In the Valley of Elah (2007)

Director:

Paul Haggis

Writers (WGA):

Paul Haggis (screenplay)
Mark Boal (story) ...

Release Date:

28 September 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Sometimes finding the truth is easier than facing it.

Plot:

A career officer and his wife work with a police detective to uncover the truth behind their son's disappearance following his return from a tour of duty in Iraq.

Plot Keywords:

Investigation | Military Base | Murder | Wife | Father Son Relationship

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Tommy Lee Jones	...	Hank Deerfield
Charlize Theron	...	Det. Emily Sanders
Jason Patric	...	Lt. Kirklander
Susan Sarandon	...	Joan Deerfield
James Franco	...	Sgt. Dan Carnelli
Barry Corbin	...	Arnold Bickman
Josh Brolin	...	Chief Buchwald
Frances Fisher	...	Evie
Wes Chatham	...	Corporal Steve Penning
Jake McLaughlin	...	Spc. Gordon Bonner
Mehcad Brooks	...	Spc. Ennis Long
Jonathan Tucker	...	Mike Deerfield
Wayne Duvall	...	Detective Nugent
Victor Wolf	...	Private Robert Ortiez
Brent Briscoe	...	Detective Hodge

Also Known As:

Death and Dishonor (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violent and disturbing content, language and some sexuality/nudity.

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Denmark:11 | Australia:MA | Austria:16 | Japan:PG-12 | Ireland:15A | Canada:14A | Singapore:M18 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Taiwan:R-12 | Argentina:16 | Germany:12 | UK:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | South Korea:15 | France:Unrated (with warning) | Sweden:11 | Brazil:14 | Portugal:M/16 (Qualidade) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Blackfriars Bridge Films

Trivia:

Takes its title from the Bible -- Elah was the valley where David met Goliath.

Goofs:

Factual errors: As a matter of fact, a blue car under a monochromatic yellow light, probably a sodium light outside of the gun shop, will not appear green, but will appear gray. Rather, it will be a darker yellow. There is no way a blue car will appear green without blue or green wavelengths in the light source.

Quotes:

Det. Emily Sanders: And so David went down into the valley to challenge Goliath...
David Sanders: D'you think he was scared Mom?
Det. Emily Sanders: Yes. I think he was scared.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

SHU44LE

Valley of Elah is a good Murder mystery

Paul Hagas's "In the Valley of Elah" follows carefully and closely all the long held and well affirmed standards of any good murder mystery. For anyone who really enjoys this Genre you won't be disappointed.

That being said I believe the performances also strengthen this story. Tommy Lee Jones hands in a subdued yet internally complex performance the like I've never seen him do before. He is tough and yet has the sensitivity necessary to drive the character along to where it needs to go. Susan Sarandon gives a strong performance as the mother of a missing soldier. She is placed in the position of an actress having to create a great role from a small part and pulls it off by tapping what must be very heartfelt emotions.

Ms. Theron is good and carries off her part well. She is once again not afraid to look bad in order to carry a role. It is a good performance...that's all. I'm not writing home to Mom over it though. The rest of the cast is very strong and gives me great hope for the future of Film making in this country. The cast works well together and makes a compelling story.

The part of this film that is the Star and center piece is Paul Hagas's script. He sets up the characters and situations in a direct and fast manner. The storyline is consistent and flows well and as I mentioned he follows the correct direction that any good murder mystery should. He also makes us aware of the growing struggles of our soldiers and what is going on as a result of this war in Iraq. Please see this film and look at it for what it is...a good mystery with great performances.