At the screening of his new movie The Son, Hugh tells PEOPLE that he made sure to speak with his kids about his involvement in the film.

"It's more my generation that is a little more introverted and nervous around it,"

'The Son,' which follows divorced parents Peter and Kate as they struggle to help their troubled teenage Son with

his mental health, was an "extremely emotional" project for him as his children are similarly aged.

"It's a cautioning tale, and it deals with some really difficult matters, and I'm really proud of them for the way they confronted with it," he says of his kids.