Audrey’s Children parents guide

Audrey’s Children Parent Guide

An absorbing tale of the life of a remarkable woman, this biopic is worth watching.

Overall A-

Theaters: This biopic depicts the life of Dr. Audrey Evans, a trailblazing pediatric oncologist who altered the treatment of children in her care - both in the hospital and outside.

Release date March 28, 2025

Violence B+
Sexual Content A
Profanity A
Substance Use C+

Why is Audrey’s Children rated PG? The MPAA rated Audrey’s Children PG for thematic content, smoking and some language

Run Time: 110 minutes

Parent Movie Review

After surviving a serious childhood illness, Dr. Audrey Evans (Natalie Dormer) has a passion for treating pediatric cancer patients. Newly recruited as Chief of Pediatric Oncology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, she desperately wants to find better ways to cure her sick patients. But it’s 1969 and the odds aren’t in her favor.

Audrey is particularly interested in neuroblastoma, a cancer so aggressive that only 10% of pediatric patients survive, even after undergoing surgery and radiation. Determined to change those outcomes, Audrey pressures medical staff, shakes money out of a pharmaceutical company, and pushes through a study to test new a new chemotherapy protocol. That’s not all: Audrey also reaches out to the press to increase awareness of low research funding, sneaks into another hospital to search their patient records, and tries to buy a house for patients’ families to stay in during treatment. But then she goes too far – and puts all her efforts in jeopardy.

Audrey is a complex protagonist. Deeply empathetic and possessed of enviable energy and enthusiasm, she’s also pigheaded, single-minded, and insubordinate. Although the medical politics that constrain her research and slow her progress are maddening, I must admit to some sympathy for the hospital’s Surgeon-in-Chief (C. Everett Koop played by Clancy Brown). And, honestly, her deliberate flouting of basic research protocols could actually be dangerous. Natalie Dormer does a fine job portraying Dr. Evans in all her complexity, and making sure we sympathize with her determination to save her pediatric patients. Even when she behaves recklessly, she never loses our sympathy.

Audrey’s Children should appeal to fans of medical dramas, biopics, or scientific history, and anyone who likes their movies clean. The cherry on top of this feel-good movie is that it’s almost completely devoid of negative content. There’s some period-appropriate smoking, a bit of social drinking, and some blood in a medical context. If there’s any minor profanity, it slipped right past me – but there isn’t any major cussing.

Adults and teens who want to learn more about a victory in the long battle against cancer will enjoy this well-told tale. And viewers of any age who want to watch a film that celebrates persistence, teamwork, compassion, dedication, and just plain hard work will find much to appreciate in Audrey’s Children.

Directed by Ami Canaan Mann. Starring Natalie Dormer, Clancy Brown, Jimmi Simpson. Running time: 110 minutes. Theatrical release March 28, 2025. Updated

Watch the trailer for Audrey’s Children

Audrey’s Children
Rating & Content Info

Why is Audrey’s Children rated PG? Audrey’s Children is rated PG by the MPAA for thematic content, smoking and some language

Violence: There are surgery scenes with minimal blood. There are scenes of children receiving injections. There are scenes involving research on animals, including injections. A child dies on screen.
Sexual Content:   None
Profanity:
Alcohol / Drug Use:   An adult drinks alcohol at the end of the day and adults drink alcohol at a social event. Doctors and other adults smoke, as was common during the time period.

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Audrey’s Children Parents' Guide

You can learn more about the real life Dr. Audrey Evans below:

The New York Times: Dr. Audrey Evans, Cancer Specialist Who Gave Families a Home, Dies at 97

Wikipedia: Audrey Evans

The Ronald McDonald House charity she helped co-found is still a critical support for families with hospitalized children. You can learn more about this organization here.

 

Home Video

Related home video titles:

For another tale of trailblazing medical professionals, check out Joy, the story of the nurse and physicians who developed in vitro fertilization (IVF).

For a child’s perspective on life with leukemia – and a heartwarming story of community support – you can watch SpiderMable: A Real Life Superhero Story.

Cancer treatment in the 1950s is shown in Shadowlands, when Joy Gresham, wife of famous author C.S. Lewis, is diagnosed with bone cancer.