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My Boy Jack
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A grossly sanitized account for people who want a little weep but need to be sheltered from the facts
Review date: 2008-11-11 Rating: 4 out of 10
Eyewitness descriptions last saw Lieutentant Kipling attempting to bind his wounded face with a muddy hankerchief, scrabbling around in the mud for his glasses.
I mean no disrespect to David Haig - I believe his original play did not shrink from the hard truth - however such details are obviously deemed unsuitable for a TV audience, coddled with the prurient drivel of Hollywood action movies.
Show us the truth, show us the real truth.
Show us a youth dying with half his face shot away.
And ask why people need to have obscene events sanitised.
The original version of All Quiet on the Western Front quite calmly states some honest fact - the need for terrified soldiers to improvise nappies (diapers) for themselves as they lose control of their bowels in the sheer terror of sustained artillery bombardment.
Give us the truth. We need it. We need to think. We need to be aware.
Otherwise when the flags wave, and the priests, rabbis and imans call - we still send other poor devils to fight "our" battles.
And feel sad and grand and noble for a few minutes each year.
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Reviews
surprisingly good!!!
Review date: 2008-01-20 Rating: 10 out of 10
I had to watch this film at school and i thought in the beginning it was going to be just another boring war film. i thought it was going to be really bad to be honest but it was so good
Daniel Radcliff was a very good actor and the film was a pleasure to watch. 5 stars!!!!
My Boy Jack ?
Review date: 2008-01-06 Rating: 10 out of 10
An Excellent Drama,maybe not that Accurate in some of its content,but besides Minor Niggles ,the Drama is excellent.Other Reviewers have already Reviewed this Drama in great Detail,i simply enjoyed all the Performances from a Wonderful Cast,this Drama is uplifting and at Times incredibly Sad,but again it is a very,Very,good Historical Drama.Well Worth Watching.
Moving and dramatic - loved it!
Review date: 2007-12-28 Rating: 10 out of 10
My Boy Jack is the moving true story of John 'Jack' Kipling, son of world-famous author Rudyard Kipling. Zealous war supporter Rudyard is eager to see his son go to war and play his part in protecting King and country. Jack is equally keen, and is devasted to be turned away from the Navy and the Army due to his appalling eyesight.
Incensed, his father uses his fame and influence to secure Jack a commission with the Irish Guards and after gruelling training, he is sent to France in charge of a Battalion. Jack is determined to let nothing stand in the way of him fighting, and already had his father write a letter giving him permission to be sent 'over the top' before his eighteenth birthday. However, fate dictates that Jack and his men go to fight the day after his birthday - horrendously outnumbered by German soldiers.
Sadly, Jack's family receive a telegram to say he has gone missing in battle, presumed wounded. Devastated, but never giving up hope, Jack's parents search for him, using all of Rudyard's military contacts, and interviewing returning soldiers. They slowly begin together pieces of the puzzle, and eventually a soldier from Jack's Battalion visits them. Unfortunately, he brings the news that Jack was in fact killed in battle. At eighteen years and one day old, John Kipling lost his life to German soldiers.
The family is thrown into turmoil, and Rudyard now has to question whether his support for the war was worth the life of his only son. Unfortunately it is too late, and the family must learn to cope without Jack.
Many people have questionned Daniel Radcliffe's acting abilities, but I think My Boy Jack will put those wagging tongues to rest. Radcliffe is very convincing in this TV drama, particularly as he is around the same age as the real Jack was when he lost his life. It's great to see him in a completely different role to Harry Potter - and lets hope this will help him avoid being pigeonholed.
Those playing members of Jack's family were also fantastic. David Haig and Kim Cattrall play his grieving parents excellently, and relative newcomer Carey Mulligan does a fine job of playing Jack's sister, Elsie. Overall I felt they were a very believable family, and their reactions during Jack's absence, and on receiving confirmation of his death brought a tear to my eye. Overall, this is a really moving production, and I think even those not really into wartime dramas will enjoy this.
WOW
Review date: 2007-12-16 Rating: 10 out of 10
this was the most amazing drama I have seen of television this year. It portrays- so heartbreakingly well - the war and what a waste of young lives it was. The acting is absolutely superb, and David Haig as Kipling was absolutely fabulous. It displays propaganda for what it truly was, and the effect it had on the people of Britain. I have never cried so much at a film in all my life (I was literally sobbing!) If you are interested in the Battle of Loo, it is an absolute must have film. BUY IT !!!!!!!!
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
David Haig
Kim Cattrall
Daniel Radcliffe
Creators:
Daniel Radcliffe (Primary Contributor)
David Haig (Primary Contributor)
Recording label: 2 Entertain Video
Manufacturer: 2 Entertain Video
EAN: 5014138602116
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Colour, PAL,
Release date: 2007-11-19
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 93 minutes
Language: English (Original Language)