In America

REVIEW
A periodically moving memory piece, In America, a semiautobiographical tale from director Sheridan written by him and his two daughters Naomi and Kirsten, has moments of quiet beauty that are offset by miscalculated dramatics and surprisingly sloppy homework. Considine and Morton star as Johnny and Sarah, poor Irish immigrants who have brought their family to New York City. It's supposedly the early 1980s, but various shots of Broadway and the camcorder one daughter uses are strictly early 21st century. They find a tenement apartment in Hell's Kitchen, and as the family struggles with poverty and culture clash, they find within themselves the ability to endure. This is clearly personal for Sheridan, and the scenes with the two young daughters (played with an abundant charm by the Bolger sisters) resonate with emotion and clarity. But too often the scenes between the adults lack the passion and focus that would have made this a singular achievement. The ensemble is terrific, including Hounsou as a mysterious, sickly neighbor (though his dying to AIDS is unbelievable).