The program begins with Minerva in prison, discussing her happy childhood with her sisters Patria, Dede, and Mate in the Dominican Republic in 1938. Minerva tries to get her father Enrique to allow her and her sisters to go to Santo Domingo and get an education. Soon, Minerva, Dede, and Patria are sent off to school. There, Minerva becomes friends with Sinita, who says that she has had many family members killed by Trujillo. One day, Trujillo comes to the school as a guest, where he speaks about the future of "the motherland." Then, Minerva and her classmates put on a play in honor of Trujillo. During the play, Sinita contemplates shooting the dictator with an arrow but Minerva stops her. Flashing back to the present, the imprisoned Minerva recalls Trujillo leaving their school with one classmate, who later carried his child, and Sinita having vanished. Minerva then recalls returning to the family farm after graduating from school. There, the Mirabal sisters meet Lio Morales, a teacher at a local university. Later, Minerva tells Lio that she will become a lawyer, due to her belief in justice. Lio thinks that there is no justice in the Dominican Republic, only battles. Soon, the two fall in love.
Then, a demonstration at the local university causes some professors -- including Lio -- to be labeled as enemies of the state. Later, Minerva warns Lio that he will be killed if he keeps stirring things up. One night, Lio and Minerva run into a sugarcane field to avoid a roadside check. Lio plans to fight Trujillo's regime from a safe distance and parts ways with Minerva. Meanwhile, Patria's life takes an unexpected turn when she forgoes the nunnery and gets married to Pedrito. Later, Minerva finds that Lio has been writing to her but her father has been hiding the letters in an attempt to protect her. One day, Trujillo requests the presence of Minerva at a party at the palace. There, Minerva dances with Trujillo, who calls her a "national treasure." Minerva tries to get the dictator to allow women to go to university. Then, when Trujillo touches her inappropriately, Minerva slaps him. Enrique quickly escorts Minerva from the palace. Soon afterward, Enrique is taken from his home to speak with Captain Pena. A furious Minerva destroys the picture of Trujillo in their home. Later, Minerva and her mother search for the missing Enrique. He is ultimately found to be detained at police headquarters, awaiting the resolution of "a possible misunderstanding." Minerva is told to meet with Trujillo, who invites her to live at the palace until her father's situation is resolved. Minerva proposes a roll of the die, which she wins, allowing Enrique to be released and for her to attend law school. However, soon after his release, Enrique's heart gives out from the tortures inflicted on him.
At law school, Minerva is shocked upon seeing news that Lio has been killed. She meets fellow student Manolo Tavarez, who fills her in on Lio's life since she last saw him. Minerva attends a revolutionary meeting where Manolo lectures everybody on how they must battle Trujillo. Soon, Minerva is offering her own ideas. One day, as the revolutionaries meet in private, Minerva is surprised when Mate arrives at her door. Not wanting to get her sister involved, Minerva tries to send Mate back to the farm. However, Mate is brought into the revolutionary fold by Manolo's friend, Palomino. Late that night, Minerva and Mate hang posters around town, listing all the Dominicans that Trujillo has taken away. Eventually, Minerva and Manolo are married. Later, at Minerva's law school graduation, Trujillo awards her a diploma. However, he tells her that he allowed her to attend law school but won't allow her to practice law. After giving birth to Minou and Manolito, Minerva is more determined to battle Trujillo as many of her revolutionary colleagues have been killed. Minerva asks Patria for help in watching the children while she and Manolo continue the fight. Patria says she can't help, but Dede agrees to care for Minou and Manolito. Minerva, Manolo and Mate head off on a mission during which soldiers fire at them. Minerva returns to the farm, bringing back crates full of weapons. Patria has a change of heart, encouraging Minerva to bury the guns behind her house. Later, Minerva, Mate, and Patria meet with Padre Ignacio, getting him to enlist the church in the fight against Trujillo. Following Mate's marriage to Palomino, the Mirabal sisters and the other revolutionaries are prepared to fully battle Trujillo. However, soldiers soon arrive at Patria's, taking Minerva, Mate, and their husbands away and imprisoning them.
In prison, Minerva is pressed for the names of the other members of the revolutionary group, lest Manolo be killed in front of her. In solitary confinement, all Minerva has is her memories. After being returned to a cell with Mate and other prisoners, a guard slips Minerva a care package. Inside are pictures, food, and news that the revolution has finally begun. Eventually, Minerva and Mate are released to their family. Mate insists to Minerva that they still need to get their husbands out of prison. Soon, the two have learned of their husbands' whereabouts. One day, Trujillo pays a visit to Minerva, where she begrudgingly thanks him for her release from prison. She also asks for his help in getting their husbands out. Eventually, Minerva, Mate, and Patria visit their husbands in jail. Manolo warns Minerva to be very careful. However, on their drive home, the women's car is followed and eventually stopped. There, the three are led into a sugarcane field, where they are assassinated. An afterword states that the deaths of the Mirabal sisters led to Trujillo's assassination six months later.
Details
- NETWORK: Showtime
- DATE: October 21, 2001 Sunday 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:31:59
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:91627
- GENRE: Drama, historical
- SUBJECT HEADING: She Made It Collection (Salma Hayek); Drama, historical; Dominican Republic - Politics and government; Dictators; Political activists; Murder victims
- SERIES RUN: Showtime - TV, 2001
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Salma Hayek … Executive Producer
- Helen Bartlett … Executive Producer
- Tony Bill … Executive Producer
- Mike Medavoy … Executive Producer
- Ellen Gordon … Producer
- Diane Sokolow … Co-Producer
- Jose Tamez … Co-Producer
- Denise Stewart … Co-Producer
- Craig Roessler … Consulting Producer
- Mariano Barroso … Director
- Judy Klass … Writer
- David Klass … Writer
- Julia Alvarez … Based on the book by
- Van Dyke Parks … Music by
- Salma Hayek … Cast, Minerva Mirabal
- Edward James Olmos … Cast, Rafael Leonidas Trujillo
- Mia Maestro … Cast, Mate Mirabal
- Demian Bichir … Cast, Manolo Tavarez
- Pilar Padilla … Cast, Dede Mirabal
- Lumi Gavazos … Cast, Patria Mirabal
- Marc Anthony … Cast, Virgilio "Lio" Morales
- Pedro Armendariz Marquez … Cast, Captain Pena
- Ana Martin … Cast, Mama Mirabal
- Fernando Becerril … Cast, Enrique Mirabal
- Anthony Alvarez … Cast, Palomino
- Ermahn Ospino … Cast, Jaimito
- Raul Mendez … Cast, Pedrito
- Mariana Sanchez … Cast, Minerva, 13 Years Old
- Geraldine Bazan … Cast, Patria, 15 Years Old
- Vanesa Hidalgo … Cast, Dede, 14 Years Old
- Ilean Almaguer … Cast, Mate, 11 Years Old
- Paulina Trevino … Cast, Sinita
- Anna Layevska … Cast, Lina Lovaton
- Vanessa Michele … Cast, Sor Milagros
- Benitez, Veronica Guadalupe Teran … Cast, Sor Anuncion
- Cruz, Zaide Silvia Gutierrez … Cast, Mother Superior
- Mieres, Marco Antonio Trevino … Cast, El Doctor
- Andaluz Becerra Russell … Cast, Dinorah
- Anilu Pardo … Cast, Magdalena
- Yolanda Abbud L. … Cast, Inez
- Farnecio de Bernal … Cast, Magic Eye
- Raul Adalid Sainz … Cast, Padre Ignacio
- Miguel Santana Arellano … Cast, Young Boy
- Moises Suarez Aldana … Cast, Bureaucrat
- Lia Chapman … Cast, Carmen
- Stephanie Goldberg … Cast, Patria, 10 Years Old
- Stephany Coria … Cast, Minerva, 8 Years Old
- Karla Ortiz … Cast, Dede, 9 Years Old
- Elia Rodriguez … Cast, Mate, 6 Years Old
- Pedro Altamirano Marquez … Cast, Prison Guard
- Abel Woolrich … Cast, Inmate
- Claudia Gonzalez Pumarino … Cast, Lourdes
- Jacobo Ricano … Cast, Manolito, 2 Years Old
- Angelica Tepepa … Cast, Minou, 4 Years Old
- Roger Cudney … Cast, Manuel de Moya
- Muriel Mayor … Cast, Margarita Mayor
- Diana Albert Vazquez … Cast, Margarita (girl)
- Mejia, Jesus Bernardo Avila … Cast, Army Officer
- Jorge Abraham Olvera … Cast, Old Prisoner
- Fernando Banda-Espino … Cast, Policeman
- Juan Ignacio Perez-Gutierrez … Cast, Prison Officer
- Juan Luis Orendain … Cast, Roberto Arroyo
- Cardenas, Jesus Ricardo Lorenzana … Cast, Rufino de la Cruz
- Tirado, Luis Eduardo Casab … Cast, Train Conductor
- Giovanna Rodriguez-Zacarias … Cast, Woman Visitor
- Andres Weiss Santos … Cast, Assistant to Magic Eye
- Arturo Posada Arellano … Cast, Check Point Soldier
- Rohen, Jorge Antonio Gayol … Cast, University Professor