The story revolves around famed author of “The Jungle Book” and vocal Britain supporter Rudyard Kipling who desperately wants to get his son Jack into the armed forces (even though he has poor eyesight). Kipling’s daughter and wife are against Rudyard’s actions, but he is determined to see his son go to war. Does Jack even want to go to war? Can he survive in battle? Can Rudyard deal with his conflicts about loving his family and his country?

“My Boy Jack” is about what you’d expect from a television historical dramatic movie, meaning that the acting is top notch, but the script leaves something to be desired. David Haig (who wrote the screenplay and starred as Rudyard) is certainly passionate about the material, and it shows in his role. The character of Rudyard is far and away the most fascinating aspect of the film. Of course, this is also problematic as Rudyard is given the most screen time. Since he hogs the film, we get to know relatively little about his son and family. Yes, Rudyard’s daughter is wonderfully played by the superstar-in waiting Carey Mulligan, but her character and several others are severely underdeveloped.

Now, I’m sure many readers out there are wondering about Daniel Radcliffe’s performance and I have to say I have a mixed reaction. Sure, he does a commendable job trying to break out of his Harry Potter role, but I don’t think he has developed the acting chops yet to pull off a role like this. He needs to stop acting like a uncertain, fragile young man and start playing more sophisticated characters. I will note, however, that his acting abilities are getting gradually better with each passing year. It will certainly be interesting to see where his career goes from here.

Extras include trailers for BBC Classics like the “Jane Austen Collection” and 6 minutes of deleted scenes. Also included on this DVD are 24 minutes of interviews with Daniel Radcliffe, David Haig, and Kim Cattrall in which they talk about their respective roles, the story, the time period, facts about the people, etc.