Atonement (2007)

Fledgling writer Briony Tallis, as a thirteen-year-old, irrevocably changes the course of several lives when she accuses her older sister's lover of a crime he did not commit.

Director:

Joe Wright

Writers:

Ian McEwan (novel), Christopher Hampton (screenplay)

Stars:

Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Brenda Blethyn

Won 1 Oscar. Another 50 wins & 148 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Saoirse Ronan	...	Briony Tallis, aged 13
Ailidh Mackay	...	Singing Housemaid
Brenda Blethyn	...	Grace Turner
Julia West	...	Betty
James McAvoy	...	Robbie Turner
Harriet Walter	...	Emily Tallis
Keira Knightley	...	Cecilia Tallis
Juno Temple	...	Lola Quincey
Felix von Simson	...	Pierrot Quincey (as Felix Von Simson)
Charlie von Simson	...	Jackson Quincey (as Charlie Von Simson)
Alfie Allen	...	Danny Hardman
Patrick Kennedy	...	Leon Tallis
Benedict Cumberbatch	...	Paul Marshall
Peter Wight	...	Police Inspector
Leander Deeny	...	Police Constable

Storyline

SPOILER: When Briony Tallis, 13 years old and an aspiring writer, sees her older sister Cecilia and Robbie Turner at the fountain in front of the family estate she misinterprets what is happening thus setting into motion a series of misunderstandings and a childish pique that will have lasting repercussions for all of them. Robbie is the son of a family servant toward whom the family has always been kind. They paid for his time at Cambridge and now he plans on going to medical school. After the fountain incident, Briony reads a letter intended for Cecilia and concludes that Robbie is a deviant. When her cousin Lola is raped, she tells the police that it was Robbie she saw committing the deed.

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Plot Keywords:

rape | false accusation | sex | loss of virginity | miscarriage of justice | 

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Taglines:

You can only imagine the truth.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Romance | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for disturbing war images, language and some sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Focus Features [United States] Official Facebook

Country:

UK France USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

11 January 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Atonement

Filming Locations:

British Steel works, now Tata Steel works, Redcar, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$796,836, 9 December 2007

Gross USA:

$50,927,067

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$129,266,061

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, StudioCanal, Relativity Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The distinguished English actor John Normington, a veteran of stage and screen, has a minor role as a vicar but sadly died before the film's UK release.

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Goofs

When Robbie and his two comrades pass through a bombed-out factory complex on their way to Dunkirk, they stumble along a Railway track where the rails are fastened Down with 'Pandrol' clips invented in 1957.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Briony Tallis, aged 13: I finished my play.

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Crazy Credits

The title types itself out like on a typewriter.

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Connections

Referenced in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Observe & Report/Gigantic/Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009)

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Soundtracks

Bless 'em All
Written by Jimmy Hughes, Frank Lake
Performed by Paul Harper and The Dunkirk Soldiers
Courtesy of Universal Studios

User Reviews

my review

Well, from the trailers I could tell this would be an epic film before I was even able to see it. I managed to attend a gala screening of the film last night and I thought it was amazing. Despite my constant dislike to Keira Knightly, I was unable to disapprove of her acting in this film. She has improved massively since the first pirates film. The film itself has an intriguing plot line which keeps you hooked throughout. The film includes humour at the start and fascination by the end. I loved watching this film and I enjoyed the smartness of the story. The film is cleverly done with jumps in time and different perspectives of events throughout which will leave you understanding the motives of each character more. The music is composed beautifully, the orchestral tunes accompanied with the clatter that a typewriter makes creates a beautiful piece of music that fits perfectly with the film itself. I have since begun to read the book, the only thing that the film lacks is the character depth that a book can write about but a film simply can't explain. I feel that the film shows what happened but the book is able to explain a little more as to why the events occurred. Overall the film was beautiful, brilliant and emotional.