Metropolitan, liberal critics cannot seem to find it in themselves to praise Son of Rambow, the work of writer and director Garth Jennings. The film focuses on the suburban upbringing of two boys in the 1980s; it’s as if these critics can’t stomach that anyone from a modest background could have a happy childhood in the Thatcher years. Newsnight regular Paul Morley scoffed, “Not everyone’s childhood was like that”. True. Not all children, sadly, took adventures in the countryside.

But though the setting of the film may not have invoked memories with all audience members, the behaviour of the protagonists would have been universally familiar: the desire to escape monotony and authority, to be free to explore and create. As well as what is often forgotten by today’s risk-averse adults convinced youngsters have to be wrapped up in cotton wool: the remarkable resilience of children.

The two boys- one a mummy’s boy from a modest and strictly religious background, the other a school tearaway who lives with his insensitive brother- form a unique, touching friendship and decide to film stunts for a kid’s version of Rambo. Skinny, feeble Will Proudfoot (Bill Milner) is plummeted 12ft in the air, drops into a river when he can’t even swim, and lands into a tub of oil after a car crash. Yet he still remains dorkishly enthusiastic, which is both hilarious and sweet, showing that risk can be healthy for children. And, in the end, he becomes as popular as the mini-Russell Brand, metrosexual French exchange sixth former Didier (Jules Sitruk), pupils flocking like sheep to take part in his film. He’s the underdog who finds happiness, enough to make even the stoniest of hearts falter.

The duo cut their hands to become blood brothers; bully Lee Carter (Will Poulter) saves drowning Will; Carter returns Will’s late father’s watch which he initially stole; and, to top it all off, Will adds the finishing touches to their film after Carter gets hospitalised and they fall out, and shows it to his best friend in the local cinema, with a special guest appearance from Carter’s older brother who apologises for being so heartless. The film is, admittedly, close to being overly soppy. The director conforms to the limp, overly-sentimental Britfilms that have populated the Big Screen this decade- About a Boy and Love Actually to name a few. However, the film does overturn the assumption of urbanites- that suburbia and rural life is boring and austere. Rather, it is full of colourful characters and fun things to do.

Reviewers are united in their belief that this film is about the consequences of fatherlessness. Well, I’m not so sure. The narrative about absent dads is doom and gloom. This is an optimistic film: children cope with what they have, generate happiness- sometimes with the most peculiar of friends- even when family life is far from perfect.

Anxiety about children’s safety and happiness is prolific. Hence the newly created Department for ‘Children’, Schools and Families. So the film arrives at an apt moment, reminding us that children are surprisingly tough, able to find joy even in the hardest of times. Sometimes it’s best to just let them set their own course without the wagging finger of an adult who apparently knows best. You’ll be amazed with just how much they can withstand, and how much they can achieve.