Product Description

Its 1915 and World War I has been declared. Aged only 17, Kiplings son, like most of his generation, is swept up in the enthusiasm to fight the Germans, a mood stoked vigorously by his father. Jack is cripplingly short sighted and the army has rejected him twice, rendering him too myopic even for an army suffering thousands of casualties a week and desperate for recruits. Yet Rudyard is undeterred, determined that his son should go to the front, like countless other sons, and fight for the values that he, Kipling, espouses so publicly. Using his fame and influence, Kipling persuades Lord Roberts, on his death bed, to get Jack a commission in the Irish guards. This intervention is barely tolerated by Carrie and daughter Elise (Carey Mulligan), as they disagree that Jack is fit to fight and fear for his safety on the front line. Jack is instantly popular with his troop he is a great leader and trains tirelessly to overcome the disability that is his eyesight. Six months later Jack sails to France as a lieutenant. Jack went missing in action during the Battle of Loos and his mother and father carried out an increasingly desperate search for him, spanning many years and many miles.

DVD Features:
Deleted Scenes
Interviews

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15410 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2008-04-22
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 93 minutes

Amazon.com
As affecting as it is thought-provoking, ITV's My Boy Jack illustrates the dangers of unbridled patriotism. To grow up the child of a famous author is burden enough, but when the boy must embody the beliefs of the man, the consequences can be devastating. In the case of John "Jack" Kipling (Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe in his most mature role to date), 17-year-old son of Rudyard Kipling (Four Weddings and a Funeral's David Haig), his father's passion for King and Country leads to a preventable tragedy. Based on Haig's play, the proceedings begin in 1914, prior to the outbreak of World War II. Jack attempts to join the army and the navy, but both reject him due to severe shortsightedness, so Kipling Sr. pulls strings to place him with the Irish Guards. Jack's sister, Elsie (Bleak House's Carey Mulligan), and American-born mother, Caroline (a brunette Kim Cattrall), would rather he serve the war effort at home. Through hard work and determination, Jack scales the ranks from private to lieutenant, but goes missing in France, and many months pass before the family solves the mystery of his disappearance. In the end, My Boy Jack, which aired in England on Remembrance Day, concerns itself more with paying tribute than apportioning blame, and Haig skillfully portrays Kipling's guilt in putting his son in harm’s way and pride in a brave soldier who "played his part properly." Special features include interviews and deleted scenes. Parental advisory suggested due to situation-appropriate language and teen smoking. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews

Coming of Age in a Time of War...
2007's "My Boy Jack" is an extraordinarily good drama for television, featuring an excellent cast and a compelling story about the First World War, based on a play and a screenplay by David Haig.

When Britain goes to war with Imperial Germany in 1914, young men sign up in droves for the military. John "Jack" Kipling, son of famous writer and British Empire advocate Rudyard Kipling, is anxious to serve in uniform but rejected due to poor eyesight. Overruling the concerns of his wife and daughter, Kipling Senior pulls some strings to get Jack a commission in the Irish Guards. Jack works hard to overcome the challenge of his eyesight, in the process becoming a competent lieutenant and earning the respect of his platoon. All too quickly, Jack ships out for the Western Front, where he goes missing in action in his first mission "over the top" from the trenches at Loos in 1915. The family will spend agonizing months trying to learn his whereabouts. A shell-shocked member of Jack's platoon will finally bring word of Jack's fate.

David Haig is uncanny as Rudyard Kipling, Jack's father, a superbly talented storyteller and novelist, now a government propagandist trying to make sense of hideous casualties. His efforts to enable his son to "do his part" will be a source of immense guilt when Jack goes missing. Kim Cattrell is astonishingly good as Carrie, Jack's American mother. Haunted by the loss of another child, Carrie advocates for a position of less danger for her son, whom she fears will be at additional risk due to his poor eyesight. When Jack goes missing, Carrie is relentless in tracking down clues to his possible fate. Carey Mulligan is very effective as Elsie "Bird" Kipling, Jack's sympathetic older sister, who shares with him the stifling burden of living in the shadow of a very prominent father. Daniel Radcliff is absolutely credible as Jack, whether braving the challenge of military training or sneaking cigarettes with his sister.

At the core of the drama is the haunting question of whether Jack should have gone into service in the first place. The family argues over Kipling Senior's efforts to get Jack preferential treatment, but the story makes clear that Jack is very much a volunteer. Moreover, it is apparent that Jack, out from under his father's shadow, is transformed by his few months in uniform from boy to man, performing with exemplary bravery and with compassion for his soldiers.

Production values are exceptionally good for a television movie. At least some filming was done at Kipling's home of Bateman in Southern England. Period costumes and manners are spot-on. The recreation of the Western Front is appropriately wet, muddy, and terrifying. The closing scene, in which Rudyard Kipling comforts King George V for the unexpected loss of his own child by reciting a moving poem, is a perfect ending for the movie.

This movie is very highly recommended as compelling period family drama.

Beautiful/Tragic story
I found this made for TV film to be the most moving film I have seen in a long time. It was beautifully written by David Haig and beautifully filmed. In my humble opinion everyone in this film gave an outstanding performance. The relaionship between David Haig and Daniel Radcliffe on screen was wonderful. I felt the father/son relaionship was so rich and touching, they could have been father/son in real life.
I personally feel that is also one of the best performances I have ever seen from Mr. Radcliffe.
I higly recommend this film, not just for the actors who are in it (David,Dan and Kim) but because this is an extremely important story that I think everyone should see.
I also recommend having a big box of kleenax on hand as well, this film will make you cry!

A Poignant Story
It has been a long time since I saw a Masterpiece (Theater) program that was so thought provoking and moving; the performances are superb and true to heart. David Haig (who wrote the play My Boy Jack) is the very image of Rudyard Kipling. He is shows us the jingoistic author who believes that war against the Germans is a crusade to keep the Huns out of England. When he must confront the loss of his son, Mr. Haig shows the emotional side of Kipling with great tenderness. His son John Kipling (in fact his youngest child) is caught up in the belief that the war will be an heroic adventure, but he also wants to go to war because it will be a release for him to become his own man and escape from his father's fame and reputation. For me, Daniel Radcliffe did an excellent job of portraying the dissatisfaction that Jack has with his life and his desire to escape. Kim Cattrall is nicely cast as Jack's mother. Kipling married the daughter of his American literary agent and lived in the United States for several years before returning to England. Ms. Cattrall sensitively conveys the grief over the loss of Jack and the hope that everyone holds that as long as a body has not been found there is a chance for life.

Also of interest is that the film was made at the Kipling home - Bateman - which is now owned by the National Trust. Daniel Radcliffe mentioned in an interview that he saw a place where the real John Kipling had carved his initials. The battlefield scenes are well conceived and the actors convey the fear and horror of war perfectly. My Boy Jack is a film I will never forget and deserves to have a wide audience.