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In the Valley of Elah

R Released Sep 21, 2007 2h 1m Drama War List
74% Tomatometer 163 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

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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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Hank Sartin Time Out Rated: 3/5 Nov 18, 2011 Full Review Wendy Ide Times (UK) 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. Rated: 4/5 Jan 24, 2008 Full Review Neil Smith BBC.com Powerful, downbeat drama with an anti-war message. Rated: 4/5 Jan 24, 2008 Full Review Wesley Lovell Cinema Sight 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. Rated: 3.5/4 Dec 6, 2022 Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins A powerhouse of moral conflicts and unpredictable resolutions. Rated: 9/10 Nov 26, 2020 Full Review Carlos Marañón Cinemanía (Spain) Tommy Lee Jones composes an unforgettable character. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 4.5/5 Oct 28, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Emilliano Jr S Well-acted drama with ensemble casts. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/23/24 Full Review Bulgantamir B The director is a good person with experience Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/08/24 Full Review Godfrey D Its a really good movie. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/07/24 Full Review Бавуу Э 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. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/07/24 Full Review Audience Member Good acting with a meh to alright story 3.0 Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/02/23 Full Review KEVIN C Tommy Lee Jones plays a retired military police investigator who has to team up with a local detective, played by Charlize Theron, to find out what happened to his son, a soldier who disappeared after returning to the USA from Iraq. This was a pretty engaging story and Jones is in his wheelhouse playing a grizzled hardass set in his stubborn ways. Theron is great as usual despite her less fleshed out role. Also features Susan Sarandon, Josh Brolin, Jason Patric and James Franco. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/02/22 Full Review Read all reviews
In the Valley of Elah

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Cast & Crew

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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
Summit Entertainment, Blackfriars Bridge, Samuels Media, 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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