The movie is based on the adult Christopher Robin, played by Ewan McGregor, and his self-discovery in revisiting his life with Pooh and his friends. A working-class family man, Christopher Robin, encounters his childhood friend Winnie-the-Pooh, who helps him to rediscover the joys of life.
Some of us were familiar with the AA Milne stories around Christopher Robin and his friends, and it was fun to revisit the stories and poems during our discussion. Included was reading the poems Buckingham Palace and The King’s Breakfast.
It was good to see Christopher Robin’s friends, his stuffed toys, represented as stuffed toys rather than animated characters. This created a great contrast between the actors and the toys. Another contrast was between the business world and a balanced and joyful approach to life.
Another topic for discussion was the issue of sending children to boarding school – or other institutions; it was planned to send Christopher Robin’s daughter to boarding school.
Performances of the actors were good, with people enjoying the portrayal of Christopher Robin by Ewan McGregor, and of his boss, Giles Winslow, played by Mark Gatiss.
Our November movie will again be at BPACC to watch The Wife (screening from 25 October), starring Glenn Close and Jonathan Pryce. A wife questions her life choices as she travels to Stockholm with her husband, where he is slated to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. We will discuss the movie at our 14 November class.
Joy Shirley