The Beautiful Country (2004)

Popularity:

Up 4% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Hans Petter Moland

Writers (WGA):

Sabina Murray (story) and
Lingard Jervey (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

13 March 2004 (Norway)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

An epic story of hope.

Plot:

After reuniting with his mother in Ho Chi Minh City, a family tragedy causes Binh to flee from Viet Nam to America. Landing in New York, Binh begins a road trip to Texas, where his American father is said to live.

Plot Keywords:

Texas | Saigon | Ship | China | Abuse Of Power

Awards:

5 nominations

Cast

Damien Nguyen	...	Binh
Bai Ling	...	Ling
Thi Hoa Mai	...	Wa
Nick Nolte	...	Steve
Tim Roth	...	Captain Oh
Chapman To	...	Chingmy
Temuera Morrison	...	Snakehead
Xuan Phuc Dins	...	Pham
Thu An Nguyen	...	Old Woman
Ka Duy Pham	...	Cousin 15 years old
Minh Trang Ngo	...	Cousin 14 years old
Dang Quoc Thinh Tran	...	Tam
Thi Kim Xuan Chau	...	Mai
Tang Vu	...	Head Servant
Thu Anh	...	Mrs. Hoa
Duc Thuan Khuong	...	Mrs. Hoa's son
Than Kien Nguyen	...	Riley
Be He	...	Grandfather
Phat Trieu Hoang	...	Captain on Junk
Eric Jimenez	...	Refugee
Mersing Le Guen	...	Refugee (as Mersing Nguyen)
Thi Linh Phoung Nguyen	...	Exquisite
Viet Trang Ha	...	Friend at Tavern
Thi Huong Dung Nguyen	...	Lady Barber
Thi Hong Bui	...	Crippled Woman
Danh Thau Nguyen	...	Passenger
Thi Xuan Thuc Nguyen	...	Begging Woman
Wee Suu Loke	...	Official
Ganrasha Moorthy	...	Officer
Donh Thi Nguyen	...	Interpreter
Minh Quoc Pham	...	Guard #1
Xuan Minh Nguyen	...	Sick Old Man
Damien Hung	...	Eng
Van Hai Nguyen	...	Git Wo
Anh Tan Bui	...	Mother
Vien Toan Le	...	Old Man #1
Chuy Choi Le	...	Middle Aged Man
Ngoc Hanh Tran	...	Thin Man
Phong Ka	...	Angry Young Man
Lam Hoe Nguyen	...	Old Man #2
Ka Ah	...	Plump Man
Yi Long Phan	...	King Man
Ku	...	Soldier
Thi Noh Thu Nguyen	...	Mother #2
Thi Thanh Hsien Nguyen	...	Wife
Hsien Chi Do	...	Hirl in party dress
Thi Hoan Tran	...	Vhi's Mother
Carl Savering	...	Truck driver
Glen Bradford	...	Wayne
Bobby Chinn	...	Bunk Mate
Dong Hoang	...	Player
Jon Katz	...	Man in window
Rafael Foncillas	...	Child in windo #1
Santiago Foncillas	...	Child in window #2
Arthur J. Nascarella	...	Griff
Richard Levi	...	Postal Clerk
Phyllis Cicero	...	Receptionist
John Hussey	...	Jerry
Dora Chu	...	Bartender
Victor Macias	...	Mexican man
Libby Villari	...	Steve's ex-wife
Don McCoy	...	Police officer
Kirk Griffith	...	Ranch owner
Stella	...	Steve's dog
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nengshia Ly	...	Bar Patron
Rebecca Beazley	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Devin Carbaugh	...	Yuppie (uncredited)
Genese Davis	...	Bar Patron (uncredited)
Michael Douglas	...	Gordon Gekko (archive footage) (uncredited)
Terry Boyd Gamble	...	NYC Yuppie (uncredited)

Directed by
Hans Petter Moland

Writing credits (WGA)
Sabina Murray		(story) and
Lingard Jervey		(story)
Sabina Murray		(screenplay)

Produced by
Tomas Backström	....	producer
Knud Bjørne-Larsen	....	financial producer (as Knud Bjørne Larsen)
Petter J. Borgli	....	producer
Kim Davis	....	line producer: Texas
Callum Greene	....	line producer: New York
Jon Katz	....	co-producer
Terrence Malick	....	producer
Sam Nazarian	....	executive producer
Tran Thi Bich Ngoc	....	assistant line producer
Edward R. Pressman	....	producer
Nicholas Simon	....	line producer: Vietnam
Gregory G. Woertz	....	executive producer (as Gregory Woertz)
Jan Økern	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Zbigniew Preisner

Cinematography by
Stuart Dryburgh

Film Editing by
Wibecke Rønseth

Casting by
Avy Kaufman
Hoa Anh Tran

Production Design by
Karl Júlíusson

Set Decoration by
William A. Cimino

Costume Design by
Anne Pedersen

Makeup Department
Brian Abbott	....	assistant hair stylist: New York
Brian Abbott	....	makeup artist: New York
Kalen Hoyle	....	makeup artist: Texas
Eva Rygh	....	makeup designer
Leo Won	....	key hair stylist: New York
Leo Won	....	key makeup artist: New York

Production Management
Marina Grana	....	production manager: Vietnam (as Marina Vivian Smith)
Anthony Katagas	....	production manager: New York
Tove Kløvvik	....	unit production manager
Jennifer Wyatt-Beasley	....	unit production manager: Dallas (as Jennifer Beasley)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dominique Delany	....	first assistant director
Helga Høegh-Krohn	....	assistant director
Vince P. Maggio	....	first assistant director: New York
Jean-Luc Olivier	....	first assistant director
Doug Silver	....	second second assistant director: Texas

Art Department
Eric Dean	....	art department coordinator: New York
Gretchen Goetz	....	set decorator: Texas
Jason Hammond	....	property master
Lynne Moon	....	art director: Texas
Michael E. Wilks	....	lead man: Dallas (as Michael Wilks)

Sound Department
Kim Dalum	....	production sound mixer
Sturla Einarson	....	sound designer
Petter Fladeby	....	sound designer
Petter Fladeby	....	sound re-recording mixer
Per Christian Grimsgaard	....	sound editor
Richard Hocks	....	sound stage engineer
Larry Hopkins	....	layback sound mixer
Svenn Jakobsen	....	sound editor (as Svenn Jakobsen Dahle)
Toby Price	....	sound editor
Anna Rieke	....	sound mixer: New York
Espen Rønning	....	sound editor
Richard Sveen	....	foley artist
Richard Sveen	....	sound editor
Erik S. Watland	....	dialogue editor
Chris Sturmer	....	consultant: Dolby film sound (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Gudmundur Gunnarsson	....	visual effects supervisor
Stian Kjørsvik	....	visual effects
Jan Martin Vågen	....	visual effects
Chris Wallace	....	HD colourist

Camera and Electrical Department
Philip J. Borgli	....	assistant camera: Vietnam
Cheryl Clarson	....	best boy electric
Peter Clarson	....	gaffer: Texas
Victoria de Berry	....	second assistant camera (segments)
Patrick R. Heffernan	....	local key grip
Brenden Holster	....	first assistant camera: Vietnam
John Johns	....	24 frame video operator
Michael Lougheed	....	best boy: Vietnam (as Mike Lougheed)
Rittikorn Manonom	....	second assistant camera
Roland Neveu	....	still photographer
Sean O'Neill	....	gaffer: Vietnam
Andrew Redd	....	grip
Tony Slack	....	electrician: Vietnam
John Patrick Smith	....	first assistant camera (segments)
Angelo Louis Suasnovar Jr.	....	key grip: Texas
D. Van Gramberg	....	key grip: Vietnam
Jason Vigue	....	video assist operator
Mark Waggy	....	still photographer: Texas

Casting Department
Toni Cobb Brock	....	local extras casting
Byron Crystal	....	background casting: New York
Kevin Howard	....	location casting
Annie Hedgpeth	....	local extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Diane Kearney	....	set costumer
Eden Miller	....	assistant costume designer: New York
Luca Mosca	....	costume designer: New York

Editorial Department
Kristoffer Archetti	....	assistant editor
Vidar Flataukan	....	assistant editor
Ove-Kenneth Nilsen	....	assistant editor
Motassem Younes	....	on-line editor

Music Department
Beth Rosenblatt	....	music consultant

Transportation Department
David Beard	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Sing Allan	....	medical doctor
Lylie Almeida	....	accountant (as Lylie Almedia)
Michael Barnes	....	financial legal services
Laura Compston	....	accountant
Richard Connors	....	location advisor
Noreen Dimster-Denk	....	production assistant (as Noreen Perez)
Larry Gross	....	screenplay by
Gary Kauffman	....	legal counsel
Amber Kelley	....	assistant production coordinator: Texas
Suzanne Koneful	....	assistant location manager
Aslaug Konradsdottir	....	script supervisor
Justin Leger	....	technical consultant
Brendan MacDevette	....	production assistant
Terrence Malick	....	idea
Francis McIntyre	....	location manager: Texas
Phillip Montgomery	....	assistant: Mr. Pressman
Salma Reiermark	....	production coordinator
Mark Robinson	....	key set production assistant: Texas
Mira Shin	....	assistant: Mr. Pressman
Bo Svensson	....	assistant location manager
Kelli Grace Taylor	....	production coordinator: Texas
Matt Tromans	....	assistant: Nick Nolte
Daniel Wagner	....	post delivery supervisor

Production Companies

• Dinamo Story
• Sunflower Productions
• Nordic Film och TV Fund (supported by)
• Norsk Filmfond (supported by)
• SF Norge Filmparken (in association with)
• Samy Boy Entertainment (in association with)
• Sud-Est Productions

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Mongrel Media (2005) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• Cecchi Gori Home Video (2006) (Italy) (DVD)
• ContentFilm International (2004) (worldwide) (all media) (sales agency)
• LK-TEL (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2006) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Movie Bank (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2005) (Canada) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (Scandinavia)
• TF1 International

Other Companies

• Brock / Allen Casting  extas casting
• Film Finances  completion guarantor

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for some language and a crude sexual reference

Runtime:

Norway:137 min | USA:125 min | Argentina:128 min

Country:

Norway | USA

Language:

Vietnamese | English | Mandarin | Cantonese | Malay

Color:

Color (Cinecolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-11 | Netherlands:MG6 | Norway:11 | UK:12 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

USA

Company:

Dinamo Story

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: In some scenes, the upper part of the hull is painted white. In others, it is black.

Quotes:

Binh:My mother is very beautiful. Like cranes flying at sunset.
Steve:Binh, why are you here?
Binh:This place?
Steve:No, America.
Binh:America beautiful.
Steve:How's that?
Binh:[no response]
Steve:Did you come by boat?
Binh:Yes.
Steve:Hard?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in 2006 Independent Spirit Awards (2006) (TV)

They come into America

One of the least attractive aspects of the American movie industry is that while crap, such as "Fever Pitch" (the remake), "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Be Cool," get millions of dollars spent on marketing and promotion and are splashed on thousands of screens, a gem like "The Beautiful Country" gets barely released. Even then, it only hits the major cities.

I pretty much knew little to nothing about this film when I saw it. I vaguely recall seeing an Ebert & Roeper review of it, though I don't remember when they recommended it. What a completely wonderful surprise this one turned out to be.

"The Beautiful Country" is as much about the lengths to which immigrants will go to come to the United States as it is about a man's search for his father. Writer Sabina Murray (who apparently was hired by Terrence Malick and Edward R. Pressman to write a film about immigrants and came up with this idea) deftly uses Binh's (Damien Nguyen) quest as a device to depict the hardships of immigrants.

What ultimately makes "The Beautiful Country" a shattering experience is its complete unpretentiousness. There isn't a single emotion in this film that isn't earned. It's as much a testament to Murray's script as it is to the performances.

Nick Nolte might be the name actor in this film, but his role's relatively small. But, just as he did in "Hotel Rwanda" (2004), Nolte takes what's essentially a cameo and turns it into something memorable. He gives his character true depth.

The two surprises in this film are Nguyen and Bai Ling as Ling, a sexy Chinese refugee who is willing to do anything - anything - to fulfill her dreams. This is undoubtedly the best thing Bai Ling has done. Usually cast as caricatures or in minor roles, she imbues her character with genuine feeling. We understand and feel for this woman, her struggles and her passions.

Nguyen completely dominates the film. He doesn't do anything wrong. He underplays Binh so expertly, you'd think this was a veteran actor, not a novice. It's such an incredibly honest performance, you wouldn't for an instant believe Nguyen is a surfer boy from California. It's one of the year's best performances.

At a time when the news media and politicians seem to be concentrating on demonizing immigrants, it's important to see a film like this, to see why people leave their homelands, endure unimaginable suffering to come here. True, the immigrants in this film aren't of Arab descent or Haitian - we all know exactly how they'd be treated. But "The Beautiful Country" is all about the beauty and ugliness of life. It's also emotionally devastating at times. And what makes the film all the more remarkable is that the gut-wrenching scenes never come across as any sort of contrivance. There's no emotional blackmail here; the actors play the scenes straight and with a gesture, a simple word, manage to bring us to tears.

"The Beautiful Country" is a rare treasure, a film that never cheats us, never asks for what it hasn't earned and still manages to be deeply affecting. And in keeping with the rest of the film, the final scene is simply perfect.

A film like this deserves a much larger audience than it got. This is why we go to the movies.