Disney's Christopher Robin (2018)

As I mentioned in my previous review of 2017's Goodbye Christopher Robin, A.A. Milne's series of children's novels were a substantial part of my childhood. However, I grew up more with Disney's version of the stories and came across the source material later on. While I admired Goodbye Christopher Robin for being relatable on a personal level, I liked Disney's Christopher Robin on a conceptual level in addition to being somewhat relatable. I found the concept of an adult Christopher being a bit jarring at first, since the first image that usually pops into mind is the character as a child. The film's overall premise is unprecedented, as this is something that has never been attempted in the history of Winnie the Pooh. (Yes, in Goodbye, we saw an adult Christopher, but that was only for a brief moment) It was a take on the concept that was fresh and new, and it was beautifully accomplished. Despite the tone being darker than one is used to with this franchise, it manages to take many of the right steps in achieving a solid result. For starters, it has the prolific Jim Cummings reprising his role of Pooh and Tigger. Additionally, it is littered with references to Christopher Robin's source material. Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, and Piglet are designed as stuffed animals, with an appearance hybridizing Disney's version and that of Christopher Robin's original stuffed animals. However, Rabbit and Owl were designed with a more realistic aesthetic, probably as a nod to the fact that A. A. Milne himself created them rather than his son.
 As a minor spoiler, the title sequence also contains some events in Christopher Robin's life that mirrored his actual counterpart, such as being sent to boarding school and serving in World War II afterwards, in addition to distancing himself from his plush animal friends. However, instead of resenting his father like what actually happened, the film takes an approach similar to the Robin Williams movie, Hook. Christopher Robin simply grows up, leaving the remnants of his childhood behind. Surprisingly, the beginning of the film portrays him similar to that of A. A. Milne himself, albeit to a lesser extent (this is a Disney film, after all). However, when Pooh and the gang re-enter his life, he slowly begins to rediscover his inner child and slowly begins to share his former life with his wife and daughter. Ewan McGregor once again nails his role as the title character, just as he did as he did with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Lumiere (has there ever been a bad role of his?). As mentioned previously, I found myself relating to this version of the character like I did in Goodbye; I am a total workaholic, and at times I have made decisions that involved choosing work over family and friends. After seeing this film, I have decided that when I am back in my hometown after graduating from college, I am going to spend more time with them and make up for any time that was lost. While it is alright to have a stable career and a dream to work for, one must never forget their loved ones, because the person could almost push them away in the process. I believe that if Christopher Robin never reunited with Pooh, he would have slowly lost everything that he held dear to him.
Overall, I would highly implore each and every one of you reading this post to see this movie! It is heartfelt, it brings on so many feelings, and its message is absolutely fantastic! You do not need to be a fan of Winnie the Pooh to enjoy it, it is a movie that is definitely for everyone; it will definitely resonate with you.

Goodbye Christopher Robin

Throughout my life, I have been intrigued by the works of Alan Alexander Milne, such as his famous stories of Winnie the Pooh and his son, Christopher Robin Milne (moreso the latter than the former). As a result, I was excited to learn from my friend Kyle that Fox Searchlight was in production of a film about A.A. Milne and the real Christopher Robin. However, before diving into the review I must give this disclaimer; if you grew up with the Disney adaptation of Milne's characters and their fictionalized version of Christopher Robin, then this movie may ruin your childhood. This film dives into topics such as A.A. Milne's PTSD from serving in World War I, along with the struggles Christopher Robin faced when his father essentially used him to propel his own success. After viewing this movie, I had a lesser amount of sympathy for one of my favorite childhood authors; however, I had more sympathy for his son and could relate to him on some levels. Like Christopher, I was put into the limelight with a short modeling career (which I admit was a tad overwhelming at times, while also being fun), and I was constantly bullied throughout my elementary and middle school years.
The story primarily focuses on its title character, and his role in the creation of his father's Winnie the Pooh. Us viewers are treated to Christopher's imaginative childhood, as he spends his days playing in the forest that served as the inspiration for Pooh's Hundred Acre Wood. We are shown the creation of the characters inspired by the child's stuffed animals given to him by his mother, how they received their names, along with A.A. Milne being inspired to write stories about his son (which sparks the main conflict of the story). Milne is portrayed as a struggling playwright returning from the horrors of war, struggling with multiple bouts of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. In staying true to his actual counterpart, he is a somewhat cold-hearted and distant individual due to his previous experiences. He seemed to care primarily about his work and little about his family, unless the situation was of some benefit to him. There was a reason I lost some respect for him (considering he is one of my favorite childhood authors), and that was his treatment of his son. Alan Milne and his wife essentially used poor Christopher Robin as a means of elevating their status, since the latter was also used as the protagonist of Winnie the Pooh (much to poor Christopher's later dismay).
The only thing young Christopher desired was to live like a normal child with a loving family, but unfortunately he was unwillingly thrust into the spotlight and consequently traumatized for the remainder of his life.
While I was viewing this film, my heart shattered seeing the poor child going through this at such a young age. Since he technically created these characters, he definitely deserved to express his opinions on his newfound stardom, and I applauded when he attempted to do so. He had every right to say no to his parents or refuse people prying into his personal life; under no circumstances should a child not be given a choice in being famous. If he was given that right when Winnie the Pooh rose in popularity, then he would not be bullied at boarding school and he would not try to distance himself from his parents in his later years. As much as I admittedly have a soft spot for the bear him and his father created, I can definitely say it was the bear that ruined his life. Christopher Robin was not in the wrong, but his parents definitely were.
While this film may not be a 100% accurate adaptation of the story of Winnie the Pooh, it captures the essence of the tale and nails it. Every member of this cast was on point with their roles, and managed to accurately portray their characters. I can definitely say the filmmakers did their research on the characters' historical counterparts, and made a beautiful film as a result. I would highly recommend this film if you are looking for a good biographical drama or curious about the life of A.A. Milne. For those that have experienced situations to Milne or Christopher Robin, you may find it as relatable as I did along with sympathizing with the characters. Now it begs the question as to how it stacks up with Disney's Christopher Robin film...