‘Goodbye Christopher Robin’
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Even though we attended the 9.15am final screening of ‘Goodbye Christopher Robin’, I’m very glad that we did.
While seemingly a behind the scenes story of AA Milne’s children’s book masterpiece, ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’, this film is much more, and most definitely not a film for an escapist family outing.
It is superbly acted, especially by Will Tilston, as the young Christopher Milne, and by Kelly Macdonald as Olive, Christopher’s nanny (the film’s heroine, whom I mistook for Kate Winslet).
Early on, the film focuses on the profoundly debilitating effect of the Great War, on AA Milne, and on his consequent preoccupation with eradicating war, much like slavery, as he suggests. The main storyline concerns his son Christopher, who is the inspiration for the book, and who is actively involved in its promotion. That the book is a story that Christopher believes is being written for him, but turns out to be about him, is largely responsible for the dark side of the story – the disastrous effect of the publication on Christopher, and on his relationship with his parents.
Of the many significant themes explored in this film, those that particularly resonated with me were, the relationship between parents and children, the strong emotional bond between upper class English men and their nannies, boarding school, detached mothering, and the futility of war.
Holding all this together is the glorious music score and serene countryside setting.
In spite of the ludicrous screening time, I am glad I saw ‘Goodbye Christopher Robin’, a film that I know will long stay with me, rather than a dazzling Hollywood blockbuster, that I would have forgotten by the time we got home.
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