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The Good Lie

Name: The Good Lie
Genre: Drama
Released: October 3, 2014
Duration: 110 min
Rating: 65
Cast: Arnold Oceng, Corey Stoll, Emmanuel Jal, Ger Duany, Kuoth Wiel

2014

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 30 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 44 Ratings

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7.1

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7.1	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 44 Ratings

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The Good Lie

Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. | Release Date: October 3, 2014 | PG-13

Starring: Arnold Oceng, Corey Stoll, Emmanuel Jal, Ger Duany, Kuoth Wiel, Reese Witherspoon

Summary: Mamere and Theo are sons of the Chief in their village in Southern Sudan. When an attack by the Northern militia destroys their home and kills their parents, eldest son Theo is forced to assume the role of Chief and lead a group of young survivors, including his sister Abital, away from harm. As the tattered group makes the difficult trekMamere and Theo are sons of the Chief in their village in Southern Sudan. When an attack by the Northern militia destroys their home and kills their parents, eldest son Theo is forced to assume the role of Chief and lead a group of young survivors, including his sister Abital, away from harm. As the tattered group makes the difficult trek to Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, they meet other fleeing children, forging a bond with Jeremiah, who, at 13, is already a man of faith, and Paul, whose skills become essential to their survival. Thirteen years later, the now young adults are given the opportunity to leave the camp and resettle in America. Upon arriving in Kansas, they are met by Carrie Davis (Reese Witherspoon), an employment agency counselor who has been enlisted to help find them jobs—no easy task, when things like straws, light switches and telephones are brand new to them. Although Carrie has successfully kept herself from any emotional entanglements, these refugees, who desperately require help navigating the 20th century and rebuilding their shattered lives, need just that. So Carrie embarks on her own unchartered territory, enlisting the help of her boss, Jack (Corey Stoll). [Warner Bros.]… Expand

Director: Philippe Falardeau

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 110 min

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Awards & Rankings

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Critic Reviews

Richard Roeper

Oct 16, 2014

While The Good Lie certainly doesn’t shy away from scenes designed to make us shake our heads at man’s inhumanity to man and scenes designed to make us dab at our eyes, it’s the kind of movie that earns those moments. Read full review

Leslie Felperin

Sep 11, 2014

The Good Lie is a touching, generous-hearted movie, sensitively directed by Philippe Falardeau (Monsieur Lazhar) working with a smart, sly, long-gestated script by Margaret Nagle (Boardwalk Empire). Read full review

Joe Williams

Oct 2, 2014

A genuinely touching and occasionally powerful film, not least because the boys are so disinclined to pity themselves. Read full review

James Rocchi

Oct 2, 2014

It works as well as it does precisely because of an intelligence, humanity and restraint we rarely see in Hollywood films. Read full review

James Berardinelli

Oct 27, 2014

The images in The Good Lie have the power to disturb but lack the gut-punch impact necessary to give us an immediate and lasting connection to the protagonists. Read full review

Ed Gonzalez

Oct 2, 2014

This is a Hollywood-delivered chronicle of the immigrant experience that earns its justification through good will and tact. Read full review

Kevin Jagernauth

Sep 11, 2014

The Good Lie is so manufactured around a particular dramatic blueprint that any sense of spontaneity, surprise and engagement are sucked right out of the picture. Read full review

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User Reviews

nosma

Mar 1, 2016

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As an African living in Africa I appreciated a lot about this movie. I felt that was a factual and objective potrayal of Africans not merely based on stereotypes, putting everything into context by potraying their backgrounds, the village they came from which was far removed from civilization. Also their struggle to remain who they are as they adapt to a new life in America. This is one of the best and most touching movies I've ever seen. It has helped me to appreciate the trauma that refugees go through even as children, watching other children die, seeing dead bodies, being shot at by soldiers, and never having the luxury to receive therapy afterwards to deal with these traumas. Everything felt very real. The ending was okay but i would have wanted to know a little bit more about how the lost boys moved on.… Expand