In America (2003)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Tsubaki S

  
  Great child actors, and the rest of the cast are obviously good, but the cheap stupid melodrama of the script will kill your brain cells faster than a bottle of cheap vodka.

• Jennifer X

  
  Jim Sheridan is an absolute prince at directing little kids. When it comes to adults, though, he falls a little short. What the heck, Djimon Hounsou?

• Mike S

  
  Soulful drama, about an Irish family of four who leaves everything behind to start a new life in America. A wonderfully acted and seamlessly edited story, about love, hope and every-day survival. Much of its charm and appeal though, is owed to the daughters in the family. They're… More
  Soulful drama, about an Irish family of four who leaves everything behind to start a new life in America. A wonderfully acted and seamlessly edited story, about love, hope and every-day survival. Much of its charm and appeal though, is owed to the daughters in the family. They're funny, lovely and naturally born actresses. A film that really has you rooting for the success of its characters, and leaves no heart unaffected by the end of the journey.

• Dean M

  
  Director Jim Sheridan wrote this poignant family drama with his two daughters, based on his own experiences. The result is an eerily well-acted, funny, affectionate and sometimes unbearably suspenseful drama about an Irish couple (Samantha Morton, Paddy Considine) and their daughters:… More
  Director Jim Sheridan wrote this poignant family drama with his two daughters, based on his own experiences. The result is an eerily well-acted, funny, affectionate and sometimes unbearably suspenseful drama about an Irish couple (Samantha Morton, Paddy Considine) and their daughters: 10-year-old Christy (Sarah Bolger) and six-year-old (Emma Bolger). Sheridan's subtle directing showcases the knock-out cast, notably Djimon Hounsou as a neighbour. I was surprised at the brilliant performances of the talented Bolger sisters.

• Sarah G

  
  One of the most unapreciated films that I've seen in a long while. Mainly because that the plot will feel very "familar" to a lot of people, who are then wil be unable to see just how superb this film really is. What's so special about it is that Sheridan takes… More
  One of the most unapreciated films that I've seen in a long while. Mainly because that the plot will feel very "familar" to a lot of people, who are then wil be unable to see just how superb this film really is. What's so special about it is that Sheridan takes what could be a very slushy predictable film and make it into such an organic tale of situations which we can all relate to.It's not just a tale of family ties, it's a lot more to that. Sheridan brings much more life into the film which makes it so much more real. Doesn't feel forced and you can relate to each and every character. By the end of the film you feel as a viewer that you've got something out of it. Close to perfection for me. Highly recomended. 9/10

• Lady D

  
  At first impressions this film seemed to be quite slow moving and didn't seem to be heading in any particular direction, however as the storyline progresses you become emotionally involved with the intense performances by the whole cast. Paddy of course is my favourite British… More
  At first impressions this film seemed to be quite slow moving and didn't seem to be heading in any particular direction, however as the storyline progresses you become emotionally involved with the intense performances by the whole cast. Paddy of course is my favourite British actor and is the master of versitility, Samantha Morton, probably one of England's best actresses, but the person who really stood out in this film for me and has in other films recently is Djimon Housou. I can also not pass the opportunity to priase the two girls in this film who really showed great acting skills. Directed by Jim Sheridan and based on events in his life, the extra features make interesting viewing and are worth taking a look.

• Candy R

  
  Movie about an Irish family who move to America after the death of a son/ brother. It is hard to believe the kids are so sweet and well behaved!

• Gordon A

  
  Wonderful ensemble piece looking at how family members cope with grief.

• Tim S

  
  You must not have a soul if you didn't cry at the end of this movie.

• Daniel J D

  
  I'm partial to Djimon Hounsou, but I learned that he alone is not reason enough to give a movie a 4 star rating... meaning that this film has a lot of other good stuff in it, too.

• Luke B

  
  A lovely bit of crumpet this. Very moving, if sometimes a bit too sentimental. Even the little ladies put in magnificent performances. A film with real heart and might make you cry like a girl.

• Jens S

  
  Does a great job in introducing this lovely irish family moving to New York. From that point on it's hard not to be moved by the funny and sad things they go through. Awesome acting, especially the two little girls are adorable, Djimon Hounsou is great as always. Wonderful… More
  Does a great job in introducing this lovely irish family moving to New York. From that point on it's hard not to be moved by the funny and sad things they go through. Awesome acting, especially the two little girls are adorable, Djimon Hounsou is great as always. Wonderful feel-good movie.

• Mike N

  
  [indent][left][img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/tomatoes/small_fresh.gif[/img][color=white]..[/color] 6/10 Movie: [url="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ColdMountain-1128336/"]Cold Mountain (2003)[/url][/left] [/indent]Just wanted to wish everybody a wonderful… More
  [indent][left][img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/tomatoes/small_fresh.gif[/img][color=white]..[/color] 6/10 Movie: [url="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ColdMountain-1128336/"]Cold Mountain (2003)[/url][/left] [/indent]Just wanted to wish everybody a wonderful new year, now that it's under way! :p My New Year's last night was probably my favorite yet! Anyways, I rated a few recent movies. EDIT: OK, since it was requested, here are the details on my New Year's... Drove to the beach (since a lot of trails were friggin' closed last night - oh well). Half Moon Bay, to be specific. I brought with me just a jacket, hiking shoes, my ragged cap, and a backpack filled with water, some food, and a coupla other things. It wasn't as cold as I thought it would be. Not yet, anyway. The parking near the beach was closed, so I found a spot in the neighborhood somewhere, and found a path that led out to the water. Rather intimidating, what with a wall of darkness standing before me. Nevertheless, I went on (with my trusty mini-flashlight :D that I ended up not using). I was reminded of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow as I walked along the path, what with all the frogs croaking. Though I think they were "ribbiting" somebody else's name :p. The roaring of the ocean grew louder as I drew nearer. Light released me from its grip, and I now stood in the pale nothingness of a gloomy, New Year's on the beach. I was actually kinda freaked out, since just [i]anybody[/i] could walk out there. And well, my mind teases me too much with such morbid thoughts. Kept imagining the most hideous beast would leap out of the field of blackness and dart in my direction. Or a legion of whackjobs would spew out of the cliff wall on the beach and chase me down. Sadly, none of that happened. :D In my initial descent down the cliff wall, I noticed a slender black figure highlighted against a grayish white beach. My wildest imagination knew it to be another person, yet I honestly couldn't tell you that it wasn't a giant wooden stake sticking out of the ground. "I'm outta here", my mind whispered, using the figure as an excuse to whimsically switch directions and move along the top of the cliff wall on another path. I occasionally glanced over my shoulder, making sure it was just the darkness following me and no being. :p No big deal, since I was gonna come back. Eventually, I turned around, and started heading back towards the cliff path. I see something approaching. Even though my eyes became acclimated to the absence of light, I still couldn't discern any real shape in the not-too-far distance. Some dark, moving blob is trudging along the path ahead of me, towards me, bigger than just any person. Soon, the blob separates into 2 shapes. A man strolls by, walking his dog. I say "Hi." He's on his cell, no response. "OK, Happy New Year's to you too." On his cell?? Heh, anyways. I'm still somewhat hesitant of what's unknown to me, and what may be lurking (as more evil thoughts dance through my mind :p). So with that, I continue to proceed with caution till I reach the cliff pass. I toss a gaze down to the beach, and the black figure is gone. "Yeah, that's right. It's Neumdaddy's turn on the beach, punk!" :cool: :D I plodded through the sand up near the water. The waves are cresting higher than 2 Neums. The whiteness of the foam tries to crawl up to my toes as the wave lies down. Over and over the water tries its best to creep toward me (or was it me losing my bearing in the dark, slowly drifting towards the dark blue-gray expanse that provided the only soundtrack for the evening?). Walking north, I kept veering to my right to avoid the water, but I remained on the water-smoothed parts of the sand. The footprints behind me vanished with each wave, as if they were being replaced with God's perfect fingerprint instead. I came upon piles of seaweed on the beach, though from afar, I kept tricking myself into thinking that it was a beached sea monster. "Isn't this how those monster films begin? With the unnamed lonely wanderer stumbling upon disaster, being the first victim of this creature's reign of terror? Yeah, that's how it goes alright." :D I began to recall my old nightmares, the ones where I'm being chased by some bizarre incarnation of evil (might as well be a seaweed-disguised monster), and as fast as I try to run, I can't get anywhere. Running in sand could probably produce the same, nightmarish effect. But alas, they never morphed, and piles of seaweed they remained. :p I was pretty far down the beach when I saw another trail up through the muddy cliffs and decided to take it. I couldn't have been halfway up when I saw an open book and a blanket lying on the ground. "What in the hell?", I thought. The hair on the back of my neck stiffened. I looked around me, slowly. I could see nobody. Then, just off the path near a bush, a man adjusted his position on the ground. The slight rustle of whatever dead plant he was cuddling with alerted me, but there was no other sound. Did he not see me? Man, this is freaking weird. I continued up the path as stealthily as I could, trying not to awake him from his New Year's slumber. Weird. Like I was in The Outer Limits, and there was just a handful of us, trapped on this beach prison. Just the beach. That's all the world felt like to me at that moment anyway. I slowed my pace and checked my watch. 40 minutes to go. I stopped at a bench, and ate the PB&M that I packed & guzzled down half a bottle of water. The wind picked up just as soon as I finished, raising my skin to shiver. I was gettin' pretty hot before that, so I welcomed the wind with a cold embrace. My mind eased... I continued walking down the slimy clifftops overlooking the restless Pacific, and finally picked my perch. I decided to stop my hike and begin my mindwalk, sort of recapping what I've accomplished in my life. It was probably around that time when the sky decided it had more to contribute to the evening. After a short while, my mood content, I muttered "thanks for everything." And half a moment later, a tiny droplet of water found its destination on my bottom lip. Slightly startled, I slowly angled my hooded head upwards, and received a faceful of gentle sprinkling. I smiled. Ah, rain. I love that stuff. I continued to amble in thought, taking comfort in all that was around me (though the distant lights on the other side of the bay helped make things not seem so desolate :p). I was pacing about the cliff ledge as the ground under my feet slowly gained moisture. I didn't notice it, though. Too busy thinking about the things that were, are, and going to be. I wasn't even staring at the ocean anymore. My train of thought derailed to the cracking of fireworks behind me. The neighborhood was celebrating New Year's. I checked my watch. "Huh. It's 2004. Cool." I felt my jacket, and it was getting pretty wet. Put my backpack back on, and the thing was dripping. :p I headed on back, having spent a few hours in the darkness, entering with caution, and leaving with satisfaction. I had a headache this whole time, but I managed to stuff it in my back pocket. Never bothered me, really. Though I was kinda hopin' to be chased at some point. ;) So while it wasn't the most "happenin'" New Year's, it was definitely a great one.

• Daisy M

  
  In America was a wonderful movie with a touching story and outstanding acting performances. Paddy Considine was great, Samantha Morton was excellent and very believable as a strong Irish mother. Djimon Hounsou was truly amazing in his role as Mateo, although his role wasn't that… More
  In America was a wonderful movie with a touching story and outstanding acting performances. Paddy Considine was great, Samantha Morton was excellent and very believable as a strong Irish mother. Djimon Hounsou was truly amazing in his role as Mateo, although his role wasn't that big, he has made quite an impression in the movie. Personally, I loved the following scenes so much, were Ariel told Mateo about the loss of their brother Frankie and Mateo starts crying, that made the scene unforgettable, and where Johnny comes to Mateo and he told him about his lost son, the fact he could not laugh or cry anymore and asked him if he was in love with his wife. The answer of Mateo, that he was in love with anything that lives, ( because he was dying)was another strong scene with breathtaking acting from Hounsou's part. The girls gave also amazing performances. They stole my heart from the minute I saw them. Great movie.

• Sunil J

  
  Maybe a little cliche but heartfelt and sweet.

• Sarah B

  
  Paddy Considine makes this film for me. An absolute must-see, but you might have to put your heart back together afterwards, though it'll never be the same again.

• John A

  
  A compelling and captivating film that really entrances the audience, bringing us closer to the family and the problems they have to deal with. The actors are all incredible, and it's a shame the film did not receive Director and Picture Oscar nominations, because it really… More
  A compelling and captivating film that really entrances the audience, bringing us closer to the family and the problems they have to deal with. The actors are all incredible, and it's a shame the film did not receive Director and Picture Oscar nominations, because it really deserved them. The film's pacing is perfect - everything unfolds gently and subtely and so is revealed to us at the moment we may be doubting or denying. The film's message is also extremely powerful, and by the end of the film we realise how much can be learned from those who we least expect. There are some scenes that are almost painful to watch, but it is those that really make us feel human. The story of immigration is portrayed authentically, yet not unsentimentally, creating a truly harrowing yet uplifting film.

• Linda K

  
  This film is sweet and charming it its own but also sad. The Irish family struggling from the lost of a son and brother embarks on a new set of life: the American dream. As they meet a neighbor (Djimon Hounsou) in their building, the search for hope and belief become a way to overcome… More
  This film is sweet and charming it its own but also sad. The Irish family struggling from the lost of a son and brother embarks on a new set of life: the American dream. As they meet a neighbor (Djimon Hounsou) in their building, the search for hope and belief become a way to overcome the emotions that havent let the family live normally. Hounsou's character not only gave hope to the family but also saved the family that has been somewhat apart mentally. The father, Paddy Considine, is amazing as the struggling actor trying to bring money on the table. The two children are the heroes and angels of this film. Although they seem innocent, the strength they bring onto the screen is remarkable. This picture might bring some tears so mind as well keep some kleenex next to you while watching.

• Miriam K

  
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• FanGirl B

  
  Powerful film and someone should have won an Oscar for the acting in this film.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings