AUDREY'S CHILDREN stars Natalie Dormer as Dr. Audrey Evans, the oncologist whose staging system revolutionized how childhood cancers are treated. Before her work in the '70s, these cancers were handled with a sort of one-size-fits-all approach. The result of Evans' research was a categorization of cases, impacted by age, tumor location, length of time diagnosed with the disease and more. She advocated for more aggressive chemotherapy regiments, sometimes utilizing a combo of drugs. This wasn't a popular idea at the time, but given that era's survival rate for pediatric neuroblastoma patients was merely 10%, I think said situation couldn't hurt from tougher solutions. Nowadays, the survival rate's jumped up to over 80%.
Evans' work didn't just stop in the clinic; she recognized that a child's success with treatment depended on their family's ability to sustain the burden. If they couldn't afford the treatment or the housing required to be close to their kid, families would be forced to cut the help short. Unacceptable. As a result, Dr. Evans partnered with the Philadelphia Eagles football team and McDonald's to open the first Ronald McDonald Charity House.
Dr. Evans was indefatigable, which makes Dormer's portrayal that much more impressive. She's in almost every scene, carrying her gait with poise and purpose despite whatever setbacks. It's even a pain getting records with which to build a case study. Never mind trying to nab funding. Never mind having to look at nerve-shredded families in the eyes and update them on the state of their dying kids.
But the upside is that the lighting seems to be on Audrey's side. Canaan Mann and director of photography Jon Keng frame their characters against large, backlit windows, which suggest that, even in a dour-looking hospital, the sun and beauty of nature are desperate to break through, giving these kids hope. I mean, it can't ALL be up to Audrey, her full-faced smile and baby blue heels, right?
AUDREY'S CHILDREN premieres in theaters on March 28. Find showtimes here: https://www.audreyschildren.com/theaters---
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