van, the family begins to venture out further, even flying the van on a cargo plane to Spain. Teddy makes various improvements to his design over time and eventually Robin teams up with Dr Clement Aitken to produce more of the chairs. After observing a German hospital's prison-like confinement of their severely disabled patients, Robin then appears at a conference and appeals to doctors to treat their patients more humanely, drawing a standing ovation. Robin returns to his original hospital with more of Teddy's chairs and the rest of the patients in the ward leave with him. Years later, Robin begins to experience severe bleeding due to his extended time on the respirator and decides it is time to stop prolonging his life indefinitely. He discusses his decision with Dr. Aitken who advises that Diana and Jonathan cannot be involved. He holds a farewell party with his many friends. Sometime later, he instructs his family to leave and return to the house at precise times. Jonathan, now in his twenties, and Diana see Aitken driving away and return to the house. Fading, Robin expresses his love for both of them and dies, having transformed the lives of many others like him. Cast Production The Cavendishes' son, Jonathan Cavendish, who runs The Imaginarium production company with director Andy Serkis, commissioned writer William Nicholson to write the film's screenplay and is one of the producers of the film. He stated in an interview with London Evening Standard that in producing the film, he wanted to capture the "swashbuckling band of eccentrics" he knew in his childhood. Release In September 2016, Bleecker Street acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film. In February 2017, STXinternational acquired British distribution rights to the film. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2017. It was also screened at the Opening Night Gala at the BFI London Film Festival. It was released in the United States on October 13, 2017, and the United Kingdom on October 27, 2017. Reception Critical response Upon release, the film received generally mixed reviews. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 68% based on 168 reviews and a weighted average of 6.4/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Strong performances from Breathes well-matched leads help add an edge to a biopic that takes a decidedly heartwarming approach to its real-life