CRITICS MELT, WEEP FOR ‘ A MONSTER CALLS’:

Pack a handkerchief, as English actress Felicity Jones would say.

A Monster Calls left the crowd at Toronto International Film Festival in tears as they rose in a standing ovation after the film’s premiere Saturday afternoon. “It’s good, because we need to cry when we go to the cinema,” Jones told USA TODAY that morning. “Let it all out.”

Jones plays an ailing mother whose bullied 12- year- old son, Conor ( Lewis MacDougall), imagines a monster ( voiced by Liam Neeson) at his window when things get dire. “It’s a young boy trying to navigate becoming an adult,” said Jones. “And having to deal with life not making sense, and things not working out how you want them to. That’s something we all have to go through that makes us grown- ups.”

Neeson’s voice stars as the monster that only Conor sees. In these circumstances, often cast members never meet each other ( voice recordings are done separately). But Jones

says for A Monster Calls, “We had a read- through all together, very early on in London. It was very important to hear the script and to start to understand the rhythm of the story.” A Monster Calls hits theaters in 10 cities Dec. 23, qualifying it for Oscar nominations ( the film arrives in theaters everywhere Jan. 6). Meanwhile, Jones’ much- anticipated Rogue One: A Star Wars Story arrives Dec. 16. That month, “my social life is definitely on the down low for a bit,” Jones said with a laugh. “There’s going to be a lot of flying and a lot of talking.”

ALBERTO E. RODRIGUEZ, GETTY IMAGES Felicity Jones’ film was a monster hit.