Goodbye Christopher Robin Parent Guide

Like many children in the twentieth century, I grew up listening to the tales of Winnie the Pooh. The lovable Teddy Bear and his human companion Christopher Robin were a delight. For me, their adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood, beautifully illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard, and later adapted into animation by Walt Disney, the were fictitious. I was well into adulthood before I learned that the stories and poems were based on author A.A. Milne’s own son. That made the writing even more charming. But it appears that was not the case for the real family…

When Alan Alexander Milne (Domhnall Gleeson) returns to London after fighting in the “war to end all wars”, he is suffering from shellshock. (During his anxiety attacks we see flashbacks of the trenches full of dead and dying soldiers, and hear gunshots and explosions). His high-society wife Daphne (Margot Robbie) has little sympathy for his ailment, and doesn’t understand why he is having trouble resuming his former occupation as a successful playwright. Even the birth of their son (which Daphne claims almost kills her) doesn’t bring the man peace. Eventually, she reluctantly agrees to move to a quiet place in the countryside so Alan can resume his writing.

When that still doesn’t work, she heads back to the city alone with no promises of returning. As bad luck would have it, her departure coincides with the loss of the cook and a family emergency for the nanny (Kelly Macdonald). That leaves the depressed dad completely alone with his son (Will Tilston). After a few un-pleasantries, Alan rises to the responsibilities of caring for the child he barely knows.

The time the two spend together proves magical. Christopher Robin introduces his father to his playthings: a teddy bear named Winnie (after the famous bear from Winnipeg, Canada who lives in the London zoo), a stripped tiger, a dilapidated donkey and a tiny piglet. The pair and entourage take walks in the wood, play imagination games, and bond over their shared sense of loss. Alan is missing his wife, Christopher is longing for his nanny.

Suddenly, Alan has the inspiration to jot down a few lines. With thoughts filled of other such verse, Alan invites his friend Ernest Sheppard to come for a visit and makes some sketches of the young lad playing with his toys. On a whim, Alan sends a copy of one of the illustrated poems to Daphne – and she comes home. Soon there is enough for a whole book, a willing publisher, and before any of them realize it, a best seller.

However, this happy ending for writers’ block brings with it an entirely new set of problems. The public wants to meet the real Christopher Robin, and reporters start plaguing the young boy. The father has lots of work to do if he wants to keep the sensation going, even though he is troubled when the press wants to talk about his son instead of him. And Mom needs to accompany Dad when he attends to important people in important places.

Despite the reference to of one of the world’s most popular children’s characters in its title, this film is aimed at adults, not kids. Although the script takes some artistic license, it does accurately depict many issues that fame and fortune brought upon the Milnes’. It presents a sobering picture for parents who might also become blinded by career ambitions and financial stability—especially when those seemingly worthy goals are gained at the expense of building loving family relationships. Beautifully shot, with powerful performances, this real-life cautionary tale is a reminder that it is not childish to cherish the important aspects of childhood.

About author

Donna Gustafson

Donna Gustafson has been involved with her husband Rod's work since the beginning. Handling many of the behind-the-scenes tasks, she also creates preview pages for up-coming movies, acts as managing editor and occasionally writes reviews.