The result is a blend of kitchen-sink and magical realism: sentimental, but well acted and freshly observed.
In America (2003)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:39
Fresh:36
Rotten:3
Average Rating:7.7/10
Consensus: A rich and moving story about an immigrant family adjusting to life in New York.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for some sexuality, drug references, brief violence and language
Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Nov 26, 2003 Limited
Box Office: $15,323,959
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
At its best, the movie has a supernal glow that you can practically warm your hands by.
An achingly intimate and beautifully observed account of the immigrant experience.
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.
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.
A genuine, refreshing film about embracing life's challenges and rewards.
A wondrously emotional film, one that sneakily dismantles your defenses and purges grief you didn't realize you had.
The love that permeates every frame of this comic drama quickly makes it apparent that this is something dear to the filmmakers' hearts.
Redeemed by the joyousness of family life that Mr. Sheridan captures from his agile and resourceful foursome.
The three miracles that occur over the course of Jim Sheridan's In America pale next to the miracle of the movie itself.
A big little movie, a fictionalized memoir that transcends the personal to become universal -- its grubby verve touched with a sense of wonder and magic, its mundane actions given an all-too-rare spiritual resonance.
It is kept watchable and empathetic by the energy of the superb performances and the sense of complete freshness.
Too sweet to ever worry us that things might not pull together in the end, and yet too odd to be overly lulling, In America keeps itself just on the far side of familiar.
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.
It's a wistful yet penetrating film, shot through with magic realism and life-affirming humor, that gets you deep down where you live.
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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