In the Valley of Elah

  • Review Date: February 18, 2008
  • R
  • Genre: Drama
  • 2007
Review

Common Sense Media says

Intense, mature murder mystery tackles Iraq war.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this contemplative, slow-moving mystery/drama isn't for kids. Its focus on military culture and wartime trauma yields images of chaotic, violent combat footage (much of this is shown in choppy, handheld cell phone video that can be hard to see/interpret). The movie's central murder is discussed frequently, and morgue scenes show the victim's mother's grief, as well as a brief glimpse of the body itself (there's another quick shot of an additional victim's body later on). Strippers are bare-breasted, and characters discuss a female detective who slept with her boss. Strong language includes many uses of "f--k," plus other profanity ("s--t," "p---y," "ass," etc.), and some disparaging terms used to describe Mexican Americans.

  • Positive messages0
    Suspects lie during a murder investigation; references to a female detective having slept with her commander; film raises questions about military objectives and training, as well as soldiers' lack of discipline in Iraq and back home. Male detectives taunt the only woman in their unit, and some racism is displayed toward Mexican Americans.
  • Violence5
    Frequent violence and images showing the results of violence. Cell phone footage shows explosions, gunfire, and shots of bodies on the roadside, as well as U.S. soldiers in Iraq hitting a child with a vehicle (off screen, but loud noise and verbal reactions), and a soldier torturing a man (below screen) by twisting a finger in his wound. Murder victim's body is briefly visible; discussion of his multiple stab wounds. Background TV footage refers to and briefly shows war images, including Fallujah 2004, when contractors were killed and burned in front of TV cameras. Veterans discuss trauma in war zone (watching, suffering, committing violence). Brief shot of woman's bloody body. Hank slams a man with his truck door, leaving him bloody. Detectives wield guns.
  • Sex5
    Female dancers sport naked breasts in a strip bar scene. Stripper speaks to Hank while she's nude from the waist up (viewers see her breasts full-on). Discussion of soldiers seeking out prostitutes. Discussion of Emily having slept with her unit chief by fellow detectives who resent her promotion to their ranks.
  • Language5
    Some salty soldier language, including repeated uses of "f--k" (over 20, one with "mother"), as well as "hell," "ass" and "a--hole," "s--t," "son of a bitch," "damn," and "p---y." Pejorative use of "chico" to refer to a Mexican-American solider.
  • Consumerism0
    Coca-Cola.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking3
    Background cigarette smoking; characters drink several times (liquor, beer) in a bar and in a truck (two men share a bottle of Jim Beam). Discussion of a soldier trying to "score meth."
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What's the story?

Structured as a series of mysteries, IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH layers blame and guilt upon grief and loss. The most obvious mystery is the murder of Mike Deerfield (Jonathan Tucker), a young soldier just back from Iraq and stationed at New Mexico's Fort Rudd. Teaming with the civilian detective (Charlize Theron) assigned to the case, Mike's father, Hank (Tommy Lee Jones), a career officer, Vietnam War vet and retired MP, vows to find the truth. Like many a movie hero before him, Hank asserts that if he can only set right what's askew, he'll have done his duty and reset his little piece of the universe. But as the evidence trickles in, each bit reveals more about the trauma Mike experienced -- and inflicted -- in Baghdad. Hank's pursuit of his "truth" is complicated and nuanced by Jones' singular intensity (a close-up of his deeply creased face does more emotional work than pages of dialogue), but he's still quite obviously part of the problem, a true military believer.

Is it any good?

 

Like his award-winning Crash, Paul Haggis' war-centric drama is heavy-handed, raising important questions about military culture and masculinity, but finding only superficial answers. While the film is instructive in underscoring different perceptions of the military (where Hank trusts in the loyalty of masculine, combat-forged company, Emily sees rupture, competition, and cruelty), Elah does less well in considering the racism beneath the unit's surface.

Nonetheless, one scene in which Hank confronts a Mexican-American private named Ortiez (Victor Wolf) proves particularly affecting. The private remembers being in Iraq and wanting only to come home. Now, he says softly, he only wants to go back. While many movie-style military men have voiced this desire, here it seems tragic. The horrors of the war have changed his sense of time and self; he no longer feels "at home" anywhere, much as Hank has also never been "home" with Joan or his son. The close shot of Ortiez's expression, sad and self-knowing, is more effective than the rest of the film's point-pounding.

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What families can talk about

Families can talk about the impact of violent war imagery. Ask kids where they see disturbing images most -- on TV or the Internet -- and ask them how they deal with what they see. Families can also discuss what messages the movie is sending about war and the military. Is it the job of movies and TV shows to examine important social issues and current events? What other movies can you think of that have handled big topics in a similar way? How do the relationships within the movie affect its impact on you as a viewer? Is Hank a good father? Why or why not?

This review was written by Cynthia Fuchs

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This review was written by Cynthia Fuchs
Studio:Warner Independent
Director:Paul Haggis
Cast:Charlize Theron, Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones
Genre:Drama
Run time:125 minutes
Theatrical release date:September 14, 2007
DVD release date:February 19, 2008
MPAA rating:R
MPAA explanation:violent and disturbing content, language and some sexuality/nudity.
This review was written by Cynthia Fuchs
 

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ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
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