“In America” was directed by Jim Sheridan, whose previous films include “My Left Foot” and “In the Name of the Father.” He co-wrote the Oscar-nominated screenplay with his two daughters, and they based the story loosely on experiences they had when they moved from Dublin to New York by way of Canada in the 1980s. I imagine the Sheridan family’s personal connection with the material depicted in the movie is one of the reasons “In America” seems so heartfelt.
The fable-like quality of the movie is established right at the beginning with a young girl’s Irish-accented words heard in voice-over: “There’s some things you should wish for … and some things you shouldn’t. That’s what my little brother Frankie told me.” The voice belongs to 10-year-old Christy Sullivan (played by Sarah Bolger), and I think the reason the movie works is because we see everything through her eyes. Christy and her family are grief-stricken over the recent death of her younger brother Frankie, and the story derives much of its power from the way they deal with their sorrow.
The film opens with Christy, her younger sister Ariel (played by Sarah Bolger’s real-life sister Emma), her father Johnny (Paddy Considine), and her mother Sarah (Samantha Morton) crossing the U.S.-Canadian border in a beat-up old jalopy. They drive to New York, hearing a polyglot mix on the car radio, and Christy reports on their approach, “We heard Manhattan before we ever saw it, a thousand strange voices coming from everywhere. And you’re not going to believe this, but we had to go under water to get to the city.”
Without relatives or friends to help them, the Sullivans have no choice but to move into an apartment in a tenement occupied mostly by junkies. Johnny takes any acting job he can get and drives a taxi. Sarah works in an ice cream parlor until she must quit because of a difficult pregnancy. Still, the Sullivans find some comfort in the quiet joys of family, and they do make one friend: a neighbor named Mateo Kwame (Djimon Hounsou) who appears to be dying of AIDS.
For Christy, Manhattan is a wonderland, although it’s sometimes a frightening one. The Sullivans must face a number of problems, not the least of which is that Sarah’s pregnancy runs up big medical bills. And always the grief of little Frankie’s untimely death hangs over the family. But Christy believes her younger brother left her three wishes that will be granted. At key moments, she uses them, and the movie so successfully pulled me into her world that I found myself believing a little too.
I was very impressed with the performances in “In America.” I think Samantha Morton and Djimon Hounsou were worthy of their Oscar nominations, and I found the young Bolger sisters very charming. But the big surprise for me was how much I liked Paddy Considine as Johnny. He comes across as a troubled man trying to keep his dreams alive while struggling to meet his responsibilities to his wife and children.
I should mention that “In America” is visually appealing, awash in color and interesting images. The soundtrack features some well-chosen songs, too, including The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Do You Believe in Magic,” The Byrds’ “Turn, Turn, Turn,” and “Desperado” (made famous by the Eagles, but performed here by Sarah Bolger). Of course, the film contains lots of melancholy, but this is often relieved by humor and lyrical sequences, and the ending is upbeat.
