In the Valley of Elah

Retired army sergeant and Vietnam vet Hank Deerfield (Jones) and wife Joan (Sarandon) learn that their soldier son is actually back from Iraq, but they haven't yet heard from him. Hank goes looking and finds that his son has been killed, not in the line of duty but stateside at his New Mexico base--and drugs may be involved. Army investigators and local police are anything but helpful, until Hank hooks up with detective Emily Sanders (Theron). Then the pieces begin to fall into place and Hank delves into his son's experience in the Middle East. Part exploration into the senselessness of war and part exploration into the depths of pain a family can encounter when losing a son to the terror and tragedy that comes with, and out of, fighting. Gritty and raw, Jones' intensity makes it all work.