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PBS' Masterpiece brings an adaptation of David Haig's play about the death of Rudyard Kipling's son (Daniel Radcliffe) and the impact it had on the poet.

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What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Entertainment WeeklyGillian Flynn

This is primarily Haig and Radcliffe's show--and it's a jolly good one.

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Boston GlobeMatthew Gilbert

See it for its most extraordinary performance, by David Haig as an impassioned Rudyard Kipling. See it for the perfectly concise script, written by Haig and based on his 1997 play, as it delivers the Kipling family fully realized. And see the movie for its restrained but deeply heartfelt take on war, on the loss of soldiers, and, most of all, on guilt.

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VarietyBrian Lowry

Daniel Radcliffe's maturation into this young-adult role is merely one reason to watch a poignant, splendid "Masterpiece" production, which star David Haig adapts from his 1997 stage play.

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Orlando SentinelHal Boedeker

Above all, enlisting Radcliffe and Cattrall was smart casting. In My Boy Jack, they help bring home the costs of war with wrenching force.

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New York PostAdam Buckman

There is no sign of Harry Potter in Radcliffe's confident performance as a restless boy who becomes a man.

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Hollywood ReporterLaurence Vittes

The slow-paced but beautifully photographed story might have more cumulative than immediate emotional impact on American audiences, for whom the Great War and Kipling are likely to be distant memories, but the anti-war sentiment sure to be triggered by brutal sequences in the trenches and the cries of "Over the top!" will strike home dramatically.

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Los Angeles TimesRobert Lloyd

It is sumptuous in the way one wants these English period pieces to be, with green countryside, good contemporary detail and scenes filmed at Kipling's own house in Sussex. The source material limits it as a story somewhat, but the scenes play well and are full of nice human moments.

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San Francisco ChronicleTim Goodman

Although one wishes Haig had dug deeper into characterization in the script, his own performance and that of Daniel Radcliffe as his son elevate the "Masterpiece" film.

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Chicago TribuneMaureen Ryan

This admirable and well-crafted film doesn’t turn away from the horrors of trench warfare, or from the agony of parents who proudly send their sons to war, yet can’t bear the idea of what those soldiers will find when they get there.

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Philadelphia Daily NewsEllen Gray

All three do their best with the great tragedy of Kipling's life, but it's a rock running downhill, and you won't need glasses to see what's coming.

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The New York TimesGinia Bellafante

It is hard to find much emotion in a movie that tries to wrench drama from an eye test.

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Wall Street JournalDorothy Rabinowitz

The result is a Kipling devoid of depth--a slender pillar for this anguished tale.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this show is 8.7 (out of 10) based on 4 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Lilly A gave it a10:
It was a truly awesome film which touched my heart, watched it for the first time at school while studying world war 1

Nick V. gave it a7:
Good job to Dan Radcliffe, he is most well known for playing Harry Potter. Although he is proving that he can be a good actor. The movie was a bit slow at times but it was entertaining.

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