The Railway Children Return was announced on. Sheridan Smith & Jenny Agutter at the press launch for the film at Oakworth Station, prior to the world premiere of the film at Keighley Jenny Agutter as Roberta "Bobbie" Waterbury.The siblings return to their mother three months later, whilst Thomas's father returns home after VE Day. After staying with the family for a few days, Abe leaves for home, promising to write to Lily before he goes. 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. The children successfully stop the train and call out the Americans on their actions. 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 thirty years earlier. 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. 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. Abe and Lily are handcuffed, taken to the base and then put aboard a US Army supply train, also carrying senior officers. 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. The next day, Lily escorts Abe down to the station to catch a train to Liverpool and Thomas joins them to create a distraction so they can get on the train unnoticed. That evening, the family are visited by Walter, the widowed husband to Bobbie's sister Phyllis. Thomas agrees to let Abe stay in the large storeroom next door to his bedroom. 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. When Lily tells the others and plans to hide Abe at the house, Thomas initially insists they tell the truth to the grown-ups. 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 in the local pub. The next day, white American Military Police arrive at the school looking for Abe and Lily learns that he is a deserter. 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. 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 claims to be on a secret mission and that he has to remain hidden. Whilst there, they find an African-American soldier named Abe McCarthy in their hideout with an injured leg. The children give her some space and play hide and seek at the 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. 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 by the railway station. The US Army has a base in the area, and there is a disturbance on their first evening. When nobody else takes them, Bobbie welcomes them into their home. 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. Siblings 14 year old Lily, 11 year old Pattie and 7 year old Ted Watts are evacuated from Manchester to the village of Oakworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire, where they are greeted by Bobbie Waterbury, her schoolmistress daughter Annie and her 13 year old grandson Thomas. It is 1944, and a fresh wave of bombings fall on Britain during the Second World War.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |