Christy and Ariel, the two daughters, make the best of the situation as they live in a crack house with constant danger surrounding them.  However, the danger never seems to bother the girls, which supports the notion of children’s resilience to environment.  On the other hand it is obvious that the children are affected by their atmosphere, for example, they are faced with a staring silence as they enter their rich Catholic school on Halloween with their home-made costumes.  Nonetheless, the children want to go trick-or-treating, which can be difficult if one lives in a crack house.  The two girls knock on every door in the apartment complex, but no one opens until they get to the door that has the words, Keep Away, painted in white.  Christy and Ariel are aware that the man living behind the door has rightfully so acquired the nickname “the man who screams.”

The man who screams, Mateo (Djimon Hounsou), is an anguished Nigerian painter that has locked himself away in order to deal with his pain and suffering in solitude.  When Christy and Ariel knock on the door Mateo’s screams turns into a feeble smile as the girls want to trick-or-treat him.  The girls innocent trick-or-treating seems to open an internal door into Mateo’s soul, which allows him to feel the warmth, kindness, and love.  The girl’s innocent kindness brings out kindness from Mateo and as a result Sarah invites him for a meal.  This leads Mateo and the family together in reciprocal friendship where their true feelings will be shared, which will end in personal growth for each family member.

Jim Sheridan’s story is based on a script that he and his sisters Naomi Sheridan and Kirsten Sheridan have written together in memory of their late brother who past away during childhood.  It is evident that the death has affected the Sheridan’s as they deliver a complex and emotional tale of closure.  However, the Sheridan’s do not focus on death, as they bring attention to life and its many difficulties.  Jim Sheridan depicts these difficulties through several small subplots such as Johnny’s struggle to get an air conditioner into the apartment, which demands a lot of physical strength, humility, and patience. 

Jim Sheridan plays with spiritual values throughout the film through many different ways as he portrays life and death.  One of the scenes that brings strong spiritual symbolism to the film is when Christy and Ariel dress up for Halloween.  Ariel dresses as an angel, which symbolizes Christianity and a monotheistic religion, while Christy turns into a faun representing a pagan belief, which represents a polytheistic religion.  The girls are not necessary pagans or Christians, but it becomes an analogy to how differently they deal with the death of their brother.  This spiritual web covers In America from the beginning to the end, as the family never discusses what happened to Frankie, which leaves the family in some sort of emotional twilight as they go on with life.

In America tackles several issues in a sincere manner, which amplifies the cinematic experience.  For example, the addition of the clips from the digital camcorder offer a genuine affection that enhances the emotional difficulties of the family.  The closure of the film offers much contemplation in the backdrop of life and the continuum of life, which will bring the audience to tears.

DIRECTED BY

Jim Sheridan

COUNTRY

UK / Ireland

Filmography links and data courtesy of