Christopher Robin Parent Guide

A good family movie is free of objectionable content, is easily understood and enjoyed by children, and provides some entertainment for adults. A great family movie transcends these criteria: it becomes more than the sum of its parts, transporting both children and adults into the very heart of its story. In short, it has the quality of enchantment. Christopher Robin, Disney’s live action sequel to its Winnie the Pooh animated classics, is an enchantingly wonderful family film.

The charm is apparent right from the start, in a backstory revealed through animated book illustrations and live action scenes of a young Christopher Robin (Orton O’Brien) playing with his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood. These moments are almost palpably drenched in nostalgia – a warm golden glow with just a touch of pathos brought on by Christopher Robin’s impending departure for boarding school. Adult viewers can all predict what comes next: Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) grows up, goes to war, gets a job, and forgets the Wood and his friends.

As the plot begins in earnest, Christopher Robin is a workaholic middle manager with a wife (Hayley Atwell) he barely sees and a daughter (Bronte Carmichael) he is grooming for the same kind of “success”. Then a crisis at work forces him to miss a promised family getaway in the country. Says his boss (Mark Gatiss), as he insists Christopher Robin work through the weekend, “Dreams don’t come for free. You have to work for them. Nothing comes from nothing.”

Fortunately for Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh (voiced by Jim Cummings) is facing his own problems and comes to London seeking his help. Comic mayhem ensues and Christopher Robin winds up back in the Hundred Acre Wood where he reunites with his childhood friends and has the chance to find his way once more.

Christopher Robin is eminently watchable for moviegoers of all ages. The only content concerns are a few moments of minor peril that may frighten very sensitive youngsters.The story is sweet and tender, with lots of gentle humor which had both adults and children frequently laughing out loud in the preview I attended. The audience also loved the whimsical innocence of Winnie the Pooh’s irresistible quotes. (My personal favorite: “People say nothing is impossible. But I do nothing every day.”)

More cynical viewers may complain that the plot is unrealistic and predictable. After all, only a “silly old bear” would have trouble figuring out where this film is headed. And tired parents who struggle with the very real challenge of providing for their children and spending time with them might roll their eyes at the simplistic solution shown here. (If they’re not too busy wiping away tears…) But only a “bear of very little brain” and even smaller heart could be insensitive to the appeal of this warmhearted celebration of love, loyalty, friendship, and family.