In America

Based on writer-director Jim Sheridan’s real life struggles moving his family to the United States, this is one of the more compelling and beautifully acted films from 2003. Paddy Considine plays Johnny, a wannabe actor and father of two, taking his family into Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan looking for a better life. They take up residence in a tenement building, where his two daughters behave like they are living in a playground. The family, including mother Sarah (Samantha Morton), are mourning the loss of their son and brother, something that seems to be hitting the father more than the others. Sarah and Emma Bolger are remarkable as the daughters in their first major screen roles, and Djimon Hounsou should get Oscar consideration for his performance as an ailing downstairs neighbor. A beautifully shot, very memorable film.