My Boy Jack
My Boy Jack is a 2007 British biographical television film based on David Haig's 1997 play of the same name for ITV. It was filmed in August 2007, with Haig as Rudyard Kipling and Daniel Radcliffe as John Kipling. The American television premiere was on 20 April 2008 on PBS, with primetime rebroadcast on 27 March 2011. The film attracted about 5.7 million viewers on its original ITV broadcast in the UK on Remembrance Day, 11 November 2007.
Plot
As the Great War (World War I) begins, 17-year-old Jack Kipling (Daniel Radcliffe), the only son of the famous English writer and poet Rudyard Kipling, declares his intention to join the Royal Navy to fight against the Germans. The elder Kipling (Haig), who encourages him in his ambition, arranges several appointments for him to enlist in both the Army and Navy. However, when Jack's poor eyesight prevents him from passing the medical examinations, both he and his father are devastated. Determined, Rudyard uses his influence with the military establishment to eventually secure Jack an officer's commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Irish Guards.
More details
author | David Haig |
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director | Brian Kirk |
genre | western |
keywords | battle of loos elsie elsie kipling english writer great war irish guards jack kipling kill lose medical examination military training missing in action morning pass poor eyesight royal navy rudyard kipling second lieutenant survive track down train world war i |
musicBy | Adrian Johnston |
publisher | ITV1 |
theme | biographical war |