An unexpected legacy and how fame stole a child's identity
Unlike the story of the happy bear Winnie The Pooh and his beloved friend Christopher Robin, Goodbye Christopher Robin is a gloomy-laden film that gives a rare glimpse of A.A Milne and his son’s relationship, as well as the events, people, and things that inspired the author.
After The World War I, one of the bloodiest war in human history, author A.A Milne (Domhnall Gleeson) returned home, shell-shocked and still haunted by the war. Although being a playwright, he was frustrated when he realized: “What’d we fight that war for? Nothing’s changed,” and found no purpose of continuing his job: “I’ve had enough of making people laugh. I want to make them see!”.
He then made the decision to move to the countryside with his wife Daphne de Sélincourt ( Margot Robbie) and their only son Christopher Robin (who was nicknamed Billy Moon), to find inner peace for his soul, however, he still could not write. His relationship with his son was fragile and distant back then. Not until his son’s dearest nanny and his self-indulgent wife Daphne left the house temporarily did he start to engage more with his son. He spent time playing with his son indoor and in the Hundred-Arce Wood. He also had the chance to meet his son stuffed menageries, which became his inspiration.
Billy Moon’s imagination and his father’s humor brought Winnie, Tigger, Eyeore to life. They had special names and became part of the family. Together A.A Miles and Billy explored the magic of The Hundred-Arce Wood and created a fascinating animal’s world. These father-son scenes are heartwarming and enchanted enough to melt your heart.
After the inspiration sparked, A.A Milne called his friend, Ernest H. Shepard (Stephen Campbell Moore), who was an illustration artist. The series of books about a cuddly bear and his gangs brought joy and happiness to British who were in agony by war.
As nanny Nou (Kelly Macdonald) told Billy: “After the war, there was so much sadness that hardly anyone could remember what happiness was like,”, “Then along came Winnie-the-Pooh, and it was like a tap. He just turned it on, and happiness came out.”
Before his son even realized, Winnie The Pooh became a global phenomenon, and Christopher Robin- the protagonist of the book, became a rising celebrity. He was never Billy Moon again. His happy childhood was taken away and replaced with public events, letter responses, even his playtime with his father disappeared. “Is there anywhere they haven’t heard about Winnie The Pooh? I want to go there.” He asked Nou, irritatedly. In real life, Christopher Robin wrote a book based on his life and recalled (cited in Kean 2017): “My father had got where he was by climbing on my infant shoulders, that he had filched from me my good name and had left me with nothing but the empty fame of being his son.”
A.A Milne realized the negative effect that fame had on his son. He vowed not to write any other books and claimed that soon Winnie The Pooh would be forgotten. But it was too late.
After the war, there was so much sadness that hardly anyone could remember what happiness was like”, “Then along came Winnie-the-Pooh, and it was like a tap. He just turned it on, and happiness came out.
James Beradinelli from Reelviews points out that:
“This is unfortunate because Alan’s relationship with Billy is grounded in this. He was damaged in World War I. He wrote to salve the wounds yet, in the end, that writing drove his son to enlist as a way of escape”.
Indeed, it was a tragic fact of the story. It is sad to know that Christopher Robin’s life was spoiled by his fictional counterpart.
In the ending scene, there was a reconciliation between Christopher Robin and his father. However, in real life, this did not happen. He did not maintain a good relationship with both of his parents for the rest of his life.
Goodbye Christopher Robin is touching and enchanted, at the same time, it was also poignant and heartbreaking. The movie gets hold of different storylines: war and peace, fame and its cost, father and son relationship. Distinctive as they seem, they blend well together and therefore make the movie suits vast audience.
Watch Goodbye Christopher Robin trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQq3aFSijRg (Fox Searchlight Pictures 2016)
Nat's Rating:
Reference:
Berardinelli, 2017, ‘Goodbye Christopher Robin (United Kingdom, 2017)’, Reelviews, blog post, 20 October, viewed 10 July 2018, <http://www.reelviews.net/reelviews/goodbye-christopher-robin>.
Gronvall A, 2017, ‘Goodbye Christopher Robin reveals the unhappy boy behind Winnie-the-Pooh’, Chicago Reader, 19 October, viewed 12 July, <https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/goodbye-christopher-robin-aa-milne-winnie-the-pooh/Content?oid=32697917>.
History Vs Hollywood, n.d, ‘GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN(2017)’, History Vs Hollywood, viewed 25 July 2018, <http://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/goodbye-christopher-robin/>.
Kean D, 2017, ‘AA Milne memoir shows Winnie-the-Pooh author longing to 'escape' his bear’, The Guardian, 12 September, viewed 10 July 2018, <https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/sep/12/aa-milne-memoir-shows-winnie-the-pooh-author-longing-to-escape-his-bear>.
Moss R, 2008, ‘Anh You’ll be a Man, My Son’, The NewYork Times, 20 April, viewed 31 July 2018, < https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/arts/television/20moss.html>.
Movie quote, 2017, ‘Goodbye Christopher Robin Best Quotes – ‘We’re writing a book and we’re having fun’ ’, Movie Quote, viewed 12 July 2018, <https://www.moviequotesandmore.com/goodbye-christopher-robin-best-quotes/>.
Schaefer S, 2017, ‘Goodbye Christopher Robin Review: A Bear of Very Little Happiness’, Screen Rant, 27 October, viewed 12 July, <https://screenrant.com/goodbye-christopher-robin-movie-reviews/>.
Wright R, 2017, ‘On Christopher Robin, War, and P.T.S.D.’, The New Yorker, 25 October, viewed 10 July 2018 <https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/on-christopher-robin-war-and-ptsd>.
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