User reviews

Two of the reasons for going to see this film are: Emma and Christy Bolger. They steal the movie from under more established stars. They make us see their new world through their eyes. It is magic to them to be in a new city, where they discover new things every day. They are disarming.

America, the land that receives so many immigrants can be a hostile environment for a lot of people. For Johnny and Sarah, New York is a place full of surprises, as it must be to a lot of people whose dream is to make it there. This film is about their struggle to survive in pursuing a dream that turns out to be a nightmare for them, in many respects.

Paddy Considine and Samantha Morton make the struggling Irish immigrants very real under the direction of Jim Sheridan, who is supposed to be the Johnny of the story. What they have to deal with in their new home, eventually make them conquer a world that's not kind to them. Nothing is given to them on a silver platter, which is the case with most illegal people in the country, so their tale is very believable and true to the pioneer spirit they have within themselves.

It is the fantastic performance of the two Bolger sisters, as the daughters, which brings this film into focus. They have their feet on the ground and they know the ordeal their parents are facing. Their luminous faces and natural endear them to us in a special way.

We owe Mr. Sheridan and family a lot for their courage to show us what they went through at their arrival in America.

Greetings again from the darkness. I have no idea what has taken so long for this film to be released. Director/Producer/Writer Jim Sheridan ("My Left Foot", "In the Name of the Father" "The Boxer") has always been a tremendous filmmaker and with "In America" he has become a wonderful story teller. This semi-autobiographical picture was co-written by Sheridan and his two daughters and is the story of an Irish family's immigration to New York. I am a fan of Levinson's "Avalon" and Scorsese's "Gangs of New York" and I will rank this with both. It causes what I call "crossover". That is when I no longer feel I am watching a movie, but that I become part of the story. The characters are no longer actors, but real people. The writing, directing and acting are all terrific. Paddy Considine (a Stephen Rea lookalike), Samantha Morton ("Minority Report"), Djimon Hounsou ("Gladiator") are all exceptional in their roles. However, this movie belongs to the real-life Bolger sisters, Sarah and Emma, who play Christy and Ariel. Ariel's innocence and need to believe along with Christy's wisdom-beyond-her-years truly make this film work. Rarely do child actors carry a movie of significance. While these two bring joy, laughter, sadness and tears, they never cross the line of overly cute or overly sympathetic. Another odd twist to this film is the importance that Spielberg's "ET" plays. The dream of home and the presence of aliens (drug dealers, etc) in their tenemant tie in nicely. Their friendship with Mateo (Hounsou) is both bizarre and heartwarming. This is an extremely emotional ride for the audience, but one well worth taking.

I'm not really big on this kind of film, but this one won me over in a big way. Jim Sheridan has such a sure hand as a director that even as the story meanders along, and you're not quite sure where things are going, you know HE knows and you end up trusting him and going along for whatever ride he wants to take you on. The characters and the actors portraying them are so winning, you don't want the movie to end. You just want to stay with them forever.

Every role, right down to the two border guards and the hospital administrator are perfectly cast and performed. The two sisters playing the daughters are amazing. But the acting in the film really belongs to Samantha Morton. It really is a high wire act. In lesser hands this character might have been completely unbelievable. But her love for her husband and children is so palpable, you completely buy everything she has to go through with them.

There were so many chances for cheap sentiment here, but the movie never went there. Really beautiful.

I love this little film. I was pregnant at the time when I saw it with my husband who is from Ireland. We both enjoyed the film for it's romance, it's humanity, and qualities that were so earthy and yet somehow ethereal. It was both beautiful and moving--one of those rare finds that illuminates, truth, beauty, and the honesty that art can evoke. Art--especially the theater and cinema has the power to inspire and can be so powerful. This film is living proof of that. The film has an integrity and a quality of strength that few films ever capture. It is my dream to both create and perform in little films like this. I want to inspire and create something that makes a spiritual leap--something that lasts and endures for all time because of its quality of a diamond in the rough. If you want to see something a bit unusual, though provoking, emotional, and rare--see this film.

"In America" is about an Irish family of four who enter America at the Canadian border, sell their car for money, take up residence in a slum-like walkup in NYC inhabited by losers and druggies, and proceed to do really stupid things like let their little girls eat ice cream across the street unattended or bet all their money on a stupid carney game or enter an unknown black man's apartment while trick or treating. The film continues from there fabricating, manufacturing, and contriving moments with the obvious purpose of evoking emotions...joy, pathos, angst, woe, etc. And it worked. I could go on but anything I write will simply be lost in the wake of plaudits from all corners. "In America" is a hugely popular flick with a good cast, excellent performances, and solid production value recommended for everyone but me. (B)

This is the story of an Irish family who comes into the US via Canada and settles in a rundown New York City neighborhood as n immigrant (exile) myself, I can very much relate to what the family was going through . Hot summers , different culture, eccentric neighbors, theft., illness. I recall my own bout with Nephritis shortly after arrival, along with a long hospital stay.My family settled in the most rundown corrupt city in the US . Newark NJ. So I know how it is to land in an undesirable town location.

The family consists of a father , mother , two young girls, and the subtle presence of a boy who died shortly before the family emigrated. His presence however is felt through the film. .

The mother becomes pregnant soon after , but must make a choice. If the child is born too early he/she would probably not survive, if carried to term the mother's life would be in peril.

A subplot develops when the family befriend an eccentric black painter. Mateo. played brilliantly by Djimon Hounsou. They establish a bond that transcends their different backgrounds.

The pregnant mother takes the courageous step not to terminate her pregnancy.

As it is my practice I will not divulge anymore information, since It is my function as an author to comment on a film in order to either promote it or tell the reader it isn't worth his/her time. Also i'm not going to give away the best scenes and dialogue. That my dear reader you will see for yourself when you view this masterpiece of a film.

You must see it.

Johnny, Sarah and their young daughters Christy and Ariel move to New York from Ireland. With barely any money they find an apartment in a run-down building that is overrun with drug addicts. Johnny, an actor, struggles to get a role and the family eke out an existence. Also hanging over them is the death of their son, Frankie. Then one day the little girls meet and befriend the mysterious, solitary neighbour, Mateo.

Written and directed by Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, In The Name Of The Father), the movie is a bitter-sweet experience. The trials and tribulations of an immigrant family struggling to make ends meet, mixed with the recent tragedy in their history and the complexity of the Mateo situation make for an emotional journey. The daughters also provide a sweet, innocent perspective to proceedings.

Yet it all feels underdone. The family's situation is not as grittily shown as we imagine it should be. The basic summary of this movie reminded me of another Irish movie, Angela's Ashes, and that was a harrowing journey, where no positive outcomes are assured, making for an incredibly interesting and engaging experience. This movie is too neat and non-confrontational to feel like there are any really negative plot developments ahead.

In addition, certain key aspects are not developed very well. We never really get to know Mateo well enough to feel totally engaged by his character. Even the Frankie story, possibly the most emotional aspect to the movie, feels it is in there to demand our emotional energy rather than earn it, and the conclusion to that feels a bit clumsy.

Can't fault the performances though. Paddy Considine and Samantha Morton put in solid performances as Johnny and Sarah, as does Djimon Hounsou as Mateo and Sarah and Emma Bolger steal the show as Christy and Ariel.

Overall: an interesting, emotional movie but far from perfect.

'In America' is a film about a family of Irish immigrants who move to Manhattan and face some hard times in America. The story is primarily told through the eyes of the little girls, and they go through the hard times of adjusting to a new life while learning loss and gain. There is a sense of magic and cultural identity in the film, and this makes it even much more touching when told through the eyes of the little girls who have had their lives turned upside down in the search for a new and better life in America. In some places, it is a little too sweet and magical, but I don't think it ruins the film because it is told through the eyes of the girl, and I am certain that many more immigrant families went through experiences like this and even worse than this. I also thought that the acting by the little girls was done well. It's a sweet film; it's a little sad, and it's magical. It just made me feel all warm inside. Go see it for yourself and see if you get caught up in the magic as much as I did.

If you're of a sensitive caring disposition, are empathetic, loving and genuinely see the best in people then this is a film for you. No leaps of faith needed here as Paddy Considine and Samantha Morton share with us the plight of those less well off than most. After suffering a traumatic family event we find them in a new country, a new city, with all its cultural variations and contradictions to overcome - a landscape of limited opportunity. Join them on their journey but be warned, their daughters Christy and Ariel will steal your heart, break you in two, stream tears from your soul. Join them on their journey and let it remind you what it means to be alive.

As a film director I attend many screenings. As a film lover I have been going to films all my life since I was a "kid" in the Bronx. This film, "In America" is one for the ages. Not one false note or as we say in the "biz"--not one hiccup. Jim Sheridan has been a extraordinary film-maker since "My Left Foot"--but this film is simply beyond words!

My girlfriend and I were lucky enough this week to attend an advance screening of this film as well as a Q&A session with director Jim Sheridan. Let me say, this film was absolutely amazing. I felt like falling to my knees and weeping for joy as we left the theater. This film is the story of Jim, his wife and daughters coming to America from Dublin. It is not the story that I expected of immigrants coming to this country to abuse the system but rather a tale of hard working folks coming here to start over.

Jim was afraid that some of the material may be too heavy. I disagree. There was more honest, heartfelt joy in this movie than I have ever seen. The acting from all involved was simply superb. I'm sure most of what you hear about this movie from critics will be focused on the two daughters. Don't get me wrong, these two girls could teach any actor a lesson or two. But the talent does not end with them. Jim's directing style of telling the actors how he sees the story and then letting them figure out how to show it has never been more successful than in this film.

Two scenes in particular struck me as I was immersed in this film. Looking into the actors eyes, it was as if they realized at that moment what a powerful tale they were retelling. Jim confirmed my notions at the end of the film when he mentioned that both these scenes were filmed as an artistic afterthought once scheduled production was complete. Of course my two favorite scenes were the ones not part of the real story but I can't be too upset. Here Jim gives something back to his actors to let them give back to him what this tale meant to them.

I believe this will be released mationwide in the states around Thanksgiving. Do your self a favor, see it.

I had little knowledge about this movie before I saw it earlier tonight . I knew it was nominated for Oscars and received some critical acclaim but apart from being well acted I'm at something of a loss to understand its popularity and high rating on this site

The problem is that the film lacks any real drama . A family sneaks into America and throughout the running time I was expecting bad things to happen . To be truthful I thought I'd be watching something similar to ANGELA'S ASHES where a family trying to start a new life find heart breaking obstacles at every turn . The Irish family seen here do find obstacles but nothing that will destroy their faith in human nature . We see the children befriending a black man who isn't a danger to them etc and because of these charming relationships you find yourself hoping that destiny deals these characters a bad hand if only because that would make for a more dramatic and involving film

Certainly this is a film I would recommend for people who appreciate good acting . I don't have to tell everyone that Samantha Morton is the best actress Britain has produced in many years but I'll repeat anyway while Paddy Considine shows what a fine character actor he is . I just wish the story had been a bit more dramatic in order to hold this commentator's attention just a little bit more

I don't see films like this anymore and it's a crying shame because I need to see more films like this on the big screen.

This was simply a nice human-interest story with some mumbo-jumbo voodoo stuff thrown in because filmmakers like that sort of thing.

Basically, it's about a nice Irish family which immigrates to the United States and resides in New York. These are poor people, but not the destitute situation of, let's say, the McCourt family from "Angela's Ashes."

What stood out to me were the nice, cute little girls in this family, played by real- life sisters, Emma and Sarah Bolger. They were the kind of sweet kids you wish you'd see more of in modern films. Paddy Considine and Samantha Morton played the parents, "Johnny and Sarah" nicely and Djimon Hounson played the nice neighbor with the strange powers.

Overall, it's a pleasant, positive feel-good film.

I hesitate to label this movie 'heart-warming' as terms such as this would put me off a movie, but it is definitely a word that comes to mind. It is a story of parents dealing with the grief of losing their youngest child but at the same time trying to keep things together for the sake of their two daughters who have also been deeply affected by the loss.

They immigrate to America from Ireland as a way of escaping their past and starting over. Using the elder of the two daughters to tell the story gives the movie a interesting angle as she observes the way her parents deal with the tragedy.

Excellent performances all round turn what could be melodrama into a genuinely moving story. I especially enjoyed the fact that they did not use 'the American dream' of a new life as the solution to this family's problem, but rather made the point that you can change your circumstances but you can't run away from your problems.