The Good Lie (2014)

A group of Sudanese refugees, given the chance to resettle in the U.S., arrive in Kansas City, Missouri, where their encounter with an employment agency counselor forever changes all of their lives.

Director:

Philippe Falardeau

Writer:

Margaret Nagle

Stars:

Reese Witherspoon, Arnold Oceng, Ger Duany

3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Reese Witherspoon	...	Carrie
Arnold Oceng	...	Mamere
Ger Duany	...	Jeremiah
Emmanuel Jal	...	Paul
Corey Stoll	...	Jack
Kuoth Wiel	...	Abital
Femi Oguns	...	Theo
Sarah Baker	...	Pamela
Lindsey Garrett	...	Jenny
Peterdeng Mongok	...	Young Mamere
Okwar Jale	...	Young Theo
Thon Kueth	...	Young Jeremiah
Deng Ajuet	...	Young Paul
Keji Jale	...	Young Abital
David Madingi	...	Young Gabriel

Storyline

Four Sudanese children are orphaned after their village is massacred in the Second Sudanese Civil War. Consequently, they make an arduous and dangerous trek through the plains, enduring hardship, death and sacrifice all the way until they reach safety in a refugee camp in Kenya. Years later, these youths are among 3600 selected for resettlement in America, only to have the one girl among them sent to Boston, while the three boys must to make a new life in Kansas City. Together, these young men must adjust to an alien culture even as the emotional baggage of their past haunts them. However, these newcomers, and their new friends like employment counselor Carrie Davis, strive to understand each other in this new home, as they make peace with their histories in a challenge that will change all their lives.

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Plot Keywords:

kansas city missouri | refugee | refugee camp | kenya | resettlement | 

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Taglines:

Miracles are made by people who refuse to stop believing.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, some violence, brief strong language and drug use

Did You Know?

Trivia

Despite good reviews and star backing, Warner Brothers only opened the film in five hundred theaters with minimal publicity. Not surprisingly, the film did little business.

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Goofs

After Jeremiah quits his grocery job and goes back to the employment agency, the phone number in the window is a St Louis area code, not Kansas City.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Title Card: In 1983, a brutal civil war broke out in Sudan between the North and the South over religion and resources, leaving villages destroyed by northern government armies and militia.
Title Card: By 1987, thousands of orphaned children began to flee on foot across sub-Saharan Africa, walking as many as thousands of miles to Ethiopia and then Kenya. Thirteen years later, 3600 refugees would be relocated to the U.S.A. They were known simply as "The Lost Boys of Sudan."
Title Card: This film is inspired by their ...

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Can't Stop the Music (2014)

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Soundtracks

Get Your Heart Dirty
Written by Travis Howard and Jeremy Popoff (as Jeremy Poppoff)
Performed by Travis Howard
Courtesy of Your Mom's Productions

User Reviews

Better Late than Never

This is one of those films that I wish they had made 20 years ago when this project began. I knew about the "lost boys" because I saw something about them on the television show 7th Heaven. It is really a sad state of affairs when you have to find out about the relocation on Sudanese refugees to the United States from a TV show (smh). The story begins with the back story of a group of children that survive a brutal attack on their village by rebel soldiers. The understanding of the back story is essential in order to understand the title of the film. The children spend many years in a refugee camp until one day the group is informed that they will be relocated to America, which is all they have ever wanted. Mamere (Arnold Oceng), Jeremiah (Ger Duang), Paul (Emmanuel Jal) and Abital (Kuoth Wiel) all arrive in the U.S. together only to find out that Abital is going to a different state. A lot of the film centers around trying to get everyone back together. Once the men get settled in, there is a bit of brevity just because there are a lot of things that we take for granted that these folks have no idea what their use is. It also demonstrated how ill-informed Americans were to the culture that these men came from. I do have to say that the Americans that were portrayed in this film all had good hearts (for the most part) and it was refreshing to see a film that showcased that level of generosity. Carrie (Reese Witherspoon) is responsible for finding employment for the lost boys and eventually becomes entangled in their lives and their pursuit to reunite with their sister. I have to say that when this film was over I had a new found respect for anyone who comes to America to escape the horrors of war. The lost boys that came to this country did not have it easy although once they got here they took full advantage of the opportunities that this country offers. I think that much too often we all tend to forget that. There has already been some Oscar buzz around this film; I'm not sure that I agree, but I think that it is a story worth telling (especially for our younger generation). Even if you don't make it to the theater, I urge you to put it on you "must rent" list.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

Kenya India USA Canada South Africa

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 November 2014 (South Africa)

Also Known As:

The Good Lie

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$841,422, 5 October 2014

Gross USA:

$2,722,209

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,396,345

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alcon Entertainment, Black Label Media, Blue Sky Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color