Jim Sheridan's sentimental heartwarmer of a story about an immigrant Irish family in modern New York is frankly manipulative and contrived.
In America (2003)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:170
Fresh:151
Rotten:19
Average Rating:7.7/10
Consensus: A rich and moving story about an immigrant family adjusting to life in New York.
Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for some sexuality, drug references, brief violence and language
Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:31-10-2003
Synopsis: From master storyteller Jim Sheridan ("My Left Foot," "In The Name of the Father") comes a deeply personal and emotionally raw tale of a family finding its soul IN AMERICA. Through the wide-open... From master storyteller Jim Sheridan ("My Left Foot," "In The Name of the Father") comes a deeply personal and emotionally raw tale of a family finding its soul IN AMERICA. Through the wide-open eyes of two young heroines, Sheridan transforms a devastating human tragedy into a riveting, humor-tinged story about memory, secrets, love, loss, coming together and starting over. To begin all over again is a classic American dream. But it's remarkably hard to do, as Irish émigrés Johnny and Sarah (PADDY CONSIDINE and SAMANTHA MORTON) discover when they hit the streets of modern-day Manhattan, their two spunky young daughters in tow, and emerge into a realm as comical and adventure-filled as it is strange and terrifying. The family faces a dizzying new future –- but first they must face down a past that haunts every single one of them. With no cash to spare, Johnny and Sarah settle into a chaotic New York tenement populated by a colorful assortment of characters – and attempt to turn a Gothic horror-movie setting into a true home. From dragging an iffy-looking air conditioner across Manhattan to finding make-do jobs, nothing comes without a fight for the couple. And yet, while they see America as rife with challenges, dangers and weirdness, their daughters see it as a magical place where anything can happen, a place that might release them all from the anguish of what has come before. Then, on Halloween, Christy and Ariel (sisters SARAH and EMMA BOLGER) dare to knock on the door of "the screaming man," a mysterious neighbor named Mateo (DJIMON HOUNSOU), and everything changes. As the family heads for a crisis, Mateo becomes their unlikely ally in the territory where hope, faith and even magic hold sway. Based in part on Jim Sheridan's own autobiographical experiences coming to the United States, IN AMERICA is directed by Sheridan from a script by Sheridan and his two daughters, Naomi Sheridan and Kirsten Sheridan. The cast includes Academy Award® nominee for "Sweet and Lowdown" Samantha Morton ("Minority Report"), Paddy Considine ("24 Hour Party People"), Djimon Hounsou ("Amistad," "Gladiator") and sisters Sara Bolger ("A Love Divided") and Emma Bolger (in her feature film debut). The film is produced by Jim Sheridan and Arthur Lappin. -- © Fox Searchlight [More]
Starring: Paddy Considine, Samantha Morton, Djimon Hounsou, Sarah Bolger
Starring: Paddy Considine, Samantha Morton, Djimon Hounsou, Sarah Bolger, Emma Bolger
Director: Jim Sheridan
Director: Jim Sheridan
Screenwriter: Naomi Sheridan, Kirsten Sheridan
Producer: Arthur Lappin, Jim Sheridan
Composer: Gavin Friday, Maurice Seezer
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Reviews for In America
For a story about normal, everyday life (and death), this is an extraordinary film, really.
Lovingly shot, with a remarkable debut from Sarah Bolger, who along with sister Emma, gives one of the greatest ever child performances.
After 30 minutes, the plot takes over. And it's embarrassingly easy to see where truth ends and Sheridan's invention begins.
Brilliantly acted, well directed drama that’s both extremely moving and full of warmth and humour.
It all makes for a curious and uneven mix of social realism and childlike whimsy.
The pairing of two brilliant, loose-cannon actors gets the film a long way.
The movie lacks conviction from implausible beginning to sentimental end.
There's no questioning the director's ability to wring moving moments from potentially sentimental and decidedly familiar material: the story of penniless immigrants trying to make it in Manhattan. It got to me.
This is a compelling fairy tale that will leave you reaching for the hankies by the end of the movie.
A genuinely touching movie about a family that doesn't condescend to audiences or wrap its lessons into neat, tidy packages.
Ostensibly, it's meant to be part family drama and part love letter to New York. But it feels like a movie made by a tourist.
Comes across less as childlike and more as a parade of saccharine cliches.
Title implies the immigrant experience in modern America; but such a plot is only a backdrop for a bitter/sweet story about a close family dealing with the death of a child.
Sheridan can't pull off Mockingbird's trick of playing the cocooned magic of childhood against compromised adulthood in a poignant way.
The inherent warmth is enough to tip the scales in the drama’s favor.
'Una gratísima sorpresa, una conmovedora historia sobre la vida y un ejemplo de que el cine puede ser tierno de manera inteligente. Una verdadera delicia'
These characters are so likable, the young girls so engagingly delightful, that we root for these survivors to succeed and overcome.
Latest News for In America
July 24, 2006:
Kid Stars Sign Up for "Spiderwick"
Young actors Freddie Highmore ("Charlie and the Chocolate Factory") and Sarah Bolger ("In America") have signed to star in Paramount's big-screen rendition... More...
April 13, 2006:
Rogue Shows Some Fuzz Love
Read on for a very formal press release from Rogue Pictures, the ultimate gist of which is this: Rogue, which is the "genre arm" of Universal Pictures, will distribute... More...
November 11, 2005:
In Other News..."Get Rich" Suffers From PA Shooting
An abysmally low Tomatometer and offensive billboards aren't the only problems plaguing this week's Jim Sheridan-50 Cent release, "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" -- one... More...
August 04, 2005:
Trailer Bulletin: Get Rich or Die Tryin'
From Jim Sheridan, the director of "In America" and "My Left Foot," comes the big-screen tale of Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson's bitter life on the... More...
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