'Good Lie' spins compelling tale of Sudan's 'Lost Boys'

The movie poster for "The Good Lie" features a smiling Reese Witherspoon, front and center. But, truth be told, neither Witherspoon nor her character is the film's star - not in the essential sense. The real stars are the Sudanese children at the bottom of the poster, their backs to us, trudging across an empty, sun-scorched expanse.

"The Good Lie" tells a fascinating story of the so-called "Lost Boys" (and girls) of Sudan, youngsters orphaned by the bitter war that engulfed their country beginning in 1983, forcing many to trek for hundreds and hundreds of miles - over several years in some cases - to safety. And, admirably, the filmmakers keep these youngsters - and the young adults they became - central in their storytelling.

It's probably safe to say that many Americans know little about the humanitarian effort, begun in 2000, to resettle thousands of young refugees from Sudan in U.S. cities. For that reason alone, this movie, directed by Philippe Falardeau, is worth seeing. Luckily, it's also compelling.

The story is fictional, but based on extensive research by screenwriter Margaret Nagle. The film begins in a southern Sudan village, where two brothers, Theo and Mamere, and their sister, Abital, suddenly find themselves orphans when attackers come rampaging through, killing anyone in sight.

Since their father was the village chief, that title now falls to Theo. With a few other youngsters, they start a treacherous trek out of Sudan. They escape mass slaughter yet again by crossing a river, but lose Theo, who saves them by sacrificing his own safety. Eventually the small group winds up at a refugee camp in Kenya.

Fast forward 13 years. Mamere, Abital and close friends Jeremiah and Paul have become a family unit. One day, their names appear on a list of refugees chosen for resettlement in America. Joyously, they board the plane.

Upon arrival in New York, the group is separated; boys to Kansas City, Abital to Boston. Despite that painful setback, the boys settle into new lives as best they can. Helping them is Carrie (Witherspoon), a tough-skinned type who works for an employment agency. They need jobs to stay in America and also to pay the government back for their plane tickets.

As the men adjust, there are a few too many culture-clash jokes: They aren't familiar with light switches, telephones, Jell-O molds, the vast variety of types of Cheerios (that one's funny), ice rinks. But the cast is wonderful. The "Lost Boys" are played by actors of Sudanese descent, and they're terrific, especially Arnold Oceng as Mamere, who struggles to lead the group with dignity and determination.

It's fascinating to read the biographies of this well-chosen cast. Oceng fled the war zone at 2 years old. Emmanuel Jal, who plays his troubled friend Paul, was a child soldier during the war, as was Ger Duany, who plays religious-minded Jeremiah. The lovely Kouth Wiel, who plays Abital, was born in a refugee camp.

About the title: "The Good Lie" is a reference to the lies Huck tells in "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" - lies that are "good" because they protect another person. It's also a reference to this movie's hugely moving ending. Bring Kleenex.