Review of The Good Lie (2014) by Kimrey R — 25 Jan 2015

I wish I could give this film more than five stars. The Good Lie is an important glimpse, albeit distant, into one of the most important issues facing our world. I liked that the film focused upon the following:

1. The refugees as people with feelings, regrets, confusion, complex and conflicting emotion.

2. The reality facing refugees of war.

3. The difficult policy and federal agency choices facing the US govt.

4. The connection between all humans regardless of culture or country of origin.

5. The importance of global humanitarian assistance in war-torn areas of conflict.

6. The importance of faith-based ministries in the areas of conflict and in refugee transition.

I am glad that the film did not portray the Americans as "heroes" but rather as people who are doing the best they can to help. While Reese Witherspoon is the headline actress, she appropriately keeps a low profile. Her association with the film will bring more viewers, no doubt why she signed on. Kudos to Witherspoon.

The scene stealers are the sometimes spoken and many times unspoken raw emotional moments between the refugees. This is the film's beauty. This is why I watched it twice in one evening.