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:

Joined by love. Separated by fear. Redeemed by hope.

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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:

$784,145, 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

On the DVD commentary, director Joe Wright notes that the designer of Keira Knightley's green evening dress costume deliberately kept the seam down the middle of the skirt open (where it would normally be sewn shut in a dress design) for what Wright calls "easy access" in the library scene.

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Goofs

When Robbie gives Briony the letter for her sister, she arrives at the fence with the hem of her collar down. In the next shot, her collar is up. In the next shot, it's down again.

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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 Chase Australia: Episode #1.47 (2015)

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Soundtracks

Dear Lord and Father of Mankind
Written by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (as Charles Parry), John Greenleaf Whittier (as John Whittier)
Performed by Bede College Choir
Courtesy of Universal Studios

User Reviews

Great interpretation of a wonderful novel

I saw a preview of this film yesterday and felt privileged to be one of the first people to see the film. It was also a pleasure to see a film before reading any other critical review or opinion. I am a great fan of Ian Mcewan and was concerned that it would not be possible to capture the subtleties and nuances of Mcewan's writing but I needn't have had any worries. The director, Joe Wright and screenplay writer Christopher Hampton have done a superb job and the complexities of the novel are superbly captured with real imagination. The story is set in three main areas, an English country house in 1935, war torn France 1940 and London 1940. The atmosphere in of all three are wonderfully captured by the director, cinematographer, costume design and score and I am sure that there are going to be some Oscar nominations for these. James McAvoy as lead man gives a tremendous performance of a restrained but passionate man. I was not as convinced by Keira Knightley's performance and am not sure that her acting has the mature edge to capture the social nuances of the times that McAvoy did so successfully. Do not see this film if you like fast paced films and rapid plot development! This is not a film for the pop video generation. If however you like character development and a plot that unravels at a pace that allows you to be immersed in the atmosphere of the film then I can highly recommend Atonement as one of the best films that I have seen this year.