In the Valley of Elah

In the Valley of Elah
Studio: Warner Independent Pictures
Rated: R
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron
Director: Paul Haggis
WorkNameSort: In the Valley of Elah
Our Rating: 4.00

In the Valley of Elah is the first great movie about the stateside aftermath of the Iraq War and should be considered a companion piece to Hal Ashby’s post-Vietnam opus Coming Home. However, while Ashby’s movie is about reclaiming hope, purpose and, consequently, a life out of such tragedy, writer-director Paul Haggis’ take is decidedly more cynical – it’s a distress call from an America that might be beyond saving. As such, it expresses just how much further we have fallen from grace since Vietnam; no longer satisfied to simply demand change, artists are throwing up their hands, hoping that, by broadcasting just how lost we are, maybe somebody will pay more attention than they have been. Haggis accomplishes this through retired Army grunt Hank Deerfield’s (Tommy Lee Jones) quest to locate his son who, upon returning from service in Iraq, apparently went AWOL – only to turn up murdered. How this happened and what it means about America will surprise you. The film’s culmination in a final shot is as close to a bullet in the gut as you’ll ever get.

This article appears in Sep 19-25, 2007.