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Created Apr 19, 2011 09:27AM PST • Edited Apr 19, 2011 09:27AM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   OK 2.5

   In 1987, Sudan’s Muslim government in the North proclaimed death to all Christian males, most of who lived in the South. Over 27,000 young men fled their homes, eventually ending up in a refugee camp in Kenya, over 1,000 miles away. Having survived this trek, on foot, through dangerous jungles, the boys are confined in this camp for almost a decade.

   God Grew Tired of Us is a documentary that follows the lives of three of those young men. We hear their stories of witnessed atrocities. We become aware of the importance of their support network and community, and of their wishes and desires for peace. A small group of these “Lost Boys” are selected to be brought to the United States, where they are provided with housing and an opportunity to work.

   The move to the US is the highlight of the film, as the boys witness electrical lights for the first time, toilets, showers, and all of the other modern-day conveniences we take for granted. Each of them finds entry-level jobs, and discovers that success is often times achieved through education, as they attend colleges and universities.

   It’s a moving tale, and I certainly felt for those who have suffered or continue to suffer. But, I also feel strongly about helping our own country first, and kept replaying the images of our own citizens struggling. The movie points out how each of the boys must pay back the United States for their airfare, and become self-sufficient within a certain timeframe. But it also highlights how different our cultures are, and how we in America tend to polarize from others. The Lost Boys struggle with our tendency to keep distant from our neighbors, and to not help others who are in need. They may be right, but on the other hand, those same neighbors are the very taxpayers who have funded the project that brought then the opportunities they are maximizing. Sudan may be great, as they repeatedly point out, but so is the United States.

   So, overall, I have to give the movie an OK. It was somewhat educational, and a bit entertaining to see people discover modern luxuries, but it grew ….well, tired.

   Although most of the boys speak English, the accents are so difficult to understand, that subtitles are used throughout the film. Probably a film that is best for documentary fans only, or those with a deep passion for foreign politics and social activism.

4. Acting

   OK 2.5

   All of the young men seem genuinely likeable.

5. Male Stars OK 2.5

6. Female Stars OK 2.5

7. Female Costars OK 2.5

8. Male Costars OK 2.5

10. Film

    OK 2.5

11. Direction OK 2.5

12. Play Barely OK 2.0

13. Music OK 2.5

14. Visuals OK 2.5
15. Content

16. Edge

    Tame 1.4

17. Sex Innocent 1.0

    No sex or nudity

18. Violence Fierce 1.6

    Extremely malnourished people are shown, some with bugs crawling on them.

19. Rudeness Polite 1.5

21. Reality

    Natural 1.0

22. Circumstantial Natural 1.0

23. Biological Natural 1.0

24. Physical Natural 1.0