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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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141 - 160 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
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It isn't a very good film but it does contain moments strong enough to make you forget that fact.

Full Review Source: Critic Doctor | comment Comment
11/25/03
Peter Sobczynski
Peter Sobczynski
Critic Doctor

There’s a hokeyness that’s hard to escape yet one that creates an emotional current that in the end is impossible to ignore.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
11/25/03
Erik Childress
Erik Childress
eFilmCritic.com

Funny, emotional and affecting.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
11/25/03
E! Online
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The film is marvelously acted -- the Bolger sisters are a delight -- and Sheridan captures New York City's crazy energy as only an newcomer can.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
11/25/03
Ken Fox
Ken Fox
TV Guide's Movie Guide

A classic story of losing and finding faith told with heart, humor and emotional heft.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
11/25/03
Claudia Puig
Claudia Puig
USA Today

From its first frame to its final fade-out, In America is about her family's passage into the land of dreams, a place where wishes do come true, but only if you understand how to make them.

Full Review Source: San Jose Mercury News | comment Comment
11/25/03
Bruce Newman
Bruce Newman
San Jose Mercury News

Thanks to Jim Sheridan's graceful, scrupulously sincere direction and the dry intelligence of his cast, In America is likely to pierce the defenses of all but the most dogmatically cynical viewers.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
11/25/03
A.O. Scott
A.O. Scott
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

[In America] is particularly adept at dealing with the immigrant experience, with lives lived on the knife edge of hope, poverty and despair that is in many ways this country's quintessential situation.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
11/25/03
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

For his part, Sheridan places his bets on the healing power of magic and the transformation of bad blood into good. As pipe dreams go, this one couldn't be timelier.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
11/25/03
Ella Taylor
Ella Taylor
L.A. Weekly

The Bolger sisters are the show. It's as though everything else is the packaging for the gift of their performance.

Full Review Source: Cinema Signals | comment Comment
11/25/03
Jules Brenner
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals

Like a kid playing make-believe, In America is blithely confident of its own contrivances; it only benefits from a certain unselfconscious naivete.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
11/25/03
Jessica Winter
Jessica Winter
Village Voice

Forceful, funny and impassioned.

Full Review Source: Rolling Stone | comment Comment
11/25/03
Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone

A unique and moving look at the so-called 'immigrant experience' that is as much about family dynamics as it is about the struggle to survive in an unfamiliar country.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
11/25/03
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

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.

Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
11/25/03
John Anderson
John Anderson
Newsday

Sheridan's labor of love becomes a testament to love, presenting the triumph of spirit over circumstances.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
11/25/03
Mark Caro
Mark Caro
Chicago Tribune

The inherent warmth is enough to tip the scales in the drama’s favor.

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
11/24/03
Jeanne Aufmuth
Jeanne Aufmuth
Palo Alto Weekly

A poignant, heart-warming, timeless tale of faith and hope.

Full Review Source: www.susangranger.com | comment Comment
11/24/03
Susan Granger
Susan Granger
www.susangranger.com

... a film brimming with honest sentiment and infused with the spirit of Frank Capra's best work.

Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment Comment
11/24/03
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper

Award-winning caliber performances from the entire cast and stellar writing/direction from Sheridan. What a wonderful film!

Full Review Source: Supercala.com | comment Comment
11/21/03
John Venable
John Venable
Supercala.com

Laughter, tears, madness, magic, and E.T. ... moving ...

Full Review Source: Movie Gazette | comment Comment
11/19/03
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Movie Gazette
 
 
141 - 160 (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...

See All

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