X
  • 2011
  • R
  • Cohen Media Group
  • 1 h 45 m
  • 2011
  • R
  • Cohen Media Group
  • 1 h 45 m

Summary Orange and Sunshine tells the true story of Margaret Humphreys, a social worker who uncovered one of the most controversial scandals in recent times; the organized deportation of innocent children from the United Kingdom to Australia, where they were thought to be lost in the system forever. Almost single-handedly, against overwhelming ...

Directed By: Jim Loach

Written By: Rona Munro, Margaret Humphreys

  • 2011
  • R
  • Cohen Media Group
  • 1 h 45 m
  • 2011
  • R
  • Cohen Media Group
  • 1 h 45 m

Oranges and Sunshine

Metascore Mixed or Average Based on 17 Critic Reviews
60
User Score Generally Favorable Based on 7 User Ratings
6.9
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Where to Watch

Summary Orange and Sunshine tells the true story of Margaret Humphreys, a social worker who uncovered one of the most controversial scandals in recent times; the organized deportation of innocent children from the United Kingdom to Australia, where they were thought to be lost in the system forever. Almost single-handedly, against overwhelming ...

Directed By: Jim Loach

Written By: Rona Munro, Margaret Humphreys

Where to Watch

Top Cast

View All
View All Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 17 Critic Reviews
60
47% Positive
8 Reviews
41% Mixed
7 Reviews
12% Negative
2 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 17 Critic Reviews
60
47% Positive
8 Reviews
41% Mixed
7 Reviews
12% Negative
2 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
90
Oct 18, 2011
At the film's center is Emily Watson's pitch-perfect performance as Margaret Humphreys, the real-life social worker who in 1986 stumbled over the hidden practice.
By Ernest Hardy FULL REVIEW
80
Oct 18, 2011
The movie belongs to Hugo Weaving and David Wenham, both playing what one newspaper dubs "the lost children of the Empire," men broken by the appalling conditions that met them in their new homeland.
FULL REVIEW
75
Oct 27, 2011
Emily Watson, who always brings a special grace to the screen, gives a multilayered performance to the role of Margaret Humphreys.
FULL REVIEW
60
Oct 20, 2011
Rona Munro's screenplay for Oranges and Sunshine is unnecessarily flighty. As the story ricochets between Britain and Australia, the film often loses track of time and becomes fragmented as it struggles to integrate too many subplots. What holds it together is Ms. Watson's calm, sturdy performance.
By Stephen Holden FULL REVIEW
50
Oct 20, 2011
Sometimes the facts can get in the way of the drama, and that's the central problem here. That sense of needing to be true to the record is reflected in an overwhelmed screenplay.
By Betsy Sharkey FULL REVIEW
40
Oct 27, 2011
The result is a problem drama with more problem than drama.
By J.R. Jones FULL REVIEW
38
Oct 17, 2011
The film is so careful to avoid the luridness that would seem inevitably to accompany an excavation of child kidnapping, forced labor, and rape, that the result is a plodding, overly tasteful procedural that holds up its hero as an incorruptible embodiment of goodness.
By Andrew Schenker FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 7 User Ratings
6.9
57% Positive
4 Ratings
43% Mixed
3 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 7 User Ratings
6.9
57% Positive
4 Ratings
43% Mixed
3 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

 View All
Production Company Screen Australia, Little Gaddesden Productions, Fulcrum Media Finance, EM Media, The South Australian Film Corporation, Deluxe Australia, Screen NSW, BBC Film, Sixteen Films, See-Saw Films
Release Date Oct 21, 2011
Duration 1 h 45 m
Rating R
Genres
Tagline A Tragedy That Spanned Decades. A Love That Crossed Continents. A Triumph That Changed Two Nations.
Website http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfilms/film/oranges_and_sunshine
View All Details

Awards

IF Awards
• 2 Wins & 8 Nominations
Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards
• 1 Win & 7 Nominations
Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards
• 2 Wins & 4 Nominations

Related Movies

Related News

Every Guy Ritchie Movie, Ranked

Every Guy Ritchie Movie, Ranked

Nick Hyman

We rank every one of the British director's movies by Metascore, from his debut Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels to his brand new film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

  • movie
2024 Movie Release Calendar

2024 Movie Release Calendar

Jason Dietz

Find release dates for every movie coming to theaters, VOD, and streaming throughout 2024 and beyond, updated weekly.

  • movie
April Movie Preview (2024)

April Movie Preview (2024)

Keith Kimbell

The month ahead will bring new films from Alex Garland, Luca Guadagnino, Dev Patel, and more. To help you plan your moviegoing options, our editors have selected the most notable films releasing in April 2024, listed in alphabetical order.

  • movie
DVD/Blu-ray Releases: New & Upcoming

DVD/Blu-ray Releases: New & Upcoming

Jason Dietz

Find a list of new movie and TV releases on DVD and Blu-ray (updated weekly) as well as a calendar of upcoming releases on home video.

  • movie
SXSW 2024 Recap: Best and Worst Films

SXSW 2024 Recap: Best and Worst Films

Keith Kimbell

Which films impressed reviewers during the 2024 edition of the South by Southwest Film & TV Festival? We recap the reactions of critics to all of this year's major SXSW premieres and tell you which titles won the festival's major awards.

  • movie