A mischievous girl accuses her older sister's lover of a crime he did not commit, only to find that her words have irrevocably and permanently changed the lives of all involved in a film that re-teams the filmmakers behind Pride Prejudice to adapt the best-selling 2002 novel by author Ian McEwan. The year is 1935, and as the summer heat takes hold, 13-year-old fledgling writer Briony Tallis watches her older sister, Cecilia (Keira Knightley), get undressed and go frolicking in the garden fountain on her family's country estate. The housekeeper's son, Robbie (James McAvoy), a childhood friend and recent Cambridge graduate, also witnesses the innocent act. When Robbie and Cecilia subsequently cross a particularly sensitive boundary and the scheming Briony accuses Robbie of an unspeakable transgression for which the boy is wholly innocent, the repercussions of her unfounded claim threaten to affect all three for decades to come. Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Genre: Romance
- Category Period Film, Romantic Epic
- Theme: Star-Crossed Lovers, Sibling Relationships, Servants and Employers, Miscarriage of Justice, Life on the Homefront, Innocence Lost, Betrayal
- Studio: Universal Studios
- Run Time: 02 hr 03 min
- Language: French, English, Spanish
- Subtitle Language: Spanish, French
- Picture Format: widescreen
- Format: DVD
- Release Date: March 18, 2008
- Lead Actor: Romola Garai, Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Vanessa Redgrave, Saoirse Ronan
- Supporting Actor: Wendy Nottingham, Webb. Bem, Bonnie Witney, Angel Witney, Tilly Vosburgh, Ben Harcourt, Jack Harcourt, John Normington, Jay Quinn, Richard Stacey, Matthew Forest, Vivienne Gibbs, Ryan Kiggell, Mark Holgate, Kelly Scott, Emily Thomson, Anna Singleton, Sarah Shaul, Bryony Reiss, Catherine Philps, Alice Orr-Ewing, Georgia Oakley, Katy Lawrence, Olivia Grant, Scarlett Dalton, Madeleine Crowe, Charlie Banks, Gina McKee, Paul Harper, Neil Maskell, Billy Seymour, Nick Bagnall, Johnny Harris, Jamie Beamish, Oliver Gilbert, Ian Bonar, Bronson Webb, Roger Evans, Alex Noodle, Paul Stocker, Tobias Menzies, Lionel Abelanski, Michel Vuillermoz, Nonso Anozie, Daniel Mays, Peter McNeil O'Connor, Leander Deeny, Peter Wight, Benedict Cumberbatch, Patrick Kennedy, Alfie Allen, Charlie Von Simson, Juno Temple, Harriet Walter, Julia Ann West, Brenda Blethyn, Allie MacKay, Jade Moulla, Michelle Duncan, Anthony Minghella, Jérémie Renier
- Director: Joe Wright
awards
- Awards: Academy Awards (1), Golden Globe Awards (1)
- Winner: Golden Globe Awards, Best Original Score, 2007, Dario Marianelli
- Winner: Academy Awards, Best Original Score, 2007, Dario Marianelli
- Nominations: Academy Awards (6), Golden Globe Awards (5)
- Nominee: Golden Globe Awards, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Pictur, 2007, Keira Knightley
- Nominee: Academy Awards, Best Cinematography, 2007, Seamus Mcgarvey
- Nominee: Academy Awards, Best Costume Design, 2007, Jacqueline Durran
- Nominee: Golden Globe Awards, Best Director, 2007, Joe Wright
- Nominee: Academy Awards, Best Supporting Actress, 2007, Saoirse Ronan
- Nominee: Golden Globe Awards, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Ro, 2007, Saoirse Ronan
- Nominee: Academy Awards, Best Adapted Screenplay, 2007, Christopher Hampton
- Nominee: Golden Globe Awards, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, 2007, James McAvoy
- Nominee: Golden Globe Awards, Best Screenplay, 2007, Christopher Hampton
- Nominee: Academy Awards, Best Art Direction, 2007, Katie Spencer, Sarah Greenwood
- Nominee: Academy Awards, Best Picture, 2007, Tim Bevan, Paul Webster, Eric Fellner
