They were known simply as “The Lost Boys.” Orphaned by the brutal civil war in Sudan, which 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 3,600 lost boys, as well as girls, to America.
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. But the hostile, treacherous terrain has other dangers in store for them. 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 (Witherspoon), an employment agency counselor who has been enlisted to help find them jobs—no easy task, when things like 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 21st 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).
The Good Lie tells the true story of "The Lost Boys" and girls of Sudan who went through hell to find safety and a new life in America. The young actors who portray these brave orphans bring a sense of authenticity to the film. While Reese Witherspoon gets top billing in promotional material she isn't in the movie as much as some may have hoped for, when she is on the screen though she is warm and grows to show a maternal care for the youngsters she is trying to help. The films attempts to pull at the heartstrings is effective if a bit overdone but overall this is a well made drama. 8/10
The Good Lie arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1 - Color reproduction is brilliant in scenes that take place in Africa and in the states primaries look excellent. Skintones appeared natural. Fine details in close ups on faces and clothing textures. Black levels were good if not overly deep. No compression artifacts to speak of. 8.5/10
Audio is provided by a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. - Dialogue is faithfully reproduced with crystal clear clarity. Surrounds are subtle but show up a bit more pronounced in the Sudanese war scenes with helicopters and gunfire whipping around the soundstage. LFE performance was solid with some deep bass during the aformentioned war scenes. 8/10
* The Good Lie Journey (HD, 16min20sec) - A basic EPK style featurette with a mix if talking head cast interviews and clips from the film.
* Deleted Scenes (HD, 15min)
