‘FINE’ TIME

“The Milagro Beanfield War,” shooting in and around Santa Fe, is behind schedule and over budget, but producer-director Robert Redford told us he’s “feeling fine” with the shoot--and leaving the anxiety to others.

Co-producer Moctesuma Esparza said weather in the New Mexican mountains has accounted for most of the problems, but the time and budget overages are “not significant or above the norm” for such a complex project--53 speaking parts in the saga about New Mexican farmers fighting profit-hungry developers for their land and way of life.

Still, after seven weeks of production, Redford has yet to cast two major roles (the cast includes Sonia Braga, Ruben Blades and Christopher Walken). And though late October is still the official wrap date, some actors have been warned that the shoot (which began Aug. 6) may go well into November.

Is Redford worried about a “sophomore jinx”--”Milagro” is his first directing stint since his Oscar debut with “Ordinary People.” “Not at all,” Redford said, grinning. “ ‘Ordinary People’ is behind me and, along with it, all of its success. There’s too much I want to do to look back. I’m proud of ‘Jeremiah Johnson’ and ‘Downhill Racer’ and ‘Ordinary People’ . . . but I’ve done them.”

In fact, he added, he’s never looked at any of his films a second time. And at least one--”The Way We Were”--he’s never seen at all.