Atonement

"Torn apart by betrayal. Separated by war. Bound by love."

Jan 11 2008 R 2h 3m
Drama, Mystery, Romance

As a 13-year-old, fledgling writer Briony Tallis irrevocably changes the course of several lives when she accuses her older sister's lover of a crime he did not commit.

Plot

When Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan), thirteen-years-old and an aspiring writer, sees her older sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley) and Robbie Turner (James McAvoy) at the fountain in front of the family estate, she misinterprets what is happening, thus setting into motion a series of misunderstandings and a childish pique that will have lasting repercussions for all of them. Robbie is the son of a family servant toward whom the family has always been kind. They paid for his time at Cambridge and now he plans on going to medical school. After the fountain incident, Briony reads a letter intended for Cecilia and concludes that Robbie is a deviant. When her cousin Lola (Juno Temple) is raped, she tells the Police that it was Robbie she saw committing the deed.

Written by

Ian McEwan, Christopher Hampton

Directed by

Joe Wright

Production Countries

United States of America, France, United Kingdom

Production Companies

Focus Features, StudioCanal, Working Title Films, Relativity Media, Universal Pictures

Languages

Français, English

Awards

Won 1 Oscar. 52 wins & 150 nominations total

Scores
# of Votes
311,435
Average Rating
7.8 out of 10
Metascore
85
Popularity
NA