In the Valley of Elah (2007)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

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:

Ptsd | Hit And Run | Dismemberment | Military Officer | Bare Breasts

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Oct. 18	10:00 PM	MAX
Sun. Oct. 19	4:30 AM	MAX

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	...	Cpl. Steve Penning
Jake McLaughlin	...	Spc. Gordon Bonner
Mehcad Brooks	...	Spc. Ennis Long
Jonathan Tucker	...	Spc. Mike Deerfield
Wayne Duvall	...	Detective Nugent
Victor Wolf	...	Pvt. 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:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R | Canada:14A | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Singapore:M18 | Brazil:14 | Ireland:15A | Australia:MA | UK:15 | Finland:K-15 | South Korea:15 | Germany:12 | Taiwan:R-12 | Sweden:11 | Portugal:M/16 (Qualidade) | Argentina:16 | Japan:PG-12 | Denmark:11 | Austria:16 | France:Unrated (with warning) | New Zealand:R16

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Blackfriars Bridge Films

Trivia:

Josh Brolin replaced Tim McGraw in the role of Chief Buchwald.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: The opening subtitle says that the Deerfields live in "Munro, Tennessee", but the address on the side of Hank's truck says "Munroe, Tennessee".

Quotes:

Evie: Mustard or mayonnaise?
[Hank looks up and is taken aback to see that the waitress is topless]
Hank Deerfield: Um... no thank you, ma'am.
Evie: Woman stands topless in front of you, "ma'am" could be taken as an insult.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2007-09-15)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Lost

In the Valley of Elah an amazing and accurate film

A beautiful film. Incredibly honest and real. Story is gripping and never lets go. The acting,untouchable. Wasn't a character in this masterpiece that didn't have depth. I could easily see going in and developing any one of the soldiers characters deeper. The choice to focus the film (direction/editing) the way in which it was handled was brilliant. The dialog was well thought out and felt natural. Been a while since a film has had this impact on me. The Direction clearly pulled it all together. Finally, I didn't watch it staring at bad hair/bad makeup/cliché design/annoying soundtrack etc................... it was all perfect in this case. In the Valley Of Elah is a winner. Bravo to all.