A mostly enjoyable hunk of immigrant exuberance.
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: 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
Because the film is so beautifully acted, and so deftly woven into a timeless tale, we are enlightened.
The cast features two of the most engaging little girls ever to grace the silver screen, and they come with a flat-out guarantee: The hardest of hearts will melt before them.
The movie is so lovely and gently nostalgic that you're likely to regard it with the same loving patience you do Uncle Willy after he's had a few glasses too many of the old eggnog.
It is perceptive about the countless ways in which it is hard to be poor and a stranger in a new land.
Despite Halle Berry and Denzel Washington’s celebrated 2002 Oscar wins, the career of Djimon Hounsou proves that the notion of Hollywood equality remains fleeting.
A definite tearjerker, but it's one of those feel-good cry movies where you leave the theatre with a smile even while you're wiping away those last salty tears.
This is a compelling fairy tale that will leave you reaching for the hankies by the end of the movie.
A soulful and buoyant portrait of a poverty stricken Irish family's winning battle to move beyond the wrenching, contradictory, and chaotic emotions of grief into a new life.
Exquisitely tender...The story may be predictable, but thankfully it is messy and episodic enough to capture the attention and even the heart.
Bewildering at times, sentimental at others, but never treacly, it shows us America filtered through memory and perception, and a troubled family filtered through America.
An agreeably uplifting movie that doesn't cheat its way (too much) to its life-affirming conclusion.
The girls’ playfulness, their inquisitiveness about new friends and surroundings, and their youthful hope and innocence give the movie its fundamental, irresistible appeal
It isn't a very good film but it does contain moments strong enough to make you forget that fact.
There’s a hokeyness that’s hard to escape yet one that creates an emotional current that in the end is impossible to ignore.
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.
A classic story of losing and finding faith told with heart, humor and emotional heft.
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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