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In the Valley of Elah (2007)
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Overview
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. full summary | full synopsis (warning! may contain spoilers)Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(5 articles)
Theron: 'Movie fans are obsessed with fluff' (From digitalspy. 13 May 2008, 4:27 AM, PDT)
Theron Rages At Unprepared Journalists (From WENN. 23 March 2008, 7:11 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Valley of Elah is a good Murder mystery moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| 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 |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for violent and disturbing content, language and some sexuality/nudity.Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
121 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 moreCertification:
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:RMOVIEmeter: 
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Takes its title from the Bible -- Elah was the valley where David met Goliath. moreGoofs:
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. moreQuotes:
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.
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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.