DramaFamilyAdventure

The Railway Children Return

- A new adventure begins.

Follow a group of children who are evacuated to a Yorkshire village during the Second World War, where they encounter a young soldier who, like them, is far away from home.

Release Date : 2022-07-15

Language :EnglishPortuguese

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : StudioCanal

Production Country : United KingdomUnited States of America

Alternative Titles : Railway Children

Cast

Character Name : Roberta 'Bobbie' Waterbury

Original Name : Jenny Agutter

Gender : Female

Character Name : Annie Waterbury

Original Name : Sheridan Smith

Gender : Female

Character Name : Uncle Walter

Original Name : Tom Courtenay

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lily Watts

Original Name : Beau Gadsdon

Gender : Female

Character Name : Abe

Original Name : KJ Aikens

Gender : Male

Character Name : Thomas Waterbury

Original Name : Austin Haynes

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pattie Watts

Original Name : Eden Hamilton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ted Watts

Original Name : Zac Cudby

Gender : Male

Character Name : Richard Perks

Original Name : John Bradley

Gender : Male

Character Name : General Harrison

Original Name : Hugh Quarshie

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miss Eckersley

Original Name : Hannah Wood

Gender : Female

Character Name : Jimmy

Original Name : Oscar Wallwork

Gender : Male

Character Name : Teacher

Original Name : Neil Hurst

Gender : Male

Character Name : Angela

Original Name : Jessica Baglow

Gender : Female

Character Name : Georgie Duckworth

Original Name : Joseph Richards

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pox

Original Name : Thomas Flynn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miss Wills

Original Name : Jacqueline Rodgers

Gender : Male

Character Name : Military Policeman Hartley

Original Name : Max Duane

Gender : Male

Character Name : Military Policeman Rouse

Original Name : Gabriel Frielich

Gender : Male

Character Name : Station Master

Original Name : Eddie Caswell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Policeman

Original Name : Elliot Benn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Second Policeman

Original Name : Andrew Ellis

Gender : Male

Character Name : George the Telegram Boy

Original Name : George Webster

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rail Passenger (uncredited)

Original Name : Philip Gascoyne

Gender : Male

Character Name : Teacher (uncredited)

Original Name : Joanne James

Gender : Female

Character Name : American Soldier

Original Name : Dumo Mkweli

Gender : Male

Character Name : Upset Parent

Original Name : Caroline Cookson

Gender : Male

Character Name : American GI

Original Name : Tashinga Bepete

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young Woman

Original Name : Ellana Danby

Gender : Female

Character Name : Military Police

Original Name : Peter Youngblood Hills

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-07-22

Whilst I certainly felt a twinge of nostalgia whilst watching this film, I did wonder just why it was made. The original Lionel Jeffries film (1970) had a charm to it that was as much about a sense of "Britishness" and was simple, thoughtful and engaging. This latter day effort has a darker storyline that though certainly worth telling, doesn't really fit with the overall slightly lethargic timbre of the plot. A family of kids are evacuated from the bombing-prone Manchester to a small village in Yorkshire where they are adopted - after a process that seemed very random and quite risky for the evacuees - by "Bobbie" (Jenny Agutter) who lives with her daughter "Annie" (Sheridan Smith) and her young son "Thomas" (Austin Haynes). For some reason there are a few Amercian soldiers billeted in this rural village far from anywhere - quite why we never know; and the youngsters encounter an injured one hiding in their secret hideaway (a disused railway carriage). Unsure if he is a spy, and suspicious of each other, the story gently develops the growing bond between them whilst touching on the more serious issues of racism within the US army and the difficulties faced by the families of those fighting. It's a bit of a jigsaw puzzle, this. The narrative tries to stay faithful to the original theme, but somehow it is all just too weak and loosely defined. The children - especially Haynes, KJ Aikens as the young soldier ("Abe") and Beau Gadsdon as the lively, tomboy-ish "Lily" are entertaining and there is some mischief (and a proper flour fight) to be had, but the rest of it just seems a bit lost in 2022. Sir Tom Courtenay appears towards the end as a sort of wise old uncle, but again it is more about seeing him on a screen rather than anything particularly credible he brings to the plot. This is not in any way a bad film, and perhaps it might raise awareness amongst any youngsters who do actually see it that any form of discrimination is wrong, but otherwise this is a nice to watch film for the television at Christmas that bears but a passing resemblance to the first one.