In the Valley of Elah (2007)

Directed by

Paul Haggis

Genre

drama film, war film, crime film, mystery film

Country

United States

Runtime

2h 02m

Rated

R

Rating

6.8 of 10 from 1,101 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A retired military policeman travels to find his missing son who recently returned from Iraq. When he discovers his son has been murdered, he works with a detective to investigate the crime and uncover what happened.

somberslow-burngrittymelancholictensereflectivebleakgrounded

What happens

In the Valley of Elah is a 2007 American crime drama film written and directed by Paul Haggis. The film stars Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, and Susan Sarandon. Its title refers to the Biblical valley where the battle between David and Goliath took place. The film is based on actual events, although the characters' names and locations have been changed. The screenplay was inspired by journalist Mark Boal's "Death and Dishonor", an article about the murder case published in Playboy magazine in 2004. It portrays a military father's search for his son and, after his body is found, subsequent hunt for his son's killers. The film explores themes including the Iraq War, abuse of prisoners, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In the Valley of Elah premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 1, 2007 before being released by Warner Independent Pictures in the United States on September 14, 2007, with Summit Entertainment releasing in other territories. The film received positive reviews from critics and grossed $29.5 million against a $23 million budget. At the 80th Academy Awards, Jones was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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