The movie poster for “The Good Lie” features a smiling Reese Witherspoon, front and center. But, truth be told, neither Witherspoon nor her character is the film’s star—not in the essential sense. The real stars are the Sudanese children at the bottom of the poster, their backs to us, trudging across an empty, sun-scorched expanse.
“The Good Lie” tells a fascinating story, that of the so-called “Lost Boys” (and girls) of Sudan, youngsters orphaned by the bitter war that engulfed their country beginning in 1983, forcing many to trek for hundreds and hundreds of miles—over several years in some cases—to safety. And, admirably, the filmmakers keep these youngsters—and the young adults they became—central in their storytelling. They may have a Hollywood star on their hands, but this isn’t a Hollywood star vehicle.
It’s probably safe to say that many Americans know little or nothing about the humanitarian effort, begun in 2000, to resettle thousands of young refugees from Sudan in U.S. cities. For that reason alone, this movie, directed by Philippe Falardeau, is worth seeing. Luckily, it’s also a compelling film—occasionally a bit too earnest, perhaps, or overly broad in its humor, but often deeply moving.
