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Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Jason Patric, Susan Sarandon, James Franco ... see more see more... , Barry Corbin , Josh Brolin , Frances Fisher , Wes Chatham , Jake McLaughlin , Mehcad Brooks , Jonathan Tucker , Wayne Duvall , Victor Wolf , Brent Briscoe , Greg Serano , Brent Sexton , Devin Brochu , Chris Browning , Sean Huze , Tim McGraw

When a model soldier who recently returned to the U.S. from the front lines of Iraq goes AWOL, his veteran father enlists the aid of a dedicated police detective in seeking out his son's true fate in ... read more read more...director/screenwriter Paul Haggis' follow up to the Oscar-winning 2004 indie-hit Crash. Mike Deerfield (Jonathan Tucker) has served his country faithfully, and now the time has come for him to return home to the United States. Shortly after returning, however, Mike simply vanishes without a trace. Mike's father, Hank (Tommy Lee Jones), is a former MP from the Vietnam era, and quickly recruits Detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron) to assist him in his search for the missing soldier. While it remains to be seen whether Hank will ever find his missing son, he gets quickly enmeshed in a tangled web of intrigue, cover-ups, and murder, all related to the Iraqi conflict. The drama thus highlights the profoundly personal toll combat takes on soldiers, while striking at the very heart of the American experience in Iraq. Inspired by a Playboy Magazine article written by Mark Boal, Haggis's fictionalized version of the actual events co-stars Jason Patrick, Susan Sarandon, James Franco, and Josh Brolin. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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76% liked it

27,609 ratings

Critics

72% liked it

156 critics

R, 2 hr. 1 min.

Directed by: Paul Haggis

Release Date: September 28, 2007

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DVD Release Date: February 19, 2008

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Stats: 5,583 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (5,583)

  • brooklynspo
    July 27, 2008
    brooklynspo
    Powerful.
  • StarCrossedVoyager
    May 23, 2012
    StarCrossedVoyager
    A fairly decent film with a great performance from Theron, however I just wasn't too bothered about what happened. I couldn't really empathise with Hank as much as I would have liked and was just waiting for it to be over really. I didn't feel there was much mystery and it just d... read moreidn't affect me.
  • SirPant
    December 12, 2011
    SirPant
    A brutally honest depiction of the War and the effect it can have on young soldiers. I hated Paul Haggis's Crash, I thought it was overrated and contrived, but In the Valley of Elah is astonishingly good. I was going to say it took guts to make, I saw going to go as far as saying... read more it's pretty unpatriotic too but Haggis is Canadian, so it's not, but the fact it did so well in America can only conclude that people are starting to look at the war in a different way. Either that or everyone has missed the point. Making and releasing a film in the same country that you hang the flag upside-down of could be seen as the highest of insults. Haggis's is saying, America is sick and in crisis. The last 15 minutes of the film our so powerful, I'm not sure why it hasn't been praised more highly, I can only imagine it's due to the delicate subject matter but again, it's a subject that needed to be addressed. An unexpected example of brilliant film-making - if it had been made during the Vietnam war it would be now regarded as a classic and Haggis would have been shot! I think the people who have stated that it is a slow story with not enough action have missed the point somewhat.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    December 5, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    In the Valley of Elah is powerful drama film. Directed by Crash director Paul Haggis, In the Valley of Elah is a stunning drama film with a great cast of talented actors. Haggis has directed yet another fine film. After his son goes AWOL, Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones) tries to... read more find out what happened. A determined detective (Theron) is on the case to find out what happened. In the Valley of Elah is a solid drama film with a great cast and brilliant directing from Paul Haggis. Aside from Crash, Haggis yet again shows the audience how talented a director he is, and I have to say, In the Valley of Elah is a film worth seeing, and the performances and story make this film worth watching. Tommy Lee Jones is very convincing in the part he plays, and he steals the show. Jones is a phenomenal talent of an actor, and he was very well cast in the part he played here. I very much loved his performance. If you love Paul Haggis' work, then definitely check out In the Valley of Elah, this is a powerful film that has some terrific performances, and is a definite must see. Haggis' plot unfolds very well, steadily developing the drama, and making you more interested in the story. I very much enjoyed the film thought it had a brilliant story and cast, and if you're looking for a memorable drama film, then this film is for you. Paul Haggis has made another memorable film worth watching, and with a cast like this, you really can't pass up on this one.
  • ironclad1609
    November 15, 2010
    ironclad1609
    Slow but really interesting investigation thriller about a father who's son goes missing only days after his return from the war in Iraq. Tommy Lee Jones does well as grumpy ex-soldier who is ready to do what it takes to find the truth, Charlize Theron has never been prettier as ... read morecop on his side. While the film starts out pretty dark already, the picture it is painting as more and more backgrounds are revealed is increasingly gloomy. That does not make for easily-consumed crime entertainment, but has quite a few things to say about the mental state of soldiers and the results of war. The final frame is accordingly disenchanthing: there's something rotten in the US of A.
  • LWOODS04
    December 2, 2009
    LWOODS04
    Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, James Franco, Jason Patric, Susan Sarandon, Josh Brolin

    Tommy Lee Jones in another great performance. The movie is about an retired officer of the army investigating the death of his son Tucker who went AWOL after coming back from Iraq. He ge... read morets help from a female detective who is played by Charlize Theron. There is a lot of covering up, and no one wants to tell the truth. The whole movie is a build up to the ending which will leave you feeling disgusted, sympathy for the convicted, and heartbroken for the dead boys family. The movie is disturbing, and shows us what it is like for the soldiers and their families when they have come back from war. Susan Sarandon, although not having that much screen time in this movie is amazing with just the little bit of screen time she was given. You can feel her grief. Those who are for the war may be left feeling indifferent about it after watching this film. It's definitely shows the downfall of going to war, and has you sympathizing for the soldiers and their families even more so now then before. Great movie and great performances.
  • Redlats
    June 1, 2009
    Redlats
    An interesting film. Tommy Lee Jones plays Hank, a father who receives a disturbing phone call from his soldier son who has gone AWOL after returning from Iraq. Hank travels to the base and finds out that the son has been murdered, and gets involved with solving who did it.

    ... read moreI thought the acting was superb - Jones was nominated for an academy award. Theron (who plays a cop) also is great as the level-headed rookie investigator.
  • fb619846742
    April 29, 2009
    fb619846742
    An original murder mystery that features a dynamic performance from Tommy Lee Jones, proving once again why he is one of the best actors around. The story is brutal and full of sorrow, but Haggis avoids going down a road marked with cliches and coincidence, instead he invents som... read moreething new and creative. The supporting cast is equally strong, with Theron giving one of her best performances as a cop who decides to help Jones out. The ending holds an image that, if you think of what it means, is both devastating and haunting, and will leave a mark on you.
  • middleeasternfilms
    April 17, 2009
    middleeasternfilms
    Better-than-average drama about a father desperately searching for the truth about his soldier-son's death. As you watch the movie, the story and ending become more and more apparent and guessable, but it's still pretty good anyway. Jones is great in this, but he was better in No... read more Country.
  • hobster1
    December 16, 2008
    hobster1
    Police detective drama about a veteran father who goes looking for his son who has gone AWOL upon his return from the Iraq war. Film's exploration on the toll war has on the soldiers that return home, is anchored by Tommy Lee Jones heartfelt and honest performance.

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Critic Reviews

Christy Lemire
September 26, 2007
Christy Lemire, Associated Press

This is Jones' show and he makes you feel a father's fear and loss in ways that are subtly heartbreaking, never melodramatic. Full Review

Peter Howell
September 21, 2007
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

The failure to avoid pat answers and cheap grandstanding dogs Haggis here as surely as it did in the overrated Crash, and robs In the Valley of Elah of much of its power. Full Review

Roger Moore
September 21, 2007
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

In the Valley of Elah is another in a long line of great Tommy Lee Jones performances. Full Review

Bruce Westbrook
September 21, 2007
Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle

[Haggis'] self-serious tone becomes wearisome, and he fails to explore how the military failed its men while clumsily laying a guilt trip at its feet. Full Review

Tom Long
September 21, 2007
Tom Long, Detroit News

There should be enough gut-troubling truth to In the Valley of Elah to make it transcend political squabbling. Full Review

Terry Lawson
September 21, 2007
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press

Tommy Lee Jones gives such an amazingly nuanced, judicious, soulful and selfless performance as a military man distraught over the death of his soldier son in In the Valley of Elah that one can only w... Full Review

Chris Vognar
September 21, 2007
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News

In the Valley of Elah is an endorsement of doubt, a demand for questioning, wrapped in a package anyone can buy. Full Review

Rick Groen
September 21, 2007
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

In his first solo outing since the Oscar-winning Crash, writer-director Paul Haggis falls into a familiar trap, where his lofty social theme fights its own battle against the forces of artifice and co... Full Review

Carrie Rickey
September 21, 2007
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

Paul Haggis' earnest and eloquent film about the impact of the war in Iraq on U.S. soldiers, and by extension, their nation, is human-scaled. And as deep and harrowed as Jones' crevassed face. Full Review

Bill Goodykoontz
September 20, 2007
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic

In the Valley of Elah rises and falls on the strength of Tommy Lee Jones' performance, which is to say that it rises to great heights, indeed. Full Review

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  • In the Valley of Elah, who portrays the female detective who helps Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones)?  Answer »
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