Onwards and Sideways

Set in North Norfolk, this comedy-drama follows the lives of Tony Evans, a primary school deputy head, and Emma Dretzin, a composer and pianist raising two daughters as a single parent. Though they are strangers, their paths cross after they both receive a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease on the same morning, an event that alters the direction of their lives.

The film was directed by John Madden, marking the 14th production in his career following 2022's Operation Mincemeat. The screenplay was written by Paul Mayhew-Archer, and the movie was produced by John Gore and Hilary Bevan Jones. The lead roles are played by Rhys Ifans as Tony and Laura Linney as Emma. Produced in the United Kingdom, the project involved production companies including the BBC, BBC One, Hilltop Screen, and John Gore Studios. This production has a total runtime of 110 minutes.