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Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready.... |
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In America It's hard to remember how long it's been since a meaningful film about a family has been released. Jim Sheridan and his two daughters wrote In America about actual events in their lives. Mr. Sheridan lends his strong hand to the direction of this moving film. In America follows the life of an Irish family in the first year after they move to New York from their homeland. Suffering through the emotional pain of a recent death in the family and a lack of money, the family must overcome struggle throughout the film. The story is told through Christy (played by Sarah Bolger), the oldest of the two daughters. Emma Bolger plays Ariel, the younger daughter, a constantly curious and humorous character. The parents are Jonny (Paddy Considine) and Sarah (Samantha Morton), who must work low-paying jobs to make ends meat. The neighbor Mateo (Djimon Hounsou) also plays an important part in the story. The film's cast is incredible, playing the most believable family I have ever seen on film. Samantha Morton is the only talent with any major amount of previous experience, but she is only one piece of a brilliant whole. The sisters Sarah and Emma Bolger nail their roles, certainly demonstrating the best child performances of the year. The cinematography is also quite appealing. A good portion of the film is handheld cam footage taken by Christy as she documents the things the family goes through. The actual cinematography is always vibrant and alive, with plenty of close ups where we can see the emotion in the faces of the characters. Going in to the film, I was concerned it might be a little too sentimental, but there is a very real quality to this film that is certainly not forced sentimentality. There is meaning and there is depth and a stirring story to be told, but very seldom did I feel like the director was trying to push my emotional buttons. My biggest regret is simply that due to its limited release more moviegoers won't be able to appreciate this piece of cinematic wonder. Still, keep your eyes open for mentions of In America at Oscar time. It is deserving of a couple statues. Trae Cadenhead 1/4/2004
The latest film from Irish director Jim Sheridan, In America, is one of those little movies you don't want to miss. Based on Sheridan's own experiences of coming to America, it's a wonderful family drama that pulls at your heart strings without ever getting out of tune. And it features two of the finest child performances I've seen in several years. The movie opens as Johnny (Paddy Considine), his wife Sarah (Samantha Morton), and their two daughters Christy and Ariel are crossing into America. Unlike other Irish immigrants, who came to this country for economic reasons, Johnny and Sarah are fleeing a memory, that of their dead son. Starting a new life in a decidedly run-down section of Manhattan may help them forget, but it brings its own share of problems: junkie neighbors, incredibly hot summers, and the difficulty of finding a job. Sheridan is best known for the intense Irish dramas In the Name of the Father and My Left Foot, but here he directs with a lighter touch. True, one of the main characters turns out to have AIDS, but the film is full of play and delight, and even the dramatic scenes have a comic edge. The sight of Johnny dragging an air conditioner down the streets of Manhattan is hilarious, and the moment when Christy and Ariel try to go trick-or-treating is marvelous. The movie doesn't have a normal narrative thrust. The main conflict, if there is one, lies in the developing relationship between the family and their downstairs neighbor Mateo (Djimon Hounsou). Mateo is first described by one of the daughters as "The Man Who Screams," but they come to know him in a different and more thoughtful way as the movie continues. It's nice to see Djimon Hounsou (Amistad) play something besides the honorable African, even if his role does come perilously close to that in the film's finale. Earlier, though, there's a wonderful snowball-throwing sequence in which Hounsou flashes his smile, and you wonder why some producer doesn't give him a shot at a leading role. The best performances, by far, belong to Sarah and Emma Bolger as the two, young sisters. I wasn't surprised when the end credits rolled, and I realized they actually were sisters, as their interactions with each other have a fantastic sibling intimacy. Whether playing in the bathtub, running through the halls, or just resting on each other, they're absolutely convincing. Emma as the younger, feistier one provides genuine joy every time she's on screen. But it's Sarah, as the mature-beyond-her-years 11-year-old, who dominates the movie. She functions as both narrator (there's a well-used voice-over) and stand-in for the director (she captures various moments on her camcorder). But it's the way she interacts with her various co-stars that truly sets her apart. In one conversation with the father, she spits, "Don't 'little girl' me. I've been carrying this family on my back for over a year." The amazing thing about the line isn't that it's true, but that we believe it exactly like she says it. It's possibly the finest portrayal by a child since Victorie Thivisol in Ponette almost seven years ago. It's not the only reason you should see In America, but it's certainly enough. J. Robert Parks 1/15/2004
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