In My Country (2004)
Average Rating: 4.8/10
Reviews Counted: 81
Fresh: 18 | Rotten: 63
A well-intentioned but melodramatic look at post-Apartheid South Africa.
Average Rating: 5.1/10
Critic Reviews: 28
Fresh: 6 | Rotten: 22
A well-intentioned but melodramatic look at post-Apartheid South Africa.
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Average Rating: 3.3/5
User Ratings: 3,237
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Movie Info
The many emotional scars left by South Africa's history of institutionalized racism come under the microscope in this drama. As South Africa comes to terms with the legacy of apartheid, their government has created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, in which the perpetrators of racial violence and injustice must come face to face with their victims if they are to be forgiven for their crimes. Langston Whitfield (Samuel L. Jackson) is an African-American journalist who is assigned to cover
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Cast
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Samuel L. Jackson
Langston Whitfield -
Juliette Binoche
Anna Malan -
Brendan Gleeson
Col. De Jager -
Menzi Ngubane
Dumi Mkhalipi -
Sam Ngakane
Anderson -
Aletta Bezuidenhout
Elsa -
Lionel Newton
Edward Morgan -
Langley Kirkwood
Boetie -
Owen Sejake
Reverend Mzondo -
Harriet Manamela
Albertina Sobandla -
Louis Van Niekirk
Willem Malan -
Jeremiah Ndlovu
Old Man in Wheelbarrow -
Fiona Ramsay
Felicia Rheinhardt -
Charley Boorman
Adam Hartley -
Garick Hagon
Pilot -
Andre Jacobs
Judge -
Russell Johnson
Schempers -
Terry Norton
Lilly -
Greg Latter
Sgt. Dreyer -
Trix Pienaar
B&B Lady -
Andrew Johnson
Taxi Driver -
Thembi Mtshali
Lizzie -
Jim Paul Eilers
Police General -
Connie Chiume
Mrs. Tabata -
Robert Hobbs
Van Deventer -
Nicholas Andrews
Chris -
Grant Brett Swanby
Johan -
Nambitha Mpumlwana
Woman -
Junior Singo
Troy -
Nick Boraine
Jack Marlon -
Thami Ngubeni
Deborah's Aunt -
Lillian Dube
Woman -
Dan Robbertse
De Smidt -
Paul Dirkson
One Man Band -
Lwando Nondzaba
Peter Makeba -
Albert Maritz
Farmer -
Sizwe Msutu
Gilbert -
Dumisani Mbebe
Kenneth -
Sunu Gonera
Lionel -
Seumus Keir
Simon -
Justin Creasey
Jonty -
Yolanda Methvin
Deborah -
Anthony Fridjohn
Tony Brown -
Bheki Vilakazi
Perpetrator 1 -
Louw Venter
Alec -
Wayne Harrison
Brian -
Alyce Chavunduka
Newsreader -
Namhla Ndlovu
Woman -
Lee Duru
Woman -
Johan Marais
De Jager's Security -
Morgan O'Callaghan
De Jager's Security -
Frederrick Dannhauser
De Jager's Security -
Lilian Khumalo
Commissioner -
Genesis Canda
Commissioner -
Tony Finley
Commissioner -
Biah Mokgobu
Commissioner -
Anthony Karriem
Commissioner -
Milton Daka
Commissioner -
Hiportia Hlatana
Commissioner -
Jefferine October
Commissioner -
Noliyanda Pike
Commissioner -
Beverley Bownes
Commissioner -
Justice Khontyo
2nd Judge -
Denzil Campbel
3rd Judge -
Christina Ntsomi
Woman Phone Booth - Cor... -
Xhantyi Nqayi
Herd Boy -
Lulama Nombiba
Langston's Father -
Jean Abrahams
Langston's Mother-in-La... -
Cindi Sampson
Deborah's Aunt -
Michelle Zaaiman
Inge -
Natasha Kotze
Inge (Voice) -
Natalie Dippenaar
Johan's Wife -
Zoliswa Mabawa
Malan Farmhouse Maid -
Elizabeth Mokoatsana
Crying Woman -
John Coom
Farmer's Father-in-Law -
Noel Coom
Farmer's Mother-in-Law -
Shannen Mackay
Farmer's Daughter -
Xola Luse
Perpetrator 2 -
Sacky Veto
Old Man's Grandson -
Mohogany Singiswa
Old Man's Comforter -
Moho Seabela
Albertina's Friend -
Zingisa Kobo
Albertina's Friend -
Landiwe Hans
Albertina's Friend -
John Zacharis
Langston's Driver -
Jamo Jahjah
Soccer Ref -
Brian Niewoudt
Boere Orkes Band -
Endrie Nel
Boere Orkes Band -
Nic DuToit
Boere Orkes Band -
Stompie Heyns
Boere Orkes Band -
Susanna Vermeulen
Boere Orkes Band -
Morris Uberstein
Bottle Shop Owner -
Lara Bye
Alec's Wife -
Marisa Sarfatti
PR Person -
Phumla Stamper
Translator -
Warona Seane
Translator -
John Langemann
Afrikaner Next to Anna ... -
Nkuli Kgositsile
Woman With Applications -
Suzanne Bassett
Anna Look-a-Like -
Amber Stodel
Lily's Daughter -
Yavor Radkov
Taxi Driver -
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All Critics (87) | Top Critics (30) | Fresh (18) | Rotten (64) | DVD (5)
It shows what can go wrong when a good-intentioned filmmaker mixes historical tragedy with Hollywood banality.
Top CriticOstensibly about the aftermath of apartheid, but the pain of a people serves only as a backdrop for the most contrived of love stories.
Is it a docudrama about South Africa's post-apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings? Or is it love story? The problem with In My Country is that it tries to be both.
Black, white and clunky.
Need[s] to be seen, as essential history and as demonstration of a form of social reckoning where compassion triumphs over passion, and the olive branch over the gun.
Failing to get beyond trite Hollywood romantic conventions, sermonizing caricatures and 'I was just following orders' explanations does a great disservice to history.
In spite of narrative missteps that negate the possibility of an empathetic protagonist, "In My Country" does viably introduce the African principle of "Ubuntu" whereby evil transgressions are absolved rather than revenged.
A familiar, superficial lesson.
The film's affecting ingredients are unimpeachably genuine, but this rendering for the most part rings dramatically hollow.
Points for trying and all, but this particular chapter of South Africa's history deserves a movie a bit more sincere -- and a lot less corny.
Intelligent piece that does its job as entertainment. More importantly, it should advance public knowledge about the apartheid government's human rights violations.
Watching [apartheid victims'] testimony become background noise for Jackson and Binoche's tawdry melodrama is aggravating.
Its star, Juliette Binoche, may be a fine actress, but she's also very French. And no matter how hard she tries to perfect the tricky Afrikaans accent, she's simply not believable playing a South African poet.
I do not question the filmmaker's sincerity, but he has made a flat, uninvolving movie. The road to boredom is paved with good intentions, after all.
...the foxhole relationship that develops between Anna and Langston is completely natural -- up until the point where they fall into bed together.
The gripping material is given short thrift in favor of routine melodrama and a love story that has nearly nothing to do with what should be the crux of the story.
There is great material here and ample food for thought, but the presentation is lacking.
You feel insulted you're expected to care about the petty problems of the leads when other characters are dealing with child murder, political torture and genocide.
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