Review Summary: Pulls off a tricky balancing act of being saddening and uplifting at the same time, one of the year's most touching films.
Back in 2004, a little movie called Finding Neverland made its' way to the big screen. The Oscar-nominated flick highlighted how author J.M. Barrie received the vision to create the novel, Peter Pan. I watched it for the first time recently, and thought it was delightful, but not without some rough and saddening moments along the way. In 2013, Disney attempted to showcase the brightness and darkness behind the backstory of how Mary Poppins came to life. This was by giving us a look into the childhood of author P.L. Travers, in the fantastic Saving Mr. Banks.
Essentially, Goodbye Christopher Robin takes cues from both films. We see the positive and bittersweet background that went into bringing Winnie the Pooh to life, in addition to how it affected the childhood of Billy Moon (a.k.a. Christopher Robin Milne). But where it differs is through the tormented/unique past of A.A. Milne himself, played by Domhnall Gleeson (who played General Hux in Star Wars: The Force Awakens).
Gleeson, and the film itself, start out a little difficult to watch. The film also relies a little too heavily on facial close-ups, particularly in the first half. But, the movie starts to really kick into high gear once Billy and Milne begin to spend time together. This turns out to be the "therapy" he needs to try and overcome his PTSD from the horrid experience of World War I.
Gleeson does get better and better as the film progresses. By the time the film ends, we nearly burst into tears with him as he regrets the decisions he made as a father. Newcomer Will Tilston gives a heartbreaking performance as Billy, a little boy both loved and neglected. The standout of the whole film, however, is Kelly Macdonald (some may recognize her voice, she did Merida in Brave). She plays Olive (or as Billy calls her, "Nou"), the nanny of the household who shows love and kindness to Billy and his family. But, her performance is impressively versatile, with heart and soul both in uplifting and serious moments. Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad) plays A.A.'s wife, Daphne. She's convincing in her stern, misguided persona, even if she's not the best thing in the movie itself.
The scenes that inspire the Pooh stories are all fun to watch. It was nice to see the stuffed animals and real animals that inspired the characters, and they are given plenty of screentime (though I am baffled as to why Rabbit was completely absent). The setting and production design are absolutely lovely, with an English countryside that is both crisp and inviting. Carter Burwell's music score rises to the occasion. The pacing remains smooth sailing, and the film's story includes a few unexpected twists late in the game that are very well-executed and add more emotional bite and depth.
In the end, Goodbye Christopher Robin is both a biopic and a cautionary tale about family, fame and growing up. It pays tribute to a book series that helped bring joy to many during a contentious time, while also showing the tension it caused on the Milne family, and Billy's childhood.
It's not an easy film to watch. But, for every bittersweet stretch, director Simon Curtis wisely balances it out by bringing a few scenes of childlike whimsy that you can't help but smile at. And it's this combination of both charm and emotion that makes this film so fascinating. And one to see.
Score: 8.8/10
Content Concerns for Family Viewing: Goodbye Christopher Robin is rated PG for "thematic elements, some bullying, war images, and brief language". Relatively speaking from a content perspective, it fits the rating. But, I wouldn't recommend it for younger viewers. It's oftentimes sophisticated and very sad (the concept of PTSD isn't directly addressed, but the implications will be difficult for some to understand). We see a brief war scene early (and a few brief flashbacks), with some loud explosions and a few dead bodies shown in a couple of brief shots.
One scene shows Daphne screaming in child labor. Billy is wrestled violently to the ground briefly in one of A.A.'s PTSD flashbacks. Billy is also bullied by some private school boys repeatedly by being pushed down the stairs. Alcohol is seen a few times. Daphne leaves her family for a stretch of time, making her a bad role model of a parent. Billy does talk back sometimes. Single uses of "d**n" and "h*ll" and three uses of "oh g**".
