Tommy Lee Jones is at the top of his game as a grieving fa ther determined to uncover the disturbing truth behind his soldier son's death in Paul Haggis' In the Valley of Elah.
Comment
09/15/07
Rate this Movie 
In the Valley of Elah (2007)
72
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work
Reviews Counted:150
Fresh:108
Rotten:42
Average Rating:7/10
Consensus: Though some of Paul Haggis's themes are heavy-handed, In the Valley of Elah is otherwise an engrossing murder mystery and antiwar statement, featuring a mesmerizing performance from Tommy Lee Jones.
Theatrical Release:Sep 28, 2007 Wide
Box Office: $6,585,535
Synopsis: Tommy Lee Jones plays Hank Deerfield, a retired military man investigating the mysterious disappearance of his soldier son, Mike, in this somber mystery-drama from director Paul Haggis (CRASH).... [More]
Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Frances Fisher, Susan Sarandon
Director: Paul Haggis
Get This Movie
Reviews for In the Valley of Elah
Top CriticThe last scene of In the Valley of Elah may be the most ridiculously ham-fisted and over-the-top moment in all of 2007’s supposed prestige cinema.
09/15/07
Top CriticIt is a showcase for Jones, who is moving as a father who only wants to know what happened to his son, but it is also a vile, hopelessly reductive film.
09/15/07
Oh, how I love movies where Tommy Lee Jones is looking for someone. I doesn't have to be a criminal, although that is preferred. There's just nobody who makes a procedural pursuit more compelling.
09/14/07
Will forever be known as the upside-down American flag movie. But showing the flag this way is heavy stuff that is supported by the movie the way a bowling ball is supported by a dandelion.
09/14/07
Though the portentous title is taken from the Old Testament, the film's concerns are painfully timely and forcefully articulated.
09/14/07
This is no doubt the first of many movies that will struggle to tell the stories of a war that's far from over, and even if the tale is imperfectly told, it commands our attention.
09/14/07
Thanks largely to the intricate, committed performances of Jones and Theron, it succeeds as an effective whodunit.
09/14/07
Jones could win Best Actor...
09/14/07
Elah does have moments of slipping into political sermon, but for the most part it is an effective, disturbing and -- a rarity for Haggis -- subtle exploration of the stateside war story.
09/14/07
Haggis still has a weakness for big dramatic gestures and heavy-handed symbolism, but a somber tone and Jones' tight-lipped yet moving performance nicely undercut the tendency toward Crash-style overwrought melodrama.
09/14/07
In the Valley of Elah is an almost painfully powerful drama.
09/14/07
Top CriticWhat Haggis obviously wants to explore is what the war in Iraq is doing to the humanity of our soldiers there. By approaching it indirectly, he simplifies it to a degree that I expect will anger many Iraq veterans.
09/14/07
Top CriticA "very special" episode of CSI: Red State.
09/14/07
The film's sense of responsibility proves almost paralyzing, allowing the production to be overwhelmed by the seriousness of what it's attempting.
09/14/07
Top CriticIf there was a symbol for cinematic distress, it would be raised in front of any theater playing this movie.
09/14/07
In the Valley of Elah held me despite my many qualms. That's because the subject matter is innately powerful and resists Haggis's pigeonholing. He's latched onto something that's bigger than himself.
09/14/07
Paul Haggis' In the Valley of Elah is built on Tommy Lee Jones' persona, and that is why it works so well.
09/14/07
Top CriticPaul Haggis follows up his Oscar-winning Crash with this searing drama that uses the police procedural to explore the moral and psychological devastation of the Iraq war for U.S. soldiers.
09/14/07
Top CriticAlthough more seamless and less contrived than writer/director/producer Paul Haggis' Academy Award winning Crash, the picture offers little more than an earnest civics lesson.
09/14/07
Latest News for In the Valley of Elah
February 18, 2008:
RT on DVD: Cram For The Oscars With Michael Clayton, In The Valley of Elah, And More Out This Week
Ready those Oscar ballots! With the Academy Awards around the corner, it's time to start catching up on what you missed in theaters. Snap up this week's offerings for... More...
January 24, 2008:
Director Paul Haggis on In the Valley of Elah: The RT Interview
We sit down with the Crash director and Bond scribe to find out more about his political latest, In the Valley of Elah. More...
January 10, 2008:
Amy Ryan and Greg Kinnear Join Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon in the Green Zone
"Making a movie about the war in Iraq" is quickly turning into just another way of saying "losing tons of money at the box office," but director Paul Greengrass isn't letting... More...
December 14, 2007:
Atonement, Control Lead London Film Critics Noms
The London Critics Circle has announced the nominees for its year-end awards, with Anton Corbijn's Control and Joe Wright's Atonement leading the pack at eight nominations apiece. More...
What’s Hot On RT
Fresh Links
Featured
Wes Anderson on Fox 
The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Animated Oscar?
Hollywood.com ponders whether or not an animated film could win Best Picture.
TIME's Holiday Movie Preview
Richard Corliss previews the season's best offerings and hottest tickets.
Scenic Routes
The AV Club's Mike D'Angelo airs his beefs with Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter
Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!
IGN RSS Feeds