In America

Johnny and Sarah arrive in New York via the Canadian border in a beat-up station wagon, with their two daughters, Christy and Ariel. They have left Ireland behind them and also - that's what they hope - their grief over the death of their little son. Virtually penniless, these illegal immigrants take up residence in a run-down building in a junkie's haven slum in Manhattan. While remodeling their dump apartment, trying to make a living, attempting to survive a humid New York summer, and making new acquaintances in this improbable neighborhood, they meet a fearsome black man, Mateo. He's a struggling artist with some serious problems of his own who soon becomes a close family friend. Mateo's and the family's fortunes take many turns... A semi-autobiographical written and directed by Jim Sheridan, whose previous films have won two Academy Awards and received a total of 13 Oscar nominations.