''After Thomas'' is a television

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 26 December 2006, on ITV. It was produced by

Beryl Vertue Beryl Frances Vertue ('' née'' Johnson; 8 April 1931 – 12 February 2022) was an English television producer, media executive, and agent. She was founder and chairman of the independent television production company Hartswood Films. Early li ...

and Elaine Cameron, directed by Simon Shore, and written by

Lindsey Hill Lindsey Hill is a British television writer. Lindsey began her working life with a ten-year career as a solicitor, specialising in insolvency and fraud related litigation. Following the suicide of a man forced into bankruptcy by one of her client ...

. The plot is about the severely

autistic The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

child Kyle Graham and the progress he makes when his parents adopt Thomas, a

golden retriever The Golden Retriever is a Scottish breed of retriever dog of medium size. It is characterised by a gentle and affectionate nature and a striking golden coat. It is commonly kept as a pet and is among the most frequently registered breeds ...

. It is based on the true story of Scottish child Dale Gardner and his dog Henry.

Plot

Kyle Graham (Andrew Byrne) is a severely

child with limited communication skills, has really bad meltdowns and is not toilet-trained. His condition tests the patience of his parents Nicola (

Keeley Hawes Claire Julia Hawes (born 10 February 1976), known professionally as Keeley Hawes, is an English actress. After beginning her career in a number of literary adaptations, including ''Our Mutual Friend'' (1998) and '' Tipping the Velvet'' (2002), Ha ...

) and Rob ( Ben Miles). Nicola believes that the symptoms of Kyle's autism can be made less severe over time by attempting to integrate him with the world around him. Rob, however, believes that the best solution is to send Kyle to a specialist boarding school run by the charismatic and caring headteacher John Havers (

Clive Mantle Clive Andrew Mantle (born 3 June 1957) is an English actor. He played general surgeon Mike Barratt in the BBC hospital drama series ''Casualty'' and '' Holby City'' in the 1990s, and Little John in the 1980s fantasy series ''Robin of Sherwood' ...

). Rob, who has not had sex with his wife for years, becomes more torn when family friend Rachel (

Lorraine Pilkington Lorraine Pilkington (born 18 April 1974) is an Irish actress from Dublin who is best known for her role as Katrina Finlay from '' Monarch of the Glen''. Life Born in Dublin, Pilkington grew up in the affluent suburban village of Malahide, and ...

) offers him casual sex. Nicola's only respite is the unwavering support of her mother Pat ( Sheila Hancock) and father Jim ( Duncan Preston), who dote on Kyle and provide practical support when needed. Open-minded on autism therapies, Nicola reads about a child whose condition improved with the help of a

therapy dog A therapy dog is a dog that is trained to provide affection, comfort and support to people, often in settings such as hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, libraries, hospices, or disaster areas. In contrast to assistance dogs, w ...

; Rob remains sceptical, believing that Kyle will either be terrified of the dog or oblivious to its existence. Kyle names his

puppy Thomas after

Thomas the Tank Engine Thomas the Tank Engine is an anthropomorphised fictional tank locomotive in the British ''Railway Series'' books by Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher, published from 1945. He became the most popular and famous character in the series, ...

. Slowly, through Thomas, he learns about emotions and interpersonal relationships. Rob discovers that he can quell his son's tantrums by speaking in a different voice that Kyle believes is that of Thomas. Rob and Nicola's marriage improves and she becomes pregnant with her second child. Thomas falls ill and the couple fear that if the dog should die, their son will regress. However, he makes a full recovery. In the final scene of the film, Kyle acknowledges his parents for the first time and says that he loves them. Before the credits, an

epilogue An epilogue or epilog (from Greek ἐπίλογος ''epílogos'', "conclusion" from ἐπί ''epi'', "in addition" and λόγος ''logos'', "word") is a piece of writing at the end of a work of literature, usually used to bring closure to the w ...

shows what happened to the real-life counterparts portrayed as characters in the film.

Cast

- Nicola Graham * Ben Miles - Rob Graham * Andrew Byrne - Kyle Graham * Sheila Hancock - Grandma Pat * Duncan Preston - Grandpa Jim *

Asa Butterfield Asa Bopp Farr Butterfield (; born Asa Maxwell Thornton Farr Butterfield on 1 April 1997) is an English actor. He has received nominations for three British Independent Film Awards, two Critics' Choice Awards, two Saturn Awards, and three Young ...

- Andrew *

- John Havers *

- Rachel *

Noma Dumezweni Noma Dumezweni (born 28 July 1969) is a British actress. In 2006, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for her performance as Ruth Younger in ''A Raisin in the Sun'' at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. In 2 ...

- Paula Murray * Gill Hutley - Class Teacher

Reception

''Moviemail'' called ''After Thomas'' "gritty, warm and funny, but above all else is a realistic insight into every parent's worst nightmare." Dr Joyce Almeida wrote in a review on the website of the Royal College of Psychiatrists that the film "offers an excellent platform for anyone wanting to learn about the subject of autism and the spectrum of disorders associated with it" and noted its potential as a teaching tool.

References

External links

*. {{Autism resources 2006 television films 2006 films ITV television dramas Films about autism British television films Animal-assisted therapy Films set in 1993 Films directed by Simon Shore