Christopher Robin

Christopher Robin is a charming and poignant film, but it will be enjoyed much more if the viewer is a fan of Winnie the Pooh. While I don't remember reading A. A. Milne's stories as a child, I came to be an admirer in the adulthood, when I was able to appreciate the koans of the "silly old bear" and his friends.

The story of the film, written by a whole passel of writers, is somewhat trite, and recognizable from similar films like Mary Poppins and Hook. A young boy moves on from his childhood friends and becomes an office drone, ignoring his wife and child and pretty much living a miserable existence. Through a bit of magic, he is reunited with those friends, and regains some of his lost innocence and imagination. Because, as the saying goes, no one on their death bed regrets not spending more time at the office.

While not amazingly original, the film works because of Milne's characters. Unlike Goodbye, Christopher Robin, which was the true story of how the characters came to be, Christopher Robin doesn't mention Milne at all. The title character really does associate with walking, talking stuffed animals, and the Hundred-Acre Wood is a place reachable only by crawling through a tree, and becomes a magic land like Narnia or Oz.

Ewan McGregor is Christopher Robin, and he is terrific, playing the efficiency manager at a luggage company. In the climactic meeting with the bigwigs of the company, I was reminded of Mr. Banks facing the managers of his bank in Mary Poppins. He is wound tighter than a drum, but spending time with Pooh and Piglet and the rest loosens him up, and McGregor is able to convincingly show the years melting off of him. Playing his daughter is newcomer Bronte Carmichael, who gives a very accomplished performance for her age.

But the show is stolen by the voice actors. Jim Cummings, who has been the voice of Pooh for about thirty years now, is simply great as the bear, always wanting honey but exemplifying the best qualities of humanity (or bearhood, I guess). He also voices Tigger, sounding every bit like Paul Winchell. Getting the best lines, as usual is Ee-Yore, voiced by Brad Garrett. When asked how he is doing, the perpetually gloomy donkey says, "Don't get me started."

I'll admit I was teary-eyed at the end, and had some laughs. The best thing about Milne's work is that it always stressed enjoying playtime and being with one's friends (as well as rigorous politeness). They should be essential reading at bedtime for all children, and the adults can learn something too.