— by Kirsten Hawkes
PARENT PREVIEWS –
Making Media Entertainment An Easier Choice For Families
Christopher
Robin
PG
OVERALL RATING:
A+
WALT DISNEY PICTURES
Released on DVD:
November 6, 2018
VIOLENCE: (B) There is a brief combat scene when Christopher Robin serves in
the military in World War II. There are scenes of minor peril in the Hundred Acre
Wood. Christopher Robin loses his temper and shouts at Winnie the Pooh. A car
crashes in London but no one is hurt.
SEXUAL CONTENT: (A) A married couple kiss.
LANGUAGE: (A) None noted.
ALCOHOL /
DRUG USE: (A)
None noted.
For additional
information on this
film’s content, visit
www.parentpreviews.com
A
good family movie is free of
objectionable content, is eas-
ily 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. Christo-
pher Robin, Disney’s live action sequel to its
Winnie the Pooh animated classics, is an en-
chantingly wonderful family film.
The charm is apparent right from the
start, in a backstory revealed through ani-
mated book illustrations and live action
scenes of a young Christopher Robin (Or-
ton 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 pa-
thos 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 Lon-
don 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 mo-
ments 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 audi-
ence also loved the whimsical innocence of
Winnie the Pooh’s irresistible quotes. (My
personal favorite: “People say nothing is im-
possible. 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 ap-
peal of this warmhearted celebration of love,
loyalty, friendship, and family.
TALK ABOUT THE MOVIE WITH
YOUR FAMILY…
What are the most important things in
your life? How do you spend the bulk of your
time? Does this align with your priorities?
Why is it often so difficult to live according
to the things that matter the most to us?
HOME VIEWING OPTIONS:
Goodbye Christopher Robin dramatizes
the life of the real Milne family and some
of the trials the famous boy endured in his
childhood. The stuffed bear is the center of
attention in Many Adventures of Winnie the
Pooh.
LOVE THE MOVIE?
TRY THESE BOOKS:
If you want to enjoy the original Win-
nie the Pooh stories, look for The Complete
Tales and Poems of Winnie the Pooh. This
omnibus collection contains the books in
which A.A. Milne introduced the world to
Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh, and
the Hundred Acre Wood. The whimsical
illustrations by Ernest Shepard are also
included and add to the enchantment of the
original stories.
Another series about talking bears be-
gins with Paddington, wherein a little bear
from Darkest Peru sets out on an adventure
that lands him at London’s Paddington Sta-
tion. Michael Bond’s series has been loved
by children for over fifty years.
British author Jane Hissey has created
a marvelous series about talking toys. Be-
ginning with Old Bear, the story follows the
adventures of the toy box inhabitants, beau-
tifully illustrated with Jane Hissey’s pencil
crayon art.
For those children who simply can’t get
enough of talking animals in rural England,
Beatrix Potter’s timeless stories and tender
pictures are sure to be a hit. Her first pub-
lished book was The Tale of Peter Rabbit,
which was followed with hits like The Tai-
lor of Gloucester, The Tale of Squirrel Nut-
kin, The Tale of Jemima Puddleduck,, The
Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle and many others.
OFFICIAL SITE:
https://movies.disney.com/christopher-robin
December 2018 WNY Family 53