Testament of Youth

Synopsis

Spring 1914. Young Vera Brittain (Alicia Vikander) is an avid reader who wants to be a writer. Ambitious, she plans to take exams to gain entry to Oxford, but her conservative parents (Emily Watson, Dominic West) are dead set against it, preferring her to stay at home and play piano, as other young ladies of her stature do until they become betrothed.

Vera is encouraged by her brother Edward (Taron Egerton) and his prep-school friends, particularly dashing Roland Leighton (Kit Harington), who also wants to be a writer. Vera is accepted to Oxford, but before she can enroll, war is declared.

Edward and Roland enlist, leaving Vera to head off to Oxford alone. Missing the boys and wanting to help the war effort, she soon leaves school to volunteer as a nurse.

Cast

Alicia Vikander, Kit Harington, Taron Egerton, Emily Watson, Hayley Atwell, Colin Morgan, Joanna Scanlan, Anna Chancellor, Alexandra Roach, Dominic West, Miranda Richardson