Attempting to cope with personal tragedy, Johnny (Paddy Considine)
moves his family to Manhattan in search of work as an actor.
Meanwhile his wife Sarah (Samantha Morton) finds work at a local
ice cream parlor to support the family. Their daughters Christy
and Ariel (Sarah and Emma Bolger, respectively) are eager to
experience life in America, and manage to befriend the reclusive
Mateo (Djimon Hounsou), who has his own issues to come to term
with. The story is based on director Jim Sheridan’s (In the
Name of the Father) life, specifically his own familial
tragedy and subsequent move to New York.
CRITIQUE
In America’s
opening scene shows Johnny Sullivan leading his family through a
border checkpoint to America. Ostensibly for him to find work as
an actor in New York, the family is psychologically running away
from the pain of the death of their son Frankie. In order to pass
the checkpoint, 10-year-old Christy wishes them on through, and
they are ushered into the land of opportunity.
Almost perfectly encapsulated in Sheridan’s first scene are the most
important aspects of the film: The family’s struggle to succeed in the
poverty of a new country, the difficulty of dealing with grief, and
that unexplainable sense of something magical that helps them get
through. Even without knowing beforehand that In America is
largely a retelling of Sheridan’s own life, the film presents itself
as both believable and compelling.
Living in poverty, the family is unable to find accommodation except
in a run-down apartment complex nicknamed “the junkie building.” Even
in these circumstances sisters Christy and Ariel find goodness
wherever they look—even in Mateo, a resident of the building known for
the message “KEEP OUT” painted on his door and for his occasional
screaming. Mateo, like the Sullivans, has his own demons to contend
with, and only through mutual bonding are the characters able to face
the past.
In
America
is a film about coming to terms with grief, and, if you listen to
Sheridan’s commentary, about moving beyond a sense of victimization.
Despite slow pacing during some of the movie, the story is compelling
and the characters are sympathetic for all the right reasons. It might
be hard sometimes for us Americans to appreciate the difficulty in
coming here and trying to carve out a living, but Sheridan gives us
the good and the bad without becoming melodramatic. In America
is, as Richard Roeper described, “A work of art,” and it’s a work of
art that can be appreciated both for the simplicity of its narrative
and the depth of its themes.
THE VIDEO
20th Century Fox
presents In America in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. I
found hardly anything wrong visually. Edge enhancement halos are
rare and usually are only visible when zoomed in, and grain, dark
and light tones, and colors are all excellent.
THE AUDIO
20th Century Fox
presents In America in
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. French and Spanish tracks (and
subtitles) are also available in 2.1 Dolby Surround. Despite
conservative use of the surround channels, everything from the
dialog to the music is clear and crisp.
THE EXTRAS
The Making of In America
featurette (5:00) is more of a commentary on what the
movie is about than on the making of it. Members of the cast and
crew make brief appearances, especially Sarah and Emma Bolger.
Deleted Scenes
are unremarkable, not surprising since Sheridan
says he doesn’t understand the idea of a “director’s cut,” and that
the cuts are intentional. The ten deleted scenes (including the
original ending) are all relatively short, and the optional commentary
from Sheridan during them is minimal.
The Commentary by director Jim Sheridan
is the only extra that really shines. Despite going it alone,
Sheridan always has something interesting to say about the film, in
particular the ideas he was trying to convey and how close the story
was to his own life. The insights contained in this commentary range
from thoughts on Irish culture and its mindset of victimization, human
defense mechanisms, and an unexplainable sense of what is meant to be;
the commentary only reinforces the depth and complexity of the film.
Probably the best director’s commentary I’ve heard so far.
FINAL THOUGHTS
In America does everything it sets out to do and more. The personal
nature of this project for Jim Sheridan shows through in every aspect
of the film, yet so much more than just a story from his life is
conveyed. It’s not perfect, with a few plot holes and little
explanation of why Johnny’s potential acting career is so important,
but this is still one of the better movies of 2003.
