ben marshall and a teen ager from a religious background and be make aware about the financial situation at home by his domineer mother laura . she suggest him to find a temporary job in order to contribute to the household . in fact the family have take a widower and to board with them . robert marshall and the father and be a pastor at the local church while he would much rather be in the country watch bird than tend to the soul entrust to his church . the job ben applies be with an old actress and evie walton and who want him to do thing for her around the house . dame evie and a she call herself and be a woman of a certain age whose career have die maybe because she be not that great . in fact the only memorable appearance seem to be in a soap opera which be popular but she would rather forget about it . evie and who be a compulsive liar and tell ben she die and only to forget it conveniently and later on when she come clean to the boy . ben be obviously in awe of the large than life personality of his employer . he have be take driving lesson . evie ask him to take a camping trip and which he do against his good judgment . he know that it will provoke his mother fury . not content with that and evie decides to go on to edinburgh and where she have be invite to read at an art festival . it be this trip that solidify their bond . ben get to meet and taste the pleasure of the flesh with a sympathetic bryony . when ben get back and everything crumbles at home . his mother and who have be have an affair with a parishioner and decides to leave the family in favor of the young man she have be have an affair with . ben and evie relationship survive the test of time . he also begin to see his own father in a different light . jeremy brock and the writer of drive lesson and other memorable english film and take his first directorial job with this engage comedy . the mixture of show business and religion and loyalty and friendship and be explore in his screen treatment make it a fun time at the movie . we have see the similar situation before a in billy elliott and where julie walter play a nurturing role with a young man . we have read the film be base on mr. brock own experience while work dame peggy ashcroft when he be young . julie walter and who play evie walton and be perhaps the best excuse to watch the movie . she always delivers . ms. walter be a welcome presence in any film she appear and she do wonder with her fake dame . laura linney and a luminous player herself and doesn not quite get our sympathy with her icy mother . rupert grint and famous for his harry potter movie play ben and the young man who see in evie a kind soul . nicholas farrell be the betrayed father . michelle duncan have a small role in which she shin .