好久沒(méi)看電影了，也好久沒(méi)有給出5星了，沒(méi)想到，今天一給就是兩個(gè)。
很感動(dòng)的片子，不是簡(jiǎn)單的勵(lì)志片而已，很感動(dòng)的大女兒勸爸爸的話(huà)：不是只有你有壓力，我也是，都一年多了！但是得要放下?。ù蟾诺囊馑及桑?br>面對(duì)壓力，除了直面之外，還要選擇必要的放下！
對(duì)Franki說(shuō)再見(jiàn)！

Time froze when Dad was throwing those balls. I put my heart and soul just want him to make it. I really thought he might got nothing and the family would lose everything. It was so depressed when I heard the 'Bang', which means that he didn't make it. We can't see the result but only listen to the sound. Great chapter. I gotta say.

Keep a hope. One can always work it out.

城市幾起幾落，沒(méi)有戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)也沒(méi)有奇跡，你行走在其中，會(huì)不會(huì)忘記還有期待和夢(mèng)想。

“愛(ài)爾蘭移民約翰尼和莎拉帶著他們的兩個(gè)女兒，滿(mǎn)懷希望地來(lái)到美國(guó)。當(dāng)行走在充滿(mǎn)著各種奇怪新鮮聲音的紐約曼哈頓大街上時(shí)，他們便開(kāi)始了充滿(mǎn)冒險(xiǎn)的生活。炫目的未來(lái)在等待著這個(gè)家庭，但是他們首先必須忘記過(guò)去。”他們遠(yuǎn)離愛(ài)爾蘭，是不是想讓熟悉的城市忘記自己，忘記自己的喪子之痛。可是即使隔著千山萬(wàn)水，他們還是發(fā)現(xiàn)在新生活的背后依然會(huì)看見(jiàn)放大的曾經(jīng)的記憶。

兩個(gè)女兒的扮演者純真可愛(ài)。音樂(lè)也非常棒。大女兒Christy在片中許了三個(gè)愿望，你看著它們實(shí)現(xiàn)的時(shí)候真是心酸，許第二個(gè)愿前真是讓人揪心。片子不長(zhǎng)，但溫情感人。雖然生活艱難，但這個(gè)移民家庭還是在陌生城市堅(jiān)韌地生活，守著親情、希望、信念、奇跡與愛(ài)。

這完全是一部歐洲人裝比又蓄意貶低美國(guó)的電影?，F(xiàn)在歐洲經(jīng)濟(jì)不好，每年以旅游為名混入美國(guó)的歐洲窮鬼千千萬(wàn)。但這些人到了美國(guó)以后又懷念歐洲的長(zhǎng)假期，高福利等等，有意無(wú)意的不愿融入美國(guó)社會(huì)，把自己折騰的墻頭草兩邊倒，不知如何是好的狀態(tài)。從那個(gè)大女兒進(jìn)入破爛公寓第一步時(shí)對(duì)小女兒說(shuō)的：“你已經(jīng)是美國(guó)人了？真惡心！”就能看出導(dǎo)演的用心。愛(ài)爾蘭導(dǎo)演似乎很想顯示愛(ài)爾蘭人在美國(guó)人窮志不窮的理念，戲就開(kāi)始越來(lái)越二了：已經(jīng)沒(méi)錢(qián)了，還全家去看電影避暑，就算沒(méi)錢(qián)也要家庭歡樂(lè)的狗屁概念。這完全不現(xiàn)實(shí)，紐約一場(chǎng)電影一個(gè)人至少15刀，再加上吃冰激凌什么的，4個(gè)人100刀就沒(méi)了。不過(guò)這只是裝比的剛剛開(kāi)始。。接著去游樂(lè)場(chǎng)轉(zhuǎn)悠，把所有的錢(qián)都賭在一個(gè)破娃娃上，就為了所謂的歐洲爸爸的尊嚴(yán)。第一個(gè)奇跡發(fā)生了：跟死了的弟弟祈禱，把錢(qián)都賺回來(lái)了，女兒的娃娃也贏到了，似乎很有尊嚴(yán)的樣子。但是想想如果都輸了呢？全家住大街上，就有尊嚴(yán)了？接著又蹦出來(lái)一個(gè)要死的黑鬼藝術(shù)家，似乎還會(huì)點(diǎn)巫術(shù)，就更二了去了??！已經(jīng)捉襟見(jiàn)肘了，又造出來(lái)一個(gè)小孩兒，還搞一破煽情：說(shuō)什么孩子有問(wèn)題也要生！這兒有明顯是表達(dá)歐洲人尊重生命，沒(méi)錢(qián)沒(méi)命也要生的概念，簡(jiǎn)直純扯淡！連自己都快養(yǎng)不活了，還弄出第三個(gè)孩子來(lái)，拿尊嚴(yán)喂呀？而且明明知道付不起醫(yī)藥費(fèi)，還扯什么好運(yùn)氣。然后那個(gè)小女孩獻(xiàn)血的時(shí)候說(shuō)什么那些美國(guó)護(hù)士在笑但眼睛沒(méi)笑什么的，完全是有意說(shuō)美國(guó)人虛偽。你覺(jué)得愛(ài)爾蘭真實(shí)，那可以回愛(ài)爾蘭呀？美國(guó)沒(méi)請(qǐng)你來(lái)呀？最后的扯淡高潮：那個(gè)黑鬼臨死為死嬰祈禱，滿(mǎn)嘴巫語(yǔ)，然后死嬰就活了，靠！然后醫(yī)藥費(fèi)3萬(wàn)多刀，黑鬼也給付了。鬼信呀？難不成說(shuō)多生孩子多好運(yùn)氣？再生一個(gè)誰(shuí)給付錢(qián)呀？還靠奇跡付呀？
總之整個(gè)電影是純扯淡，再加上中間穿插的刻薄的店主、學(xué)校里糊弄的頒獎(jiǎng)，忘恩負(fù)義的流浪漢、冷漠的醫(yī)院收銀員，都是對(duì)美國(guó)人的一種鄙視和偏見(jiàn)。再加上宣傳什么奇跡、巫術(shù)思想，完全二比！導(dǎo)演似乎很不情愿的擠出一個(gè)冰激凌店的黑阿姨是個(gè)好人。。。
在紐約呀，北京呀這種國(guó)際大都市里有很多這種人：想賺當(dāng)?shù)劐X(qián)，又在心里不尊重當(dāng)?shù)厝?，滿(mǎn)肚子都是抱怨，想靠什么奇跡、運(yùn)氣發(fā)跡，真是蠢到豬腦子里去了。導(dǎo)演還為這種人打氣，更是把豬都蠢死了！二比導(dǎo)演，二比電影

 I have to say, after I watched the heartwarming and terrific film In America, I was deeply moved by the loving family. For a long time, I can’t get out of their struggling story. Without any glaring special effects, just through a ten-year-old girl Christine’s narration, In America beats all the American blockbuster, in my eyes.

 At the beginning of the film, the shakily photographed opening scenes gives me a deep impression, which deliberately symbolizes the uncertainty of the future. Through the camcorder, the oldest daughter Christine sees the huge and brightly colored Big Apple. No one knows what’s waiting for the family, even for us… Around by the wows of the two kids in the car, let’s forget all the pains we had, facing the brand-new world.

To escape from the sad memories of their little son Frankie’s death, the young couple with two adorable daughters move into the U.S illegally, with dreams of a better life for their family. They are so poor that have to live in the slum of Manhattan, which is populated by junkies, drag queens, and assorted low-lifes. The new house is just passable, but the family are excited, with their aborative decoration, the house is filled with warmth. This is the point that touched me a lot, no matter how bad the real condition is, they never lose the heart. So, to some extent, In America is actually an inspiring film.

However, the loss of Frankie haunts every single one of the family. There are three plots I remember clearly until now. The first one is that when the immigration officer asks how many children they have, the dad still answers 3, in fact his son has been dead. And the second: after the mum gives birth to a new baby, she cries to the dad, looking for her lost son. The last one: before Christine gives a blood transfusion to the baby in danger, she announces seriously to her father, “Don’t ‘little girl’ me, I've been carrying this family on my back for more than a year.” Through the plots above, we can see the guilt and blame plague the couple all the time, and even their young daughters bear the family’s pain and try to heal their parents. Christine has been talking to Frankie every night, recalling the happy time when the family are in together. This is a children’s world that is often ignored by the adults. The director Jim Sheridan notices it, that’s commendable.

Besides the love between the family, In America gives us a glimpse of the true friendship. On their first Halloween in the states, the two girls dare to knock on the door of “the screaming man”,a black named Motell, in their building and played “trick or treat” with him, softening the dying man’s heart. Gradually, they develop a

sincere relationship. The family pull him out of his depression at the end of his life, show him their love, and make him have the last happy time. Unexpectedly, the kids’ opening arms, the whole family’s kindness finally pay off—Motell pay their debts to hospital as the last gift. We ache for him when his end comes. God bless him.

Undoubtedly, In America is a tear jerker in terms of its theme, about memory, secrets, love, loss, wishes, dreams, families growing stronger, starting over, and America as the land of opportunity, etc. Also it is elevated by strong performances by everyone involved. Paddy Considine plays Johnny, excellently showing a father who is devoted, protective, compassionate, a little crazy and weighed down by grief. And, needless to say, Samantha Morton, the famous actress, gives a stunning performance driven by the despair in her eyes. She captured every emotion a grieving mother goes through, and her nervous breakdown in the hospital is so emotionally gripping. But the most surprise is the real-world sisters, the genuine article of child actors, Sarah and Emma Bolger. They seem completely transparent, not just simple ‘cute kids’, but leave the impression they are not acting at all. When Christine sings “Desperado” at a school talent show, I nearly weep. It haunts me all the week, tugging my heartstrings.

And finally I want to add something else in the part of the text structure and the art of narratology. There are Christine’s three wishes and the image of ET throughout the whole film. The three wishes Christine prays to Frankie form the main frame of the film. And the image of ET emerges in the film several times, at a street fair, the dad wins an ET doll for the kids; a black man who calls himself an ET befriends the sisters; and the ET passes the moon like Santa Claus at the end of the film. In my opinion, maybe the ET represents the miracles, if you believe in hope and love, your dream will come true someday.

All in all, In America gives me so many levels of human emotion, purifying my soul. If only one word to describe it, that is, bravo!


http://ceh-870925.blog.163.com/blog/static/340173672008102322820365/

After a long journey, finally the Sullivan family enters the United States. The director chooses to start the story at this moment. The moment for the family may be a chance to restart to some degree. And also to us spectators, it can be an easy resource to look into the protagonists’ life.

Johnny and Sarah, with their daughters Christy and Ariel, have settled in a tenement in Manhattan which is occupied by drug addicts and transvestites. However, they are still filled with joy. Sarah finds a job in a restaurant as a waitress to support the family while Johnny can go on taking part in screen test to try to get a role. Nevertheless, Johnny can never find the emotions that the stage director has expected. So he has faced a lot of failures.

With the story promoting, we are told that there is a heavy stone hanging over the family. It’s the accidental death of the young son Frankie. Everybody in the family feels sorrow and guilty. Though they seldom mention it, they haven’t forgotten it for even one minute. That’s the reason why Johnny can’t feel true feelings----he had lost them all at his son’s death. And the movie here brings out an other important protagonist---the Nigerian artist and photographer Mateo. His early actions make us think he is a ferocious guy. But the turning point comes at the Halloween Day. Christy and Ariel knock Mateo’s door for the tradition “thick or treat”. Mateo has treated the girls friendly. This makes the family gradually accept this black friend, even knowing he is dying of AIDS.

Sarah is pregnant again at the risk of losing her life. Mateo falls down stairs and his life is in an emergency situation. Finally, on the one hand a baby is born prematurely and in poor health. On the other hand, Mateo pays off the family’s hospital bill before he passes away. And at last, with the birth of the new baby and the death of Mateo, Johnny finally gets over with the Frankie thing and recovers the ability of feeling things.

Life goes on.

Despite of the various complicated emotions, at my point of view, love is the key word in defining the theme of this movie. Because of loving Frankie, the family has been in deep desperate. Because of loving his wife and daughters, Johnny tried to thrown the ball to the hall over and over again. Because of loving the family, Mateo has learnt how to open his heart and treat others kindly. Love exists everywhere, connecting the Sullivan family, the white and the black, the death and the alive. Love, like warm sunshine, has filled the crevices of people’s hearts.

Just as the <Bible > says:” Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never ends”.

Among the conspicuous protagonists, I prefer Christy most. Most people may love Ariel more for she is actually a cute and active girl. Compared with her, Christy seems to be inner going, silent and mature. With less unconscious words and less impulsive actions, Christy has adopted the camcorder to hide herself behind the lens. However, she is only a child. She believes she has been granted three wishes by her dead brother. She used to talk to Frankie at night until she realized she was talking to herself. She gave Mateo the CPR at once not considering his AIDS. She is used to keeping her feeling in her heart in order to comfort her parents. People are easily interested in Ariel. On the contrary, Christy’s sensibility demand is often ignored. This is an important factor that has influenced her character. All in all, she is a little girl who is kind-hearted, sensible and lonely. She is like the moon, not dazzling as the sun, still bringing the surrounding light quietly.

As her singing in the movie:
” Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?
Come down from your fences, open the gate
It may be raining', but there's a rainbow above you
You better let somebody love you, before it's too late”

That’s also what I have found from the movie. Love is a boat, driving our migratory hearts landing home.