For Once, Some Irish People That Aren’t Stereotypes

I watched In America on Wednesday night. It’s the critically acclaimed story of a poor Irish family who move to America (New York City, to be exact) to find a better life. I was surprised to find that this movie actually deserved the acclaim.

The performances are great all around. However, Sara and Emma Bolger, real-life sisters who play sisters in the movie, steal the show. They don’t do so by being overly “cute” or annoying. They do so just by being children. They are definitely precocious, but not so much that you wonder if they really are children as opposed to little people (like Dakota Fanning). The two of them are genuinely charming, and that’s something you don’t see everyday. I also liked the Academy Award-nominated performance of Djimon Hounsou. His character is one that kind of messes with your expectations. Instead of being angry and moody (as you’d expect in his early, brief scenes), he’s actually a nice, caring person. There is a little bit of what Spike Lee dubbed “The Magical Negro” in this character, but he’s one of the most likable characters in the movie.

The movie itself is sentimental (but not sappy) and not nearly as depressing as other stories about poor immigrant families. Like other family dramas, there are scenes that are funny as well as those which are pretty sad. However, there is a happy ending and you feel good after watching it.

On Thursday, I will finally watch Lord of The Rings: The Return of The King. I really enjoyed LOTR: The Two Towers, so I am looking forward to seeing this. And like the other two movies, I will be the only one in the house to watch this. I can’t wait.