Everything is Illuminated MPAA Rating: PG-13 Entertainment: +3 Content: -2

This comedic drama follows a Jewish American on a journey to collect the artifacts of his family heritage. When his grandfather dies, Jonathan Foer (Elijah Wood) has only a few clues about the mans life. He knows that his grandfather lived in the Ukraine before World War II and that a young woman named Augustine helped him escape before the Nazi invasion. But who was she and how did she help? In search of answers, Jonathan travels to the Ukraine where he hires Alex (Eugene Hutz) and his irritable grandfather (Boris Leskin) to be his guides. Though they are skeptical of Jonathans rigid search for the dead, Alex and his grandfather still drive him all over the Ukrainian countryside in search of his grandfathers village and of Augustine. And just as they begin to doubt their success, they happen upon some unexpected links to the past.

Everything is Illuminated is an engaging film balanced between comedy and drama. Each of the eccentric characters, whether they know it or not, is on a journey of self-discovery, trying to understand himself in light of the past. For Jonathan and his companions, this involves hearing the difficult and personal stories of persecution and murder during the Nazi invasion of their homeland. The stories help Jonathan to understand his grandfather, to acknowledge the struggles and joys of life, and to cherish the gift of his heritage. In this way, the film teaches a valuable lesson, focusing on the people, places, traditions and events that make us who we are and remind viewers to cherish the past. Yet despite this great lesson, the film is not flawless. It contains offensive and derogatory language, several sexual references, and a disturbing image of a suicide victim, all of which contribute to its negative acceptability rating.

Preview Reviewer: Shaun Daugherty
Distributor: Warner Independent