THE CHILDREN ACT
A thoughtful but troubling legal drama, best kept at home for adults.
Should You Watch It?
THE CHILDREN ACT offers a serious adult drama about justice, marriage, religious conviction, and the burden of making life-or-death decisions. Emma Thompson’s performance is excellent, and the film eventually extols marriage while presenting its judge as someone trying to make the right decision in court.
But the movie is dark, slow, and artistically deliberate, with long takes of Fiona playing dramatic piano music. Its plot becomes strange and unbelievable when a teenage leukemia patient develops a fixation on the judge. The sexual tension between them, along with the husband’s affair and the film’s humanist worldview, makes this difficult material for family viewing.
The film has merit, but its adult content and troubling ideas are better handled with parents controlling the experience. Watch it at home, adults only, if its independent-drama style and difficult themes suit you.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESFiona Maye is a high court judge in England who works tirelessly to bring justice to suffering people. While her marriage suffers from her devotion to work, she takes on a case involving a leukemia patient whose parents oppose the blood transfusion he apparently needs because of their religious beliefs.
As Fiona tries to determine what is right for the young patient, her own personal crisis grows. Her decisions in court and her choices at home begin to collide.
Is It Any Good?
Two stars means this film has real strengths but significant weaknesses. Emma Thompson gives an excellent performance, bringing a reserved, composed judge to life and conveying the emotions beneath her controlled exterior.
The film is dark, slow, and artistic, with long-winded takes of Fiona playing dramatic piano music throughout the running time. Its plot becomes strange and unbelievable when the teenage boy develops a fixation on the female judge. The story then moves toward odd behavior, loss, tragedy, and sadness.
The Worldview
THE CHILDREN ACT presents a strong humanist worldview in which amoral government replaces religious faith as the final arbiter of all things. The film includes both false and true religious faith within that critique, but appears oblivious to the heretical teachings of the Jehovah’s Witnesses portrayed. As a result, it treats those characters as average, normal examples of religious faith without adequately addressing the problems in their beliefs.
The female judge tries to make the right decision in every court case, and the film eventually extols marriage. Yet she makes mistakes in her personal and professional relationships, and the story suggests that people are basically good while society distorts their views about life. The government’s authority is ultimately treated as more reliable than religious conviction.
The film’s concern for marriage points toward a truth its humanism cannot fully explain: love requires self-giving faithfulness. Scripture says, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
Strong humanist, but somewhat ambiguous, worldview where amoral government replaces religious faith, including both false and true religious faith, as the final arbiter of all things (including an Anti-Christian comment by one character in one scene), but marriage is eventually extolled, and the female judge of children’s issues at the center of the story tries to make the right decision in every court case presented to her, but she makes mistakes in dealing with other people on a personal and professional level, which leads to a death in one case, plus teenager’s Jehovah’s Witness parents love their son and don’t want him to die, but their religion has taken an unbiblical position on medical treatment and so is against all blood transfusions, and movie has some Romantic elements contending people are basically good but society distorts their views about life
Foul Language
One “f” word in a sexual context
Violence
Light violence, such as wife throws things around when husband comes home after committing adultery, wife tosses books aside and kicks furniture after a challenging case in court, one scene of blood going through a needle when teenage boy gets a blood transfusion
Sex
Implied sexual promiscuity, husband has an affair with a younger woman and informs wife about it, sexual immorality demonstrated in sexual tension between a 50-year-old married female judge and an 18-year-old boy, who develops obsessive feelings for her and entices the woman to break her marriage vows herself, but she wisely pulls back, though the way she does it results in tragedy
Nudity
No nudity
Alcohol Use
Light alcohol use, husband encourages wife to have a glass of wine with him, man and woman drink a glass of wine after a long day at work, co-workers drink champagne and socialize at a party
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
No smoking or drugs
Miscellaneous Immorality
Miscellaneous immortality includes bad role models, dysfunctional family portrayals, female judge is a workaholic, and it endangers her marriage, and teenager in the hospital with leukemia is on different medication to help him survive.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Fiona’s work has damaged her marriage. What responsibilities should we protect, and what does love require when our priorities become disordered?
1 Corinthians 13:4–7 · Philippians 2:3–4The film places government judgment above religious conviction. How should Christians respond when human authority and biblical truth appear to conflict?
Acts 5:29 · Romans 13:1–4The story involves adultery and sexual tension that threaten marriage vows. Why does Scripture treat faithfulness as more than a private promise?
Exodus 20:14 · Hebrews 13:4The young patient’s parents love him but hold an unbiblical position about medical treatment. How can sincere love and sincere religious conviction still require careful testing against Scripture?
Acts 17:11 · 1 Thessalonians 5:21The Final Word
Emma Thompson gives THE CHILDREN ACT its strongest reason to watch, but the film remains slow, strange, and morally troubling. Its adult themes and family-content rating make a theater outing unwise. For discerning adults who want to see it, WAIT FOR HOME — ADULTS ONLY. For a different family movie, see.
