In the Valley of Elah Poster
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In the Valley of Elah (2007)

R 121 min  -  Crime | Drama | Mystery  -   28 September 2007 (USA)
7.3
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Ratings: 7.3/10 from 38,211 users   Metascore: 65/100 
Reviews: 206 user | 224 critic | 37 from Metacritic.com

A retired military investigator works with a police detective to uncover the truth behind his son's disappearance following his return from a tour of duty in Iraq.

Director:

Paul Haggis

Writers:

Paul Haggis (screenplay), Mark Boal (story), and 1 more credit »
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Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 wins & 7 nominations See more awards »

Related Videos

In the Valley of Elah -- A career officer and his wife work with a police detective to uncover the truth behind their son's disappearance following his return from a tour of duty in Iraq. In the Valley of Elah -- Clip: Both my boys In the Valley of Elah -- A career officer and his wife work with a police detective to uncover the truth behind their son's disappearance following his return from a tour of duty in Iraq.
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tommy Lee Jones ...
Charlize Theron ...
Jason Patric ...
Susan Sarandon ...
James Franco ...
Barry Corbin ...
Arnold Bickman
Josh Brolin ...
Frances Fisher ...
Evie
Wes Chatham ...
Corporal Steve Penning
Jake McLaughlin ...
Spc. Gordon Bonner
Mehcad Brooks ...
Spc. Ennis Long
Jonathan Tucker ...
Mike Deerfield
Wayne Duvall ...
Detective Nugent
Roman Arabia ...
Private Robert Ortiez (as Victor Wolf)
Brent Briscoe ...
Detective Hodge
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Storyline

In Monroe, Tennessee, Hank Deerfield, an aging warrior, gets a call that his son, just back from 18 months' fighting in Iraq, is missing from his base. Hank drives to Fort Rudd, New Mexico, to search. Within a day, the charred and dismembered body of his son is found on the outskirts of town. Deerfield pushes himself into the investigation, marked by jurisdictional antagonism between the Army and local police. Working mostly with a new detective, Emily Sanders, Hank seems to close in on what happened. Major smuggling? A drug deal gone awry? Credit card slips, some photographs, and video clips from Iraq may hold the key. If Hank gets to the truth, what will it tell him? Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>  

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Iraq | Military | Police | Detective | Disappearance  | See more »

Taglines:

One Father's Fight To Find The Truth. See more »

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violent and disturbing content, language and some sexuality/nudity See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Dans la vallée d'Elah See more »

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA See more »

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$133,557 (USA) (16 September 2007) (9 Screens)

Gross:

$29,527,293 (Worldwide) (29 March 2009)
See more »

Company Credits

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

DTS  | Dolby Digital  | SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Several of the actors who played soldiers, including Wes Chatham (Corporal Steve Penning), Jake McLaughlin (Spc. Gordon Bonner) and Sean Huze (Captain Jim Osher) had actually served in the Iraq War themselves. See more »

Goofs

Continuity: If you follow closely Det. Emily Sanders' car plate, one scene shows the plate, another does not and so on. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Spc. Gordon Bonner: What are you doing? Get back in the fucking vehicle man! Mike, get back in the fucking vehicle. Let's go, Mike, now!
See more »

Connections

Featured in The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008) See more »

Soundtracks

"Caprichio"
Written by Daniel Indart
Performed by Trio Los Reyes
Courtesy of LMS Records See more »