Watch A Song for Jenny

A Song for Jenny is a powerful drama based on a true story. It follows the experience of Julie Nicholson (played by Emily Watson), a mother dealing with the catastrophic loss of her daughter in the 7/7 London bombings of 2005. The film explores the themes of grief, family, community, and religion in the aftermath of a national tragedy.

Julie Nicholson is a church minister, and when her daughter Jenny goes missing after the bombings, she is filled with hope that she has survived. However, as the days pass, Jenny's absence becomes more and more unbearable. We watch as Julie struggles to come to terms with the reality of her daughter's death, wrestling with her faith and her own sense of purpose in the world.

The film shifts back and forth between different moments in Julie's life before and after the bombings, showing us the various relationships she had with her daughter, her husband, and her congregation. We see how her faith had been a source of strength and comfort for her, but now it seems to have failed her. We also learn about Jenny's life and her dreams and aspirations, making her loss all the more poignant.

As Julie's grief expands, she decides to take a break from her pastoral duties and travel to Cornwall to be alone with her thoughts. There, she is haunted by memories of her daughter and the moments leading up to her death. She is also plagued by guilt, feeling that she should have protected her daughter somehow. This isolation and self-doubt leads her to question everything she believes in.

Throughout the film, we see the ways in which the bombings affect not only Julie but also the entire community. There are scenes of people mourning and paying their respects to the victims, with touching moments of solidarity and compassion. We also see the confusion and fear that the attacks had on people, especially the Muslim population who were targeted with hate speech and discrimination.

One of the strengths of the film is the nuanced portrayal of Julie's struggles with faith. We see her anger and frustration with God, but we also see her seeking solace in prayer and meditation. She reaches out to a Muslim representative to build bridges between their communities and to try to understand the motivations behind the attacks. She also has a poignant interaction with a grieving Muslim father who lost his son in the bombings, showing the universality of loss and the need for empathy and compassion across cultural and religious divides.

The acting in the film is excellent, particularly Emily Watson's portrayal of a mother grappling with unimaginable grief. She captures the complexity of Julie's emotions, from her anger and despair to moments of hope and redemption. Ryan Coath and Nicola Wren are also strong in their supporting roles as Julie's husband and daughter, respectively.

Overall, A Song for Jenny is a heartbreaking and poignant film that takes us on a journey through the complexities of grief and loss. It is a tribute to the victims of the bombings and a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

A Song for Jenny is a 2015 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 17 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.0.