People have come to live in America in order to make a better life for themselves. Some families, like the Sullivans, come at any cost. They are illegal Irish immigrants trying to fly under the radar in Jim Sheridan's latest work, "In America." The family enters America from Canada, where they tell the border patrol that they're here on holiday. They enter the country for a couple of reasons. The family has come to live the American dream, but they're also starting a new course in their lives following the death of their son and brother, Frankie. The family consists of Johnny (Paddy Considine), his wife Sarah (Samantha Morton), and daughters Christy (Sarah Bolger) and Ariel (Emma Bolger). They sell their car and move into a Manhattan apartment populated by other illegals and drug addicts. There, they make the best of their new accommodations.

Sarah takes a job in a local ice cream parlor, while Johnny, who's an actor, takes a job as a taxi driver. When nobody needs a ride, he squeezes in auditions. Their wages afford them the opportunity to put the girls into a Catholic school. Even though the girls don't live in the safest place, they still make friends with Mateo (Djimon Hounsou), the one resident who initially seems the most menacing. Even though Mateo is prone to fits of shouting and making others feel unwelcome, he befriends Christy and Ariel, in spite of notice to stay away that is painted on his door. Mateo, it seems, may have health concerns behind all of his behavior. Meanwhile, Sarah has health concerns of her own, as she learns she is pregnant, and won't be able to carry her baby to full term.

"In America" speaks of and delivers magic - and not in the David Blaine sense of the word. Christy, who narrates the film, tells of the three wishes Frankie had bestowed upon her before his death. Christy uses her best judgment, and always uses them for the benefit of her family. For example, Johnny and Sarah, in a crazy gamble, put up all of the money they have in order to win Ariel an E. T. stuffed toy - as well as the chance to win back their cash. Johnny wins the toy with his last throw and last dollar. When Mateo becomes friends with the Sullivans, he shares his belief in magic, which also later may benefit the Sullivan family. The Sullivans eventually learn that Mateo has suffered loss in his life as well. Then there's the unspoken magic of the movie, moments where life seems ordinary, but is special to those involved. In one scene, Christy explains to Ariel the concept of trick-or-treating. Christy tells her sister that you don't ask for tricks or treats - you demand them. It's the tale of new immigrants starting over in the land of the free and the home of the brave, looking in wonder at the things others would take for granted, such as a snowy winter's day in Manhattan. The film's most magic moment comes, though, when the Sullivan baby takes her first breath. The film - and the audience - fell silent for a long moment. The film cuts between the baby and Mateo, who seems to sense the trouble, even though he's not there. The sequence is one of the most memorable film moments of the year.

Sheridan, who wrote this movie with his daughters Naomi and Kirsten, puts a human face on a sensitive subject. Some might not sympathize with these characters merely because they live in America illegally. Mateo and the Sullivans have come to New York to contribute more than they take. Had they taken legal channels, they likely would never get the opportunity to contribute. The Sheridans ask the same question that any critic of American immigration policy might ask: If America is considered the land of plenty, why don't we have more room for foreigners who want to be a positive part of the society? It's the same question that Gregory Nava asked two decades ago in his picture, "El Norte." Danger, in both of these films, comes less from the threat of deportation than from the people the immigrants face in daily life. The people who live around the Sullivans are often more desperate for money than they are. One person pulls a razor on Johnny in a robbery attempt, but Johnny successfully fights off the attack. Most of the people who live by the family, though, welcome them to Manhattan - even when they blow a fuse on a hot summer day with their air conditioner. "In America" not only shows the struggles of daily life, but it also shows a family whose greatest desire is to succeed in the same way most other families do.

Every one of the leading performances is a moving one. Morton is the backbone to the dreams of her family. Johnny wants to work as an actor, but Sarah is the one who shows the perspective that he, too, must work to put food on the table and pay other bills. Yet, she is still supportive and understanding of his dreams. Considine is wonderful as the father with dreams in his head and reality in his sight. Sarah and Emma Bolger, who are real-life sisters, bring a charm, an innocence, and wonder to the new life their parents have given them. Sarah Bolger brings a natural childlike wisdom to her performance and narrative. The scene where she sings "Desperado" at a school concert is one of her very best moments in the film. Hounsou is a pillar of strength and sadness as Mateo, a man haunted by personal demons, but willing to open his life to the girls who ignore his warnings, and the parents who show they care about him as well.

"In America" is a semi-autobiographical film for the Sheridan family, and the ending credits show the deeply personal nature of the picture. The picture celebrates America in a very unique way. Even though the Sullivan family and Mateo live in New York, they are still outsiders in some ways due to their circumstances. It's about people starting over in more ways than one. Tragedy has darkened their lives, and, to an extent, it has also weighed upon their spirits. Still, they believe in good things that they cannot see, and that will carry them to better times. That journey is filled with risk and peril, but that journey must be made. "In America" shows just how important being a part of this country is to some people. The message that it leaves is that any person who makes America home should not take the good things the country has to offer for granted. Someone is always willing to take all of that goodness away.

Recommended: Yes