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IMDbPro

The Good Lie

  • 2014
  • PG-13
  • 1h 50m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
29K
YOUR RATING
Reese Witherspoon in The Good Lie (2014)
They were known simply as “The Lost Boys.” Orphaned by the brutal Civil war in Sudan that began in 1983, these young victims traveled as many as a thousand miles on foot in search of safety. Fifteen years later, a humanitarian effort would bring 3600 lost boys and girls to America.
Play trailer2:34
23 Videos
58 Photos
BiographyDrama

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 thei... Read allA 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.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
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.4/10
    29K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Philippe Falardeau
    • Writer
      • Margaret Nagle
    • Stars
      • Reese Witherspoon
      • Arnold Oceng
      • Ger Duany
    • 100User reviews
    • 101Critic reviews
    • 65Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 7 nominations

    Videos23

    Trailer #1
    Trailer 2:34
    Watch Trailer #1
    The Good Lie
    Clip 0:52
    Watch The Good Lie
    The Good Lie
    Clip 0:33
    Watch The Good Lie
    The Good Lie
    Clip 1:01
    Watch The Good Lie
    The Good Lie: You Should Stick To Walking
    Clip 0:52
    Watch The Good Lie: You Should Stick To Walking
    The Good Lie: Where Do We Start?
    Clip 0:54
    Watch The Good Lie: Where Do We Start?
    The Good Lie: Was Your Father A Chief?
    Clip 0:50
    Watch The Good Lie: Was Your Father A Chief?
    The Good Lie: It Was My Fault
    Clip 1:00
    Watch The Good Lie: It Was My Fault
    The Good Lie: Great White Cow
    Clip 0:52
    Watch The Good Lie: Great White Cow
    The Good Lie: Abital
    Clip 1:01
    Watch The Good Lie: Abital
    The Good Lie: It's A Good Lie
    Clip 0:47
    Watch The Good Lie: It's A Good Lie
    The Good Lie: Do You Have Your Luggage?
    Clip 0:34
    Watch The Good Lie: Do You Have Your Luggage?

    Photos58

    The Good Lie (2014)
    Arnold Oceng, Ger Duany, Sarah Baker, and Emmanuel Jal in The Good Lie (2014)
    The Good Lie (2014)
    Arnold Oceng, Ger Duany, and Emmanuel Jal in The Good Lie (2014)
    Reese Witherspoon and Sarah Baker in The Good Lie (2014)
    Corey Stoll in The Good Lie (2014)
    Emmanuel Jal in The Good Lie (2014)
    Arnold Oceng, Ger Duany, and Emmanuel Jal in The Good Lie (2014)
    Reese Witherspoon and Corey Stoll in The Good Lie (2014)
    Arnold Oceng, Ger Duany, Emmanuel Jal, and Kuoth Wiel in The Good Lie (2014)
    Ger Duany in The Good Lie (2014)
    The Good Lie (2014)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Reese Witherspoon
    Reese Witherspoon
    • Carrie
    Arnold Oceng
    Arnold Oceng
    • Mamere
    Ger Duany
    Ger Duany
    • Jeremiah
    Emmanuel Jal
    Emmanuel Jal
    • Paul
    Corey Stoll
    Corey Stoll
    • Jack
    Kuoth Wiel
    Kuoth Wiel
    • Abital
    Femi Oguns
    Femi Oguns
    • Theo
    Sarah Baker
    Sarah Baker
    • Pamela
    Lindsey Garrett
    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
    Kon Akoue Auok
    • Young Daniel
    Sibusisu Moyo
    • Young Simon
    Antoine Wonder Kalambay
    • Boy (River of Children)
    • Director
      • Philippe Falardeau
    • Writer
      • Margaret Nagle
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      "The Lost Boys of Sudan", the name given to over 20,000 boys of the Nuer and Dinka ethnic groups, who were displaced and/or orphaned during the Second Sudanese Civil War, served as inspiration for the movie.
    • 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.
    • Quotes

      Young Jeremiah: Some of these people have no color.

      Young Mamere: Because they are born without skin.

    • Connections
      Featured in MsMojo: Top 10 Reese Witherspoon Performances (2017)
    • Soundtracks
      Thon Ci Ben e Nyoth De Gem
      Written by Mary Garang

    User reviews100

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Touching & Humorous
    This can be a touching and humorous movie, which has the rare ability to transfer thematic elements from the harrowing and horrific to sugary sweet humor, all in one film. It centers around a group of young Sudanese refugees living in the Kakuma Refugee Camp, in Kenya, who are selected after 13 years at the camp to participate in a relocation program to America, which became known at the time as the "Lost Boys of Sudan". Actually, they will be sponsored and under the auspices of the Faith Based Charities organization once they arrive in the U.S.A..

    The first part of the movie can be difficult to watch, as it depicts the horrors of the Sudanese Civil War, and how these surviving children saw their families killed by invading troops. Also, how they trekked nearly 900 miles across the sub-Sahara, under the most dangerous and difficult conditions to reach the Kakuma Camp. The remainder of the film depicts the culture shock awaiting them in Kansas City as they relocate to America.

    Reese Witherspoon is superb, as usual, as Carrie Davis, an employment counselor assigned to help the new arrivals find local jobs as soon as possible, but who will also become more involved in their well being. Corey Stoll and Sarah Baker also add well to the mix in supporting roles.

    The group of young Sudanese that the film focuses on, are all either actual refugees from the camp, some being child soldiers at one point, or direct descendants of refugees in the camp. Their performances are terrific and there's lots of deadpan humor that emerges from their characters. The group includes Arnold Oceng, as Mamere, Ger Duany, as Jeremiah, Emmanuel Jal, as Paul, and Kuoth Weil, as Abital.

    The film was directed by Canadian filmmaker Philippe Falardeau (Monsieur Lazhar), and written by Margaret Nagle.

    By the way, there is a well presented documentary on this exact subject called "Lost Boys of Sudan", which I viewed in the last year or so, that you may want to check out.

    In summary, I thought this movie had heart and was able to illustrate the ravages of war, but then show what can happen when people are given a second chance in life.
    helpful•20
    2
    • larrys3
    • Jan 4, 2015

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 7, 2014 (South Africa)
    • Countries of origin
      • Kenya
      • India
      • United States
      • Canada
      • South Africa
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Брехня на спасіння
    • Filming locations
      • Lawrenceville, Georgia, USA
    • Production companies
      • Alcon Entertainment
      • Black Label Media
      • Blue Sky Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $20,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $2,722,209
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $841,422
      • Oct 5, 2014
    • Gross worldwide
      • $3,396,345
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 50 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • SDDS
      • Datasat
      • Dolby Digital

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