Accomplished novelist Ian McEwan is having quite the year, already. The writer recently had his novel “On Chesil Beach” adapted for the screen, starring Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan. Now, McEwan serves as the screenwriter for his next book-to-film adaptation, “The Children Act.”
News on “The Children Act” has been fairly quiet since it’s run along the festival circuit. As seen in the trailer, the film tells the story of a judge (Emma Thompson) who is given the case of a young boy that is refusing a blood transfusion due to religious beliefs. However, the drama of her court case comes on the heels of her recent marital issues. “The Children Act” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017. With positive reviews, “The Children Act” has much going for it. Stanley Tucci stars alongside Thompson in the film. And Fionn Whitehead makes his latest film appearance since “Dunkirk”
Richard Eyre (“Notes On A Scandal” and “Iris“) helms the project as director. It’s been a decade since audiences saw McEwan’s first book-to-film adaptation “Atonement.” “The Children Act” will, likely, bear the same feeling of intimate drama.
“The Children Act” hits UK theaters in August and will hopefully come stateside soon after.
Until then, here’s the official synopsis and trailer:
Fiona Maye (Thompson) is an eminent High Court judge in London presiding with wisdom and compassion over ethically complex cases of family law. But she has paid a heavy personal price for her workload, and her marriage to American professor Jack (Tucci) is at a breaking point. In this moment of personal crisis, Fiona is asked to rule on the case of Adam (Whitehead), a brilliant boy who is refusing the blood transfusion that will save his life. Adam is three months from his 18th birthday and still legally a child. Should Fiona force him to live? Fiona visits Adam in the hospital and their meeting has a profound emotional impact on them both, stirring strong new emotions in the boy and long-buried feelings in her.