THE CHILDREN ACT

UK, USA | 2018 | Drama | English | 14A

Director: Richard Eyre

Fiona Maye (Emma Thompson) is an eminent High Court judge in London, presiding with wisdom and compassion over ethically complex cases of family law. 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 feelings in the boy and long buried feelings within herself.

The Children Act" is that rarest of things: an adult drama, written and interpreted with a sensitivity to mature human concern…Variety

"The Children Act", novel by Ian McEwan