When The Bough Breaks

Lily is a devoted mother who balances a demanding job as a shopgirl with caring for her newborn. She initially refuses to sign away Jimmy’s future through a formal adoption, instead seeking to raise him under her own name. Her determination and evolving circumstances drive the story as she navigates love, duty, and practical choices.

Jimmy is the infant at the center of the dispute who grows up within the Norman home but is legally Lily’s son. He experiences two families and forms a sense of belonging with both, until the custody decision tests which home will truly be his. His loyalties and comfort with the Normans influence the emotional stakes of the story.

Frances is a middle-class wife who bonds with Jimmy at the day nursery after losing her own child. She and her husband provide a warm, comfortable home and care for Jimmy, shaping his early upbringing. Her empathy fuels the legal and emotional conflict over Jimmy’s future while subtly challenging Lily’s position.

Robert Norman is Frances’s husband, a steady, supportive figure who welcomes Jimmy into a conventional household. He embodies the Norman family’s stability and care as the child’s guardian during his early years. He provides a counterpoint to Lily’s independent approach in the custody dispute.

Bill is a kind shopkeeper who marries Lily and accepts Jimmy as his own son. He offers emotional steadiness and practical support, recognizing the challenges Jimmy faces adjusting to a new family. His love for Lily and Jimmy underscores the film’s theme of chosen family.

The judge presides over the custody case, representing the legal framework that weighs parental rights and the child's best interests. He embodies the formal, procedural side of family law and the tension between law and personal attachment in choosing a family.