Parents' Guide to The Children Act

This drama offers another sterling performance by one of the screen's greatest actresses, but Thompson far outshines an uneven and ultimately uninvolving film. The Children Act touches on some interesting points: the tension between religious freedom and the state's responsibilities, the unshackling of a young mind, the struggle of a woman at a personal crossroads to balance multiple pulls, and an adult examination of a marriage in crisis. Unfortunately, none of these topics is plumbed in depth. The marital crisis, largely on the strength of Thompson and Tucci's performances, ends up being more resonant than the main thread of how Fiona handles Adam's attentions. Richard Eyre, who's made outstanding films like Iris and Notes on a Scandal, here fails to engage us. And writer Ian McEwan's adaptation of his own novel blows past major beats. Those factors, along with Whitehead's single-note performance, keep the crucially important Adam at arm's length from viewers. From the start, he seems perhaps deranged; there aren't enough levels in his portrayal, background, or journey to convince us otherwise. Thus, his final decisions seem to come from nowhere. That's a fatal flaw, as the film's dramatic success depends heavily on his development.

Thompson, on the other hand, delivers. The actress' intelligence shines through. There's never a doubt that she's seeking and absorbing all the needed information, that she's receiving it all and that it's affecting her. Her Fiona is a model of public restraint with an emotionally intense private life. Thompson is present in every moment, prodding, reacting. And her chemistry with Tucci is excellent. It would be a pleasure to see them paired in another film, presumably one more memorable than The Children Act.