The Good Lie 2014

     During the Second Sudanese Civil War, four Sudanese children are orphaned after soldiers kill people and their family members in their village.  Their only choice to reach safety is to make a long, dangerous and difficult trip through the plains.  They set out alone but meet up with a column of other refugees.  They believe there will be safety being with a larger group but the soldiers begin attacking again.  The children manage to make a rope link-up across a river and use it to reach safety on the other side.  They spend fifteen years in a refugee camp in Ethiopia.  A program comes to the camp and they are part of 3600 selected for new homes in America.  Unfortunately, the one girl is sent to Boston and the three boys are sent to Kansas City.  They had hoped to all be sent to the same community.

     Even though they are now young adults and they speak English, the assimilation into an entirely new culture and environment is difficult.  They find jobs but they don’t understand about American workplaces and the rules they need to follow to succeed.  They need to earn money for their living expenses and also to pay back the money for their trip to America.  I thought this was good and interesting plus it shows the extreme cost of civil war.  These wars seem to continue on and on with great loss to the population and the economy of each country.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

110 min, Drama directed by Philippe Falardeau with Reese Witherspoon, Arnold Oceng, Ger Duany, Emmanuel Jal, Corey Stoll, Kuoth Wiel, Femi Oguns, Sarah Baker, Lindsey Garrett, Perdeng Mongok, Okwar Jale, Thon Kueth, Deng Ajuet, Keji Jale, David Madingi, Nyakuoth Weil.

Note:  Imdb 7.4 out of 10, 88% critic 82% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3*.

Special Note:  The Civil War began in 1983, lasted two decades and the children were called “The Lost Boys.”  The film, Lost Boys of Sudan was released in 2003.  Actors in this film, Arnold Oceng, Ger Duany, Emmanuel Jai and Nyakuoth Weil, are Sudanese actors.