In America

This movie has been out for quite awhile, but was playing so selectly we couldn't locate a place to see it. We found it at the Starz Filmcenter at the Tivoli in Denver. It is a wonderful old theater. We enjoyed the whole area - on the Denver Community College campus and a few minutes walk to Downtown Denver.

The real reason we drove some 100 miles to see a movie, we were heading for House of Sand and Fog which, really annoyingly never came to Colorado Springs OR Pueblo! It was released Dec. 26 but never got here - so this was supposedly the only theater in Colorado that was showing it. Fandango said it was there on this day, so we made the trek. It wasn't there. :( BUT we truly had wanted to see this one.

We had 2 or 3 hours to kill before the next showing and we walked the brief jaunt (about 5 minutes) to Downtown Denver. Though we've lived here for years we've never taken the time to stroll through Denver. What you have at your disposal is all of Downtown, the stores, the people, the guys playing chess, the Starbucks (we passed one on every corner - Robert kept saying - "See, we're lost! We keep passing that same Starbucks!!") :) and the riverwalk. There are lots and lots of college kids everywhere, not only from the community college but the CU campus as well. We walked for hours and sat in the sun on a bench by the riverwalk (after finally visiting one of those wonderful smelling Starbucks). Plenty of time to walk leisurely back to the theater, through the college center, read about the old Tivoli brewery (the building the center and theater are housed in) and just thoroughly enjoyed the entire day.

In America got 2 Oscar nominations this year. Neither panned out but both were deserved - Samantha Morton - Best Actress in a Leading Role and Djimon Housou - Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

Samantha Morton is most remembered previously as Agatha - the empathic psychic creature from Minority Report (with Tom Cruise). She was wonderful in that movie, and equally so in this one.

This is a story of a family who immigrates from Ireland to the U.S. They come to New York and start their lives over, after their son has died back in Ireland. In their new home - a junkie apt building - they meet Djimon Housou (best known from his starring role in Amistad, and ER if you're an ER fan.) The couple, Johny (played by Paddy Constidine) and Sarah, have two small daughters.

It's hard to say why this is a wonderful movie. The writing is excellent, the performances superb. The Irish couple's two small children are played by Sarah and Emma Bolger, who are sisters also in real life. They are so adorable, so natural, just so sweet and surrounded by light. They are the perfect opposite to their parents who are so haunted with the darkness of the child they lost.

The story gives you the feeling you're truly a fly on the wall. No earth shaking drama, no real spelling out the plot and making you feel stupid or condescended like many movies do. Just as if you're privvy to watching this small family struggle in a big city and a big strange world. I felt special to be able to see how it played out.

To us it was very touching, without being heavy handed. The performances were all just amazing and really led to the believability of every scene. If you have had to experience the loss of someone you love, this movie will touch you deeply but doesn't exploit or milk that loss.

The lovely old theater we saw this in was clean, had great character, was modernized enough to be comfortable, and the popcorn was fresh and wonderful! Our only complaint was the volume - normally in the new theaters we are begging them to turn it down but this one was too low. There were a few lines we missed, due in part to crunching of the popcorn. It's basically a quiet movie and you do need to hear the words spoken.

Overall rating: a 4 - Original Story and Great Acting.