The Children Act

7 yrs 105 minutes • 2017 • 6.7

Adam (Fionn Whitehead), a 17-year-old boy who is a Jehovah's Witness, is dying of leukemia. The only thing that could possibly save his life is a blood transfusion, something his faith forbids. Since he is not of age, his parents have the right to make the final decision on how his illness should be treated. The case is brought to Judge Fiona Maye (Emma Thompson), who gets into a moral dilemma: should she contradict the parents' decision to save Adam's life, even if the boy himself claims he would rather die than go against God? Or is free will more important than life itself? She decides she must meet Adam at the hospital to hear his own view. Meanwhile, the crisis in her marriage is getting deeper. The Childrens Act is based on Ian McEwan's novel.