Our Reviews
Movie: AUDREY'S CHILDREN
Rating: PG, thematic content, smoking and some language
Length: 1:50
Release Date: March 28, 2025
Jeanne: Natalie Dormer stars as Dr. Audrey Evans in the biopic AUDREY’S CHILDREN directed by Ami Canaan Mann, the daughter of Michael Mann. The film begins in 1969 when Dr. Evans becomes the first female Chief of Oncology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Coming from a very impressive educational and research background in Britain, then the U.S., Evans was a visionary who had to endure a great deal of sexism and misogyny from her male peers. Hired by the world-renowned pediatric surgeon, Dr. C. Everett Koop (Clancy Brown), Evans was immediately subjected to push back from other doctors at the hospital who resented her taking on the position as chief.
She did manage to create a couple of allies in Dr. Dan D’Angio (Jimmi Simpson) and Dr. Brian Faust (Brandon Michael Hall). Her ideas for new procedures were controversial, but she did prevail at developing the first Neuroblastoma Staging System which reduced the number of deaths of children suffering from cancer significantly. When she started her work only 10% of children with cancer survived --- now that number is up to almost 80 per cent.
And while she’s facing challenges on every level, Dr. Evans becomes painfully aware of the fact that the parents without financial means are also suffering in multiple ways. Not only are their children going through the most unimaginable fight for their lives, these people cannot afford a place to stay other than on the floors in the hospital.
She attempts buying a home which she intends to renovate so parents would have a cost-free place to live while their children are in the hospital. However, because she’s not married no bank will give her a loan.
Instead, Dr. Evans devises a plan to partner with the Philadelphia Eagles football team --- and McDonald’s --- to establish the first Ronald McDonald House. This organization, which provides support for families whose children are receiving medical treatments, has grown exponentially. With more than 1000 Ronald McDonald House Charity Houses in 62 countries, millions of lives have been changed.
Mann, with a screenplay by Julia Fisher Farbman, has done a marvelous job bringing this true story of Dr. Audrey Evans to life. But it is Dormer’s performance that makes AUDREY’S CHILDREN so powerful.
Her dedication to this project is apparent from the very first frame. Whether she’s interacting with her less-than-helpful male counterparts or the children dying of cancer, Dormer’s confidence in her portrayal is impressive. Dr. Evans was a trailblazer --- not to be trifled with --- and Dormer succeeds in proving that, along with showcasing Evans’ incredible compassion for her patients.
AUDREY’S CHILDREN is impactful, educational and, above all, uniquely compelling. It’s a terrific reminder of what we can accomplish when we recognize a problem and work to solve it.
In Theaters Now and Available on Digital May 6th
Opinion: See It Now!
David: Based on the true story of British doctor Audrey Evans, AUDREY’S CHILDREN tells the dramatic and inspirational story of this pioneering woman whose research has saved lives all over the world. Recruited to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as its first female Chief of Oncology, Dr. Evans and two of her closest colleagues developed the Neuroblastoma Staging System which changed the way infants and young children were diagnosed and treated.
This new treatment involved a different method of administering chemotherapy drugs to children, particularly those under two years old. Facing negative reaction and dismissal from what was basically an all-male hospital board because she broke hospital protocols, she was ultimately reinstated because her work ultimately demonstrated positive results.
Natalie Dormer (“Game of Thrones”) gives a bravura performance as Dr. Evans. Her strategic interaction with child patients --- calling chemo “magic medicine” that will possibly get rid of “boo-boos” --- and her gentle handling of experimental mice, earns the trust of children and parents alike. Dormer captures the empathy of Dr. Evans perfectly.
Dr. Evans was definitely a rebel as well as a pioneer in the field of pediatric oncology. Her compassonate efforts led to the creation of the first Ronald McDonald House where families could stay for free while their sick children were hospitalized. This ultimately allowed treatment to continue without the worry of expensive hotel stays. Ironically, she never had children of her own, but her tireless research saved little lives all over the world ---- and continues to do so.
While sometimes difficult to watch, the film has some lighter moments. In one scene Dr. Evans tries to negotiate the purchase of a home in Philadelphia with its obnoxious owner to indeed allow relatives to stay for free. It’s a priceless sequence in the story written by Julia Fisher Farbman, a close friend of the doctor. Other cast standouts include Jimmi Simpson as Dr. Dan D'Angio and Brandon Michael Hall as Dr. Brian Faust, the two physicians who helped Dr. Evans in her often unauthorized pursuit of her research.
And Clancy Brown stars as world-famous pediatric surgeon C. Everett Koop who is both a hindrance and a boon to Dr. Evans’ work. When a child patient, played by extraordinary youngster Julianna Layne, lays dying, with her sobbing parents at her bedside, Dr. Koop whispers “Hurry!” to Dr. Evans, as she’s running down the corridor to the hospital room. This is all we need to know about Dr. Koop’s own compassion, and Brown’s supporting performance is memorable.
Directed by Ami Canaan Mann (daughter of Michael Mann), the movie won the Tribeca X Award for Best Feature at the 2024 Tribeca Festival. Be sure and stay for all the closing credits to witness a taped message from the real Dr. Audrey Evans who passed away in 2022 at the age of 97.
Her legacy is beautifully captured in AUDREY’S CHILDREN.
In Theaters Now and Available on Digital May 6th
Opinion: Strong See It Now!
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