Goodbye Christopher Robin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Goodbye Christopher Robin |
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British release poster
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| Directed by | Simon Curtis |
| Produced by |
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| Written by |
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| Starring | |
| Music by | Carter Burwell |
| Cinematography | Ben Smithard |
| Editing by | Victoria Boydell |
| Studio |
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| Distributed by | Fox Searchlight Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 20 September 2017 (Odeon Leicester Square) 29 September 2017 (UK) |
| Running time | 107 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | under $3 million |
| Money made | $7.2 million |
Goodbye Christopher Robin is a 2017 British movie that tells the true story of A. A. Milne, the person who created the famous Winnie-the-Pooh books. The film focuses on his life and his family, especially his son, Christopher Robin.
The movie was directed by Simon Curtis. The story was written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Simon Vaughan. It stars Domhnall Gleeson as A. A. Milne, Margot Robbie as his wife, and Kelly Macdonald as Christopher Robin's nanny. The film first came out in the United Kingdom on September 29, 2017.
Contents
The Story of Goodbye Christopher Robin
The film starts in 1941, during WWII. We see Alan Alexander Milne, who his family calls "Blue," and his wife Daphne get some worrying news. The story then goes back in time to 1916, during WWI, when Blue was a soldier fighting in a big battle called the Battle of the Somme.
After the war, Blue returns home to England. He often has flashbacks, which are sudden, strong memories of his scary experiences in the war. He and Daphne have a son, whom they name Christopher Robin Milne. They usually call him "Billy Moon." Daphne had hoped for a girl, so she was a little disappointed to have a boy.
They hire a nanny named Olive, whom Billy calls "Nou." Blue finds it hard to write again because he wants to write a strong message against war. So, the family moves to a house in the countryside with lots of woods. Daphne doesn't like the move and goes back to London for a while.
While Daphne is away, Olive also leaves to care for her sick mother. This leaves Blue and Billy alone. At first, Blue isn't sure what to do, but he starts taking Billy for walks in the woods. During these walks, Blue begins to make up stories for Billy. These stories are about Billy's adventures with his stuffed animals, which include a bear, a donkey, and a pig.
Blue invites his friend Ernest, who is an illustrator, to join them. Together, they start creating the famous Winnie-the-Pooh books. Daphne returns home after Blue sends her a poem he wrote, which she gets published. Olive also comes back after her mother passes away.
Once the Winnie-the-Pooh books become very popular, Daphne starts to manage their new fame. She arranges many public appearances for Billy, who is known as "Christopher Robin." Billy finds these events confusing and upsetting because he is just a child.
One day, Billy tells his parents that Olive has a boyfriend. Daphne feels upset by this and confronts Olive in an unkind way. Olive gets angry with Blue and Daphne. She decides to quit her job and tells them off for how they have been treating Billy. Blue then decides to stop writing about Billy and his imaginary friends. Olive leaves, and Billy's mother tells him not to cry.
Blue sends Billy to a boarding school. However, Billy is bullied at school because he is famous as "Christopher Robin." This makes him feel bitter towards his father. When World War II begins, Billy is first told he cannot join the army. But he insists that his father, who has important connections, help him join. Blue is horrified by war and doesn't want his son to go through what he did, but he helps Billy join. Billy leaves for the war, turning his back on his father and saying he doesn't want anything to do with the books or the money from them.
The movie shows the first scene again, explaining that Billy was reported missing in the war and was thought to have died. His parents share this sad news with Olive. But Billy survives and unexpectedly arrives back at the country house. This leads to emotional reunions with his parents and Olive. Blue and Billy finally make up. In the last scenes, they walk together through the woods, showing Billy as both a young child and a young man, highlighting their journey together.
Main Actors in the Film
- Domhnall Gleeson plays A. A. Milne
- Margot Robbie plays Daphne Milne, A. A. Milne's wife
- Kelly Macdonald plays Olive, Christopher Robin's nanny
- Will Tilston plays 8-year-old Christopher Robin Milne
- Alex Lawther plays 18-year-old Christopher Robin Milne
- Phoebe Waller-Bridge plays Mary Brown
- Vicki Pepperdine plays Betty
- Stephen Campbell Moore plays Ernest H. Shepard, the illustrator
- Richard McCabe plays Rupert
- Geraldine Somerville plays Lady O
Making the Movie
Work on this film started way back in 2010. Steve Christian, Nuala Quinn-Barton, and later Damian Jones were the producers. Simon Vaughan wrote the first version of the movie script.
In April 2016, there were talks about Domhnall Gleeson playing the role of A. A. Milne. By June 2016, it was confirmed that he and Margot Robbie would star in the film, with Margot playing Milne's wife, Daphne. Kelly Macdonald joined the cast later that month to play Olive, Christopher Robin's nanny.
Filming for Goodbye Christopher Robin began in September 2016.
Release and Awards
The film was released in the United Kingdom on September 29, 2017. It then came out in the United States on October 13, 2017.
Awards Received
The movie and its actors were nominated for, and won, some awards:
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) and nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
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| British Independent Film Awards | December 10, 2017 | Best Supporting Actress | Kelly Macdonald | Nominated | |
| Heartland Film Festival | November 20, 2017 | Truly Moving Picture Award | Goodbye Christopher Robin | Won | |
| Mill Valley Film Festival | October 16, 2017 | Audience Award — World Cinema | Won |
