Atonement is a critically acclaimed, dramatic love story starring James McAvoy, Keira Knightly, Saroise Ronan, Romolo Garai, and Vanessa Redgrave. The movie, which begins in 1937 England, centers around a young girl's lie and how it affects two key people in her life. Brione Tallis (Ronan) has a secret crush on Robbie (McAvoy), who is the son of the family's groundskeeper. After catching Robbie and her older sister Cecilia (Knightley) making love, she names Robbie as the unknown assailant who rapes her cousin Lola (Juno Temple). Robbie is arrested and imprisoned due to the false accusation. Five years pass and now that Brione is an adult, she realizes the true consequence of her lie. Driven partly by guilt and shame, she joins England's nursing corps during WWII as a means of redemption. Brione is also faced with the very difficult task of finding both her estranged sister and Robbie -- and seeking their forgiveness.moreless