In the Valley of Elah (2007)

Awards

Won 1 award & 7 nominations
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Users' rating: 7.2

161 votes

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About the movie

Year

2007

Runtime

2 h 0 min

Director

Paul Haggis

Writers

Mark Boal, Paul Haggis, Paul Haggis

Plotline

A retired military investigator works with a police detective to uncover the truth behind his son's disappearance following his return from a tour of duty in Iraq.

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Starring

Tommy Lee Jones

Charlize Theron

Susan Sarandon

James Franco

Josh Brolin

Main 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

Greg Serano Detective Manny Nunez

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External critics' reviews

Paul Haggis' In the Valley of Elah is built on Tommy Lee Jones' persona, and that is why it works so well. The same material could have been banal or routine with an actor trying to be "earnest" and "sincere." more

For the most part it is an effective, disturbing and - a rarity for Haggis - subtle exploration of the stateside war story. more

It's the first Hollywood Iraq movie to remind me of a Vietnam film like Coming Home, and it does more than disturb. It scalds, moves, and heals. more

A deeply reflective, quietly powerful work that is as timely as it is moving. more

Tommy Lee Jones is marvelous in the film. He has one scene in particular, a simple two-person encounter, that's as good as it gets in the realm of American screen acting. more

Theron is very good as a woman struggling for respect in a sexist environment. There are also small but telling performances by Susan Sarandon as Hank's worried wife, and Frances Fisher as a topless bartender who aids in the investigation. more

A rare blend of emotional content and intelligent material that makes it simultaneously gut-wrenching and thought-provoking. more

Transcends politics and forces us to consider just what it is we ask of young people who answer the call to duty. more

One of the best films of 2007 but I wonder if it's difficult message will turn away filmgoers. Haggis has constructed a very bitter pill that needs to be swallowed, especially by hardcore pro-war Americans. more

Tense, powerful and considerably less crass than "Crash," Elah may be jammed with ideas that don't all connect, but Jones' devastating performance makes this a compassionate and very human look at the Iraq conflict. more

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