'Christopher Robin' Review

I will start by saying that I was raised on Winnie the Pooh stories. With that said, I’ve been looking forward to this movie since I first heard about it months ago, prepared to bawl my eyes out. I cried when I saw the trailer for the first time, if that gives you any idea of the kind of person I am. Not only do I love Winnie the Pooh, I also love Ewan McGregor, who plays a grown-up Christopher Robin in the film, so it's a film that was really just Made For Crying.

The moment the familiar Disney castle animation turned into an illustration in the style of the original Pooh books, I started crying. Honestly, I wish that was a joke, but I cried through the entire introduction of the movie. It was phenomenal and so immensely nostalgic, seeing and hearing those characters again. Throughout the movie there are moments when the original Pooh music will play, and it just gave me chills. It made me remember these deep nostalgic feelings, it was so truly like being a kid again.

Aside from the fact that the sentimental value of the movie was so good it made me want to be 4-years-old again, the movie itself is still fantastic. I went in so unsure of what was going to happen plot-wise with Christopher Robin all grown up.

And this is vague information but I’m trying to be spoiler free!

It follows how Christopher loses his boyishness and rediscovers the charm of childhood and innocence. Not only does he have to discover this for the sake of his child, whose life parallels his own when he was her age, but he must do it for himself. As an adult now myself, watching this story was so incredibly important to me.

As the audience, seeing something so nostalgic means to a certain extent, we are discovering—or rediscovering—our childhood along with Christopher. It’s not a Mary Poppins style story of a father realizing his family has more value than his work so he quits his job, but where a man realizes that something that is childish isn’t necessarily wrong. He does value his family, he knows they’re more important than his job—but how does losing his job help them. Instead he reconnects to his creativity, to vitality and childhood to realize not everything is straightforward.

The movie is phenomenal and holds such an important message on the balance of work and family, on the things that truly matter. But seeing the way it was represented, with such nostalgic and familiar characters, means the film means so much more. It’s sentimental.

Ewan McGregor is, of course, phenomenal, and I can’t imagine anyone else in the role. His portrayal both of a distant business man and a kind-hearted father is inspiring. Hayley Atwell is a wonderful support to this, for though she is much less driving in the plot, she carries the sentimentality and empathy of the film. Bronte Carmichael, who plays Christopher’s daughter Madeline Robin, beautifully portrays the character in a manner reminiscent of Matilda.

The movie is sweet and heartfelt and absolutely amazing. It’s nostalgic and well done and meaningful. It’s truly a wonderful feel good movie for the end of summer.

What was most important about the film to me was the parallel of audience to story. Not only was it immersive, but it was compelling. Rediscovering childhood feelings and nostalgia side by side with Christopher Robin was what made the movie meaningful.