In America
Short description
In America follows an Irish family who move to New York hoping to start over after a personal tragedy. Johnny, a trained actor, his wife Sarah, and their two young daughters, Christy and Ariel, settle into a run-down Manhattan apartment building, where they try to build a new life while carrying the memory of the child they lost. The parents see their new surroundings as a series of hardships, while the girls treat the city as a place of wonder. A meeting with a neighbour, an artist named Mateo, becomes part of their attempt to adjust.
The film was directed by Jim Sheridan, who wrote the screenplay with Kirsten Sheridan and Naomi Sheridan. It is his fifth feature, arriving between The Boxer and Get Rich or Die Tryin' in a career that began with My Left Foot. Samantha Morton and Paddy Considine play Sarah and Johnny, with Sarah Bolger and Emma Bolger as the daughters and Djimon Hounsou as Mateo, among a credited cast of 38. The production was a British, Irish and American effort, released in 2003 with a runtime of 105 minutes.
Its worldwide box office came to about 25 million US dollars. On TMDB it holds 7.1 out of 10 from 399 votes, while the film critics' rating stands higher at 7.8 out of 10 from 177 reviews.
What's left behind the scenes
- The film's script is largely based on the autobiographical facts of Jim Sheridan's life.
- The film is dedicated to the memory of Frankie Sheridan, the brother of director and screenwriter Jim Sheridan. In one interview, the director also stated that the character of Frankie, the son of Johnny and Sarah, is based on his brother, who died at the age of ten.
- At the early stages of production, Ewan McGregor and Kate Winslet were considered as the main candidates for the leading roles. At that time, the working title of the project was 'East of Harlem'.
- The sisters Christie and Ariel were played by real sisters Sarah and Emma Bolger. Emma, the younger sister, was initially cast, and she stated that the director should also invite her older sister Sarah. For a long time, it was impossible to find a suitable girl, and he finally invited Sarah to audition, after which she also received a role in the film.
- Initially, the director wanted Christie to be played by an older girl, around 12-13 years old.
- During filming, the girls themselves gave the commands "action" and "cut" for each scene. The director believed this would make them feel more comfortable during the filming process.
- The street fair scenes were filmed on Parnell Street in Dublin, Ireland, for which all traffic was blocked for three days. The premises of a closed diner were used to accommodate and warm up the extras freezing in the cold during those days.
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