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In the Valley of Elah

Play trailer Poster for In the Valley of Elah R 2007 2h 1m Drama War Play Trailer Watchlist
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73% Tomatometer 160 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
A police detective (Charlize Theron) helps a retired Army sergeant (Tommy Lee Jones) search for his son, a soldier who went missing soon after returning from Iraq. Hank Deerfield, a Vietnam War veteran, learns that his son may have met with foul play after a night on the town with members of his platoon.
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In the Valley of Elah

In the Valley of Elah

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Critics Consensus

Though some of Paul Haggis's themes are heavy-handed, In the Valley of Elah is otherwise an engrossing murder mystery and antiwar statement, featuring a mesmerizing performance from Tommy Lee Jones.

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Critics Reviews

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Wendy Ide The Times (UK) 01/24/2008
4/5
Jones' Oscar-nominated performance is impeccably judged. His low-key turn as a man forced to question everything from the kind of father he was to the nature of the country he fought for could be the contender to give Daniel Day-Lewis a run for his money. Go to Full Review Neil Smith BBC.com 01/24/2008
4/5
Powerful, downbeat drama with an anti-war message. Go to Full Review William Thomas Empire Magazine 01/24/2008
4/5
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. Go to Full Review Wesley Lovell Cinema Sight 12/06/2022
3.5/4
This introspective co-writing effort with The Hurt Locker scribe Mark Boal might be the pinnacle of Haggis’ career. The rest of Haggis’ filmography has been a letdown, but at least for this one moment in cinema, he got it mostly right. Go to Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins 11/26/2020
9/10
A powerhouse of moral conflicts and unpredictable resolutions. Go to Full Review Carlos Marañón Cinemanía (Spain) 10/28/2020
4.5/5
Tommy Lee Jones composes an unforgettable character. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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thiago s @Thiagostone Jun 26 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Emilliano Jr S @emill_santos 08/23/2024 Well-acted drama with ensemble casts. See more Bulgantamir B 08/08/2024 The director is a good person with experience See more Godfrey D 08/07/2024 Its a really good movie. See more Бавуу Э 08/07/2024 A police detective (Charlize Theron) helps a retired Army sergeant (Tommy Lee Jones) search for his son, a soldier who went missing soon after returning from Iraq. Hank Deerfield, a Vietnam War veteran, learns that his son may have met with foul play after a night on the town with members of his platoon. See more 03/02/2023 Good acting with a meh to alright story 3.0 See more Read all reviews
In the Valley of Elah

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Cast & Crew

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Paul Haggis

Director

Tommy Lee Jones

Hank Deerfield

Charlize Theron

Det. Emily Sanders

Jason Patric

Lt. Kirklander

Susan Sarandon

Joan Deerfield

James Franco

Sgt. Carnelli

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In the Valley of Elah

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Movie Info

Synopsis A police detective (Charlize Theron) helps a retired Army sergeant (Tommy Lee Jones) search for his son, a soldier who went missing soon after returning from Iraq. Hank Deerfield, a Vietnam War veteran, learns that his son may have met with foul play after a night on the town with members of his platoon.
Director
Paul Haggis
Producer
Paul Haggis, Laurence Becsey, Patrick Wachsberger, Steve Samuels, Darlene Caamano Loquet
Screenwriter
Paul Haggis
Production Co
Samuels Media, Summit Entertainment, Blackfriars Bridge, Nala Films
Rating
R (Some Sexuality/Nudity|Language|Violent and Disturbing Content)
Genre
Drama, War
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 21, 2007, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 18, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$6.8M
Runtime
2h 1m
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