''The Railway Children Return'', known as ''Railway Children'' in the US, is a 2022
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
film directed by
Morgan Matthews Morgan Matthews may refer to:
* Morgan Matthews (figure skater), American ice dancer
* Morgan Matthews (filmmaker), English filmmaker
*Morgan Matthews, a character from the TV series ''Boy Meets World''
{{hndis, Matthews, Morgan ...
and written by
Danny Brocklehurst
Danny Brocklehurst (born June 1971 in Hyde, Cheshire) is an English screenwriter and playwright. He has won both BAFTA and Royal Television Society writing awards. He was featured in the writers' section of the ''Broadcast magazine'' Hot 100 ...
. It is a sequel to the 1970 film ''
The Railway Children
''The Railway Children'' is a children's book by Edith Nesbit, originally serialised in ''The London Magazine'' during 1905 and published in book form in the same year. It has been adapted for the screen several times, of which the 1970 film ...
'', itself based on the
E. Nesbit
Edith Nesbit (married name Edith Bland; 15 August 1858 – 4 May 1924) was an English writer and poet, who published her books for children as E. Nesbit. She wrote or collaborated on more than 60 such books. She was also a political activist an ...
novel of the same name. The film stars
Jenny Agutter
Jennifer Ann Agutter (born 20 December 1952) is a British actress. She began her career as a child actress in 1964, appearing in ''East of Sudan'', '' Star!'', and two adaptations of ''The Railway Children''—the BBC's 1968 television serial ...
,
Sheridan Smith
Sheridan Caroline Sian Smith OBE (born 25 June 1981) is an English actress, singer and television personality. Smith came to prominence after playing a variety of characters on sitcoms such as ''The Royle Family'' (1999–2000), ''Two Pints o ...
,
Tom Courtenay
Sir Thomas Daniel Courtenay (; born 25 February 1937) is an English actor. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Courtenay achieved prominence in the 1960s with a series of acclaimed film roles, including ''The Loneliness of t ...
and
John Bradley. It was released in the United Kingdom on 15 July 2022 by
StudioCanal
StudioCanal S.A.S. (formerly known as Le Studio Canal+, Canal Plus, Canal+ Distribution, Canal+ D.A., Canal+ Production, and Canal+ Image and also known as StudioCanal International) is a French film production and distribution company that owns ...
.
Plot
It is 1944, and a
fresh wave of bombings fall on Britain during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Siblings 14 year old Lily, 11 year old Pattie and 7 year old Ted Watts are evacuated from
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
to the village of
Oakworth
Oakworth is a village in West Yorkshire, England, near Keighley, by the River Worth. The name "Oakworth" indicates that the village was first established in a heavily wooded area.
Oakworth railway station is on the route of the Keighley and ...
in the
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county County of York, West Riding (the area under the control of West Riding County Council), abbreviated County ...
, where they are greeted by Bobbie Waterbury, her schoolmistress daughter Annie and her 13 year old son Thomas. All the children are selected to be given homes by the locals but due to a request from officials not to split siblings up, the Watts trio are left. When nobody else takes them, Bobbie welcomes them into their home. The siblings quickly bond with Thomas. The
US Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
has a base in the area, and there is a disturbance on their first evening. As they explore their new surroundings, the children are set upon by a group of local children not happy with their presence and Thomas welcomes them to his hideout in an old
brake van
Brake van and guard's van are terms used mainly in the UK, Ireland, Australia and India for a railway vehicle equipped with a hand brake which can be applied by the guard. The equivalent North American term is caboose, but a British brake van ...
by the railway station.
One day, Annie receives bad news about her husband who is away fighting in the war, reminding her of the deaths of Bobbie's father and brother in the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. The children give her some space and play hide and seek at the station. Whilst there, they find an
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
soldier named Abe McCarthy in their hideout with an injured leg. He claims to be on a secret mission and that he has to remain hidden. That evening a lone enemy aircraft drops a bomb on the town cemetery, causing Lily to fall as she brings a first aid kit and other supplies to Abe. He rescues her and reveals he joined the Army to avenge his brother who was killed in combat, but details about his story leaves her suspicious. The next day, white
American Military Police arrive at the school looking for Abe and Lily learns that he is a deserter. When she confronts him about it, Abe reveals that he is actually just 14 years old and that he is trying to return home after seeing how the US Army treat his fellow black soldiers who are often beaten by the Military Police, despite the town's inhabitants refusing the US authorities' request to impose a
colour bar
Racial segregation is the systematic separation of people into racial or other ethnic groups in daily life. Racial segregation can amount to the international crime of apartheid and a crime against humanity under the Statute of the Internati ...
in the local
pub
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
. She agrees to help him escape.
When Lily tells the others and plans to hide Abe at the house, Thomas initially insists they tell the truth to the grown-ups. Lily shoots him down at once and calls him out on his ignorance of the realities of the world, revealing that their father was also killed in combat. Thomas agrees to let Abe stay in the large storeroom next door to his bedroom. That evening, the family are visited by Walter, the widowed husband to Bobbie's sister Phyllis. The next day, Lily escorts Abe down to the station to catch a train to
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
and Thomas joins them to create a distraction so they can get on the train unnoticed. In doing so he is caught by the local police, who inform the US Military Police, who in turn stop and search the train further up the line. Abe and Lily are handcuffed, taken to the base and then put aboard a US Army supply train, also carrying senior officers.
When confronted on the matter by Thomas, Annie reveals that his father's plane was shot down but that he is still alive in a prisoner-of-war camp. After he reveals everything to Walter, his uncle informs him about the American supply train, which he has found out about by telephoning his employer, the
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...
. Thomas rallies Pattie, Ted and the rest of the local and evacuee children to create banners warning the train to stop, just as Bobbie and her siblings had done forty years earlier. The children successfully stop the train and call out the Americans on their actions. Abe explains the truth to the most senior general, also an African-American, who reveals that he too had enlisted underage and orders Abe to be released. After staying with the family for a few days, Abe leaves for home, promising to write to Lily before he goes. The siblings return to their mother three months later, whilst Thomas's father returns home after
VE Day
Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...
.
Cast
* Beau Gadsdon as Lily Watts
*
Austin Haynes as Thomas
* Eden Hamilton as Pattie Watts
* Zac Cudby as Ted Watts
* KJ Aikens as Abraham "Abe" McCarthy
*
Jenny Agutter
Jennifer Ann Agutter (born 20 December 1952) is a British actress. She began her career as a child actress in 1964, appearing in ''East of Sudan'', '' Star!'', and two adaptations of ''The Railway Children''—the BBC's 1968 television serial ...
as Roberta "Bobbie" Waterbury.
*
Tom Courtenay
Sir Thomas Daniel Courtenay (; born 25 February 1937) is an English actor. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Courtenay achieved prominence in the 1960s with a series of acclaimed film roles, including ''The Loneliness of t ...
as Uncle Walter
*
Sheridan Smith
Sheridan Caroline Sian Smith OBE (born 25 June 1981) is an English actress, singer and television personality. Smith came to prominence after playing a variety of characters on sitcoms such as ''The Royle Family'' (1999–2000), ''Two Pints o ...
as Annie
*
Jessica Baglow
Jessica Baglow (born 23 March 1989) is an English actress, known for '' Gentleman Jack'', '' Where the Heart Is'' and '' Waterloo Road''.
Early life and career
Baglow was born in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. She began her acting career a ...
as Angela
*
John Bradley as Richard Perks
*
Hugh Quarshie
Hugh Anthony Quarshie (born 22 December 1954) is a Ghanaian-born British actor. Some of his best-known roles include his appearances in the films '' Highlander'' (1986), '' The Church'' (1989), '' Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'' ...
as General Harrison
*
Neil Hurst
Neil Hurst (born 5 June 1982) is an actor and presenter born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England best known for his television and stage theatre career. Adopted by Hull panto audience's
Film and television career
Hurst first came prominenc ...
as Teacher
* Micky Williams as Children's Dad
* Joseph Richards as Georgie Duckworth
Production
![Sheridan Smith & Jenny Agutter](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Sheridan_Smith_%26_Jenny_Agutter.jpg)
''The Railway Children Return'' was announced on 6 May 2021.
Like its predecessor film, scenes were shot in and around the countryside of the
Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway is a heritage railway line in the Worth Valley, West Yorkshire, England, which runs from Keighley to Oxenhope. It connects to the National Rail network at Keighley railway station.
History
Inception ...
in
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...
, with filming beginning on 10 May 2021 and taking between six and eight weeks.
Steam Locomotives
Three steam locomotives are predominantly used throughout the film; 5820 USA Transportation Corp, Class
S160 (affectionately known as Big Jim), 43924
LMS Class 4F and
45596 "Bahamas" LMS Jubilee Class
The London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Jubilee Class is a class of steam locomotive designed for main line passenger work. 191 locomotives were built between 1934 and 1936. They were built concurrently with the similar looking LMS Stanie ...
. 78022
BR Standard Class 2 2-6-0 also makes a very brief appearance in the film. At the time of filming, "Bahamas" was in
British Railways
British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most of the overground rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the Big Four British rai ...
green livery and the overlaid, correct LMS decals (BR was only formed in 1948) can be easily observed on the tender. Its BR number was also changed from 45596 to the correct 5596 which was used when the engine worked for the LMS. 43924 which was also in British Railways identity and wore plain black livery had its BR crest overlaid with LMS decals and its 43924 number changed to 3924. To celebrate the film's release,
Hornby Railways
Hornby Railways is a British rail transport modelling, model railways manufacturing company. Its roots date back to 1901 in Liverpool, when founder Frank Hornby received a patent for his Meccano construction toy. The first clockwork train was pr ...
has produced a OO scale model of 43924 LMS Class 4F in special packaging.
S160 'Big Jim' 5820 on the run round loop at Oxenhope at the KWVR.jpg, 5820 Big Jim
LMS 4F 43924 at Oxenhope on the run round loop at the KWVR.jpg, 43924
Bahamas reversing of Tyseley's turntable.jpg, 45596 Bahamas
File:Hugh llewelyn 78022 (7850847762).jpg, 78022
Reception
Box office
''The Railway Children Return'' grossed $4,287,140.
Critical response
On the
review aggregation
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the film has an approval rating of 59% based on 44 reviews, with an average rating of 5.80/10. The website's critics' consensus reads, "Fueled by nostalgia, ''Railway Children'' reaches its destination in middling yet amiable fashion." On
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, the film has a
weighted average
The weighted arithmetic mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), except that instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others. The ...
score of 54 out of 100 based on reviews from 10 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
Notes
References
External links
*
*
STUDIOCANAL news page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Railway Children Return, The
2022 films
British drama films
Films set in 1944
Films about racism in the United States
Films about the United States Army
Films set in Yorkshire
Films shot in Yorkshire
Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
Rail transport films
2020s English-language films
*
2020s British films