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In America

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In America (2003)

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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

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Reviews for In America

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81 - 100 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
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There are many better films on the immigrant experience.

Full Review Source: San Diego Metropolitan | comment Comment
12/13/03
Jean Lowerison
Jean Lowerison
San Diego Metropolitan

In America is a too-tidy movie about a very untidy subject (families), and it is rescued by the untidiest of things: children.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
12/12/03
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

In America, on paper, sounds dangerously close to sentimentality, but Sheridan keeps the movie's tone just off-kilter enough to avoid it.

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
12/12/03
Moira MacDonald
Moira MacDonald
Seattle Times

It's too pat.

Full Review Source: San Diego Union-Tribune | comment Comment
12/12/03
David Elliott
David Elliott
San Diego Union-Tribune

In a season full of movies about families and tragedy, this is the class of the bunch.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Daily News | comment Comment
12/12/03
Gary Thompson
Gary Thompson
Philadelphia Daily News

Heartfelt, fresh and touching, it doesn't quite all come together but it's consistently engaging.

Full Review Source: Oregonian | comment Comment
12/12/03
Shawn Levy
Shawn Levy
Oregonian

Has a simple, undeniable power.

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
12/12/03
Tom Long
Tom Long
Detroit News

An achingly intimate and beautifully observed account of the immigrant experience.

Full Review Source: Detroit Free Press | comment Comment
12/12/03
Terry Lawson
Terry Lawson
Detroit Free Press

In America may not be great, but it's sweet and deeply human, and it demonstrates that when someone speaks from the heart, it can be next to impossible not to listen -- and to feel.

Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
12/12/03
Robert Denerstein
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News

Jim Sheridan's In America doesn't just tear at the heart strings. It rips them out, cuts them up, sets the pieces on fire and pours cold water on the ashes.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
12/12/03
Michael Booth
Michael Booth
Denver Post

Sheridan can't pull off Mockingbird's trick of playing the cocooned magic of childhood against compromised adulthood in a poignant way.

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
12/11/03
William Arnold
William Arnold
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

If the film is manipulative, at least it's subtly manipulative.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
12/11/03
Chris Vognar
Chris Vognar
Dallas Morning News

Warm, funny and painful, it is beautifully written, acted, shot and directed.

Full Review Source: Dallas Observer | comment Comment
12/11/03
Jean Oppenheimer
Jean Oppenheimer
Dallas Observer

A genuine, refreshing film about embracing life's challenges and rewards.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
12/11/03
Kathy Cano Murillo
Kathy Cano Murillo
Arizona Republic

A wondrously emotional film, one that sneakily dismantles your defenses and purges grief you didn't realize you had.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
12/11/03
Carrie Rickey
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer

The love that permeates every frame of this comic drama quickly makes it apparent that this is something dear to the filmmakers' hearts.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
12/11/03
Jeff Strickler
Jeff Strickler
Minneapolis Star Tribune

Redeemed by the joyousness of family life that Mr. Sheridan captures from his agile and resourceful foursome.

Full Review Source: New York Observer | comment Comment
12/10/03
Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris
New York Observer

A limpid, lovely fantasy.

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
12/09/03
Walter Chaw
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central

Sheridan's heart and soul are evident in scene after evocative scene.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
12/08/03
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

a little bit of magic

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
12/08/03
David Levine
David Levine
Filmcritic.com
 
 
81 - 100 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
all

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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