My Boy Jack (2007) (TV)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Brian Kirk

Writers:

David Haig (play)
David Haig (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 April 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | War

Tagline:

A young man fights for his country.

Plot:

Author Rudyard Kipling and his wife search for their 17-year-old son after he goes missing during WWI.

Plot Keywords:

Kipling | WWI | Push Ups | Father Son Relationship | British Army

Awards:

3 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

David Haig	...	Rudyard Kipling
Daniel Radcliffe	...	John Kipling
Kim Cattrall	...	Caroline Kipling
Carey Mulligan	...	Elsie Kipling
Julian Wadham	...	King George V
Martin McCann	...	Bowe
Richard Dormer	...	Corporal John O'Leary
Rúaidhrí Conroy	...	McHugh (as Ruaidhri Conroy)
Laurence Kinlan	...	Doyle
Ciaran Nolan	...	Daly
Nick Dunning	...	Colonel Ferguson
Michael McElhatton	...	Leo Amery MP
Peter Gowen	...	H.A Gwynne
Brian de Salvo	...	Field Marshal 'Bobs' Roberts
Simon Coury	...	Naval Doctor

Runtime:

UK:93 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-13

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Studios - Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Company:

Ecosse Films

Trivia:

Several scenes were shot at the actual Rudyard Kipling estate, Bateman's, where Kipling lived from 1902 until his death.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the movie the soldiers are taught to fire the Lee-Enfield rifle using their index finger on the trigger. This is incorrect. Guards regiments in the early part of the war were taught to fire 20 aimed rounds per minute. This fast rate of fire was achieved by virtue of the close proximity of the bolt mechanism and the trigger mechanism on the .303 Short Magazine Lee-Enfield rifle. Soldiers in Guards regiments were trained (like the Old Contemptibles) to fire the Lee-Enfield using the middle finger to fire the weapon while the index finger and thumb worked the bolt. The index finger and thumb would keep hold of the bolt THROUGHOUT the firing procedure, thus speeding up the rate of fire considerably. In the movie soldiers are clearly shown releasing the bolt on every shot in order to use the index finger to fire the weapon.

Quotes:

Caroline Kipling: [crying] I miss him.
Rudyard Kipling: [bursts into tears] So do I.
Caroline Kipling: I can feel his head on my chest. I can feel his thick hair under my fingers. I can hear him laugh. I can feel his heat against me.

Soundtrack:

Happy Birthday to You

Family, war, and patriotism

I don't remember why I added this to my DVR; sometimes I go on a PBS binge and record all kinds of "edifying" material. From the little summary on the DVR screen, I expected a family-conflict drama mixed in with some heroic war scenes and rousing patriotism.

It did have rousing patriotism, family conflict, and heroic war scenes, yet it was not at all what I expected. When the film finished I could see past and future echoes of this family, of all families who send a son or daughter to war. Somewhere in America today there are parents just like Mr. and Mrs. Kipling in the film, and there have been for generations past.

This is a movie to see when your everyday grind has sapped your humanity.