In the Valley of Elah

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In the Valley of Elah ★★★ 2007 (R)

Retired army sergeant and Viet nam vet Hank Deerfield (Jones) and wife Joan (Sarandon) learn that their soldier son is actually back from Iraq, but they haven't yet heard from him. Hank goes looking and finds that his son has been killed, not in the line of duty but stateside at his New Mexico base—and drugs may be involved. Army investigators and local police are anything but helpful, until Hank hooks up with detective Emily Sanders (Theron). Then the pieces begin to fall into place and Hank delves into his son's ex perience in the Middle East. Part explora tion into the senselessness of war and part exploration into the depths of pain a family can encounter when losing a son to the terror and tragedy that comes with, and out of, fighting. Gritty and raw, Jones' intensity makes it all work. 121m/C DVD . US Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Susan Saran don, Jason Patrick, Jonathan Tucker, James Fran co, Barry Corbin, Josh Brolin, Frances Fisher, Wes Chatham, Jake McLaughlin, Victor Wolf; D: Paul Haggis; W: Paul Haggis; C: Roger Deakins; M: Mark Isham.