BBC Film｜The Children Act｜A female Court Judge’s Strength and Weakness - Getting Closer to God's

2017 Film｜The Children Act

This film interweaves a series of issues, including marriage, faithfulness, trusty issue, medical treatment and human nature. The movie is directed by Richard Eyre, produced by Duncan Kenworthy, and written by Ian McEwan, based on his 2014 novel of the same title. The leading actors are Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci, and Fionn Whitehead.

The plot is based on Ian McEwan’s best-selling novel. Without doubt, it’s a film that will have cinema-goers reaching for a tissue.As a family court judge, Fiona Maye is given the power to adjudicate the life-or-death decision for a 17-year-old boy. What if a boy refuses a life-saving treatment for the sake of his religious belief? Save his life by the name of law, or follow his individual will by respecting his basic human rights? 

Plot: Fiona Maye is a court judge. She was going through a case which has something to do with blood transfusion, religious belief and survival. To be more precisely, a 17-year-old boy Adam Henry is suffering from leukemia. Adam and his parents are unwilling to have a blood transfusion for the sake of their religion. At the court, Fiona announces that Adam’s welfare is the “paramount consideration” and thus she declares that the medical treatment, literally blood transfusion, is lawful despite the absence of Adam’s consent and that of his parents, as a matter of law.

Fiona is fully dedicated to her job. Indeed, her job consumed all her energy and time. Ultimately, her career is at the expense of her marriage. Fiona’s husband Jack cannot tolerate their marriage anymore. He doesn’t ask for divorce but an extramarital love affair. He has become tired of Fiona constantly never sparing time for him as well as the marriage. He desires an affair, and he says that he will be totally open about it. He claims that he has never stopped, and will never stop, loving her, and he leaves for two days. [….]

▲Adam (Fionn Whitehead). He is a 17-year-old boy who refuses to have a life-saving blood transfusion in consideration of his religious grounds.

Cast：
Emma Thompson as Fiona Maye, the Honourable Mrs Justice Maye DBE
Stanley Tucci as Jack Maye
Fionn Whitehead as Adam Henry
Ben Chaplin as Kevin Henry
Eileen Walsh as Naomi Henry
Anthony Calf as Mark Berner
Jason Watkins as Nigel Pauling
Dominic Carter as Roger
Dywayne Thomas as Legal Type
Radhika Aggarwal as Emy
Rosie Cavaliero as Marina Green

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Feedbacks/ Critics
This movie received generally favorable reviews from film critics and the website reviews. It holds an approval rating of 71% on Rotten Tomatoes.  Clayton Tomlinson praised Emma Thompson’s performance by playing vividly “from a high-powered judge to a confused, angry woman is especially impactful.”

“The Children Act” is that rarest of things: an adult drama, written and interpreted with a sensitivity to mature human concerns.”－ Peter Debruge of Variety
“The two central performances could hardly be better. Thompson works here with remarkable subtlety.＂－] Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter

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Directed by     Richard Eyre

Produced by    Duncan Kenworthy

Written by       Ian McEwan

Based on The Children Act by Ian McEwan

Official Website: https://www.thechildrenactfilm.com/

▲Trailer｜The Children Act 【判決】HD中文正式電影預告
Tag: review aggregator website, adult drama, High Court of Justice of England and Wales, Down by the Salley Gardens, divorce solicitor, troublesome marriage, betrayal, forgiveness, drama film,fictional life, family court judge, Emma Thompson, BBC film, religious beliefs, Jehovah’s Witness, life and death,teenage cancer survivor, flesh-and-blood person