MOVIE TITLE: Audrey’s Children

In honor of Women’s History month and the late Dr. Evans’ 100^th birthday, this inspirational movie opens in theaters on March 28, 2025.

RATING: PG

LENGTH: 1 hour 50 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: B+

SPONSOR of Today’s movie review:

Please consider donating to the Ronald McDonald House Charities. You can learn more about it at www.rmhc.org

IN A NUTSHELL:

This dramatic film is based on the untold true story of Dr. Audrey Evans, a trailblazing physician whose groundbreaking work starting in the 1970s continues to save millions of lives today.

Battling sexism, medical conventions, and the subterfuge of her peers, Dr. Evans developed the first Neuroblastoma Staging System, and co-founded the first Ronald McDonald House for families of cancer patients.

The biopic was directed by Ami Canaan Mann. Writing credits go to Julia Fisher Farbman. Already, the film as been nominated and won several film festival awards.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Although there are children in the film, kids will be bored with all of the scientific talk and adult conversations
Talk of death
We see doctors injecting mice with various serums.

THEMES:

Cancer
Hope
Science
Children
Knowledge
Determination
Parenting
Experimentation

THINGS I LIKED:

Dormer does a great job as a medical trailblazer.
We see old footage of interviews with cancer experts from decades ago.
Flashbacks provide us insights into Audrey’s motivations and history.
The set designs immediately and effectively take us back to the 1960s and 1970s.
I loved learning about the origins of the famous Ronald McDonald House Charity. They do incredibly important work and offer valuable services to families. At the end of the film, we learn that more than 685 Ronald McDonald House Charities programs in over 60 countries have served tens of millions of children and their families. As if that weren’t enough, they also support teenagers who want to go to college. In the city where I live, the organization offers college scholarships to graduating high school students who have given significant volunteer service in their communities. One of my sons received their generous scholarship!
It’s always great to learn about women who made significant contributions in the world.
I thought it was sweet that Dr. Evans insisted that the doctors who were going to test mice be respectful and kind to them, reminding the doctors to thank the mice for giving such service to the greater good.
Dr. Evans is seen been extraordinarily sweet to the sick children. Those scenes are the most heartwarming.
Keep watching during the final rolling credits to learn what happened next and to see photos of the real people who were portrayed in the movie. I love that when biopics do that. We also get to hear the real voice of Dr. Audrey Evans in a video clip! She shares a message to the audience before she passed in 2022. So touching.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

The screenplay falls into conventional biopic tropes.
Certain plot elements are predictable.
A little bit more humor would have balanced out all of the serious and sorrowful moments.

FUNNY LINES:

“You didn’t laugh.” – Dr. Audrey Evans (Natalie Dormer) “I didn’t realize it was a joke.” – Dr. Dan D’Angio (Jimmi Simpson)

INTERESTING LINES:

“It’s something you always think happens to someone else and not you.” – Dr. Audrey Evans (Natalie Dormer)
“And if we do nothing, the child likely dies.” – Dr. Audrey Evans (Natalie Dormer)
“It’s a big world out there.” – Dr. Evans “But who gets to see it?” – Kate Watson “Anyone who wants to.” – Dr. Evans “I don’t think it’s as easy as that.” – Kate Watson “I didn’t say it was easy.” – Dr. Evans
“For what it’s worth, I think you would make a great mom.” – Kate Watson (Evelyn Giovine)
“We have the opportunity to do something extraordinary, to change the course of a deadly disease.” – Dr. Evans (Natalie Dormer)
“What some saw as brilliant, others saw as reckless. I’ve learned the difference between impulse and action, Doctor. It’s a fine line. When that line is crossed, it can be near impossible to reverse course.” – Dr. C. Everett Koop (Clancy Brown)
“Why is the sky pink?” – Mia McAlister (Julianna Layne) “God took a paintbrush and made it extra pretty because He knew you were coming to see it.” – Dr. Evans (Natalie Dormer)