“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.”
I don’t cry at movies. Usually. It has to be quite a touching scene in order to shed a few tears. When I initially heard that a new Winnie the Pooh movie was on its way, I knew that I would experience an entire rollercoaster of emotions. However, I would have never thought that I would start crying from the very first minutes of the film. Recalling my feelings, I must admit that up until this moment, I’m not sure why I even burst into tears. Was it genuine happiness when I saw Pooh and all of his friends? Was it fear since I was aware of Christopher Robin’s upcoming departure? I’m inclined to believe that I was overwhelmed by both emotions.
The plot begins with a farewell party for Christopher, organized by the Hundred Acre Wood habitants. I wouldn’t say it’s a heart-rending part. On the contrary, the CGI characters reminded me of my own smaller plush toys and at the back of my head, I was already recollecting all of my dearest memories from my childhood. Even Christopher’s mentality and promises made me forget for a while that he would soon change and enter a new stage in life. When the party comes to an end, Pooh and the boy head off to their “Thotful Spot” and give their word that, whatever happens, they won’t forget each other.
Afterwards, the “frown smile” I had plastered on my face gradually disappeared as I watched the evolution of Christopher. There is plenty of unease when he arrives at his boarding school, far away from “his enchanted neighborhood of his childhood days”. Sadness occurs when he goes through his firsthand tragedy, represented by his father’s death. Then a few years pass by and we have Ewan McGregor portraying a more mature Christopher Robin. His encounter with his future wife, Evelyn (Hayley Atwell), lifts up your spirits and encourages you to have high hopes for a bright future. Unfortunately, though, there is a far harsher reality to endure.
Christopher turns into exactly the type of adult that I’ve always dreaded to become. He lands an awfully mundane job at a luggage company and barely has any free time for his wife and daughter, Madeline (Bronte Carmichael). In the words of Evelyn, “his life is happening right in front of him” and he doesn’t have the opportunity to fully enjoy it. His heart-breaking excuse Nothing comes from nothing made it crystal clear for me that I was supposed to put up with a lot of stubbornness from Christopher. It is even more painful to watch this transition when his younger self used to have innocent and sweet conversations with Pooh such as the following:
“Christopher: What I like best is just doing nothing.
Pooh: How do you do just nothing?
Christopher: Well, it’s when grown-ups ask, what are you going to do? And you say, nothing. And then you go out and do it.
Pooh: I like that! Let’s do it all the time.”
One weekend, Evelyn and Madeline head off to the countryside, to Christopher’s old house. Meanwhile, the exhausted protagonist needs to come up with a solution so as to save the company’s bottom line. His worryingly repetitive What to do? (covered with a well-executed British accent) is not left unanswered. The reply What to do, indeed (voiced by the lovely Jim Cummings) marks Pooh’s sudden appearance.
Perfect timing, I must say, although Christopher shifts into a major panic mode. He decides to take Pooh back in the Hundred Acre Wood, therefore they embark on a train ride to the countryside (the precise location Christopher couldn’t go to in the first place because of his workload). The man doesn’t treat Pooh with the same amount of kindness (even though he accepts to help him find his friends, as well). But to be honest, I didn’t even expect any other treatment after such a long time of slowly distancing from the simple joys of life.
Needless to say, Pooh doesn’t seem to be able to grasp the buzz of a big city like London. He even assumes that Christopher treats life with patience and gratitude. The bear of “very little brain” (as he calls himself) puts forward many thought-provoking questions (Is a briefcase more important than a balloon?), but eventually he gets on his old friend’s nerves. In a matter of seconds, Christopher makes his stuffed pal feel somehow ashamed of his curiosities and self-proclaimed title... and at the moment, I can’t come up with a more gut-wrenching source of anxiety.
Despite the fact that Disney movies are known to feature happy endings, Christopher’s journey will drive you to doubt your high expectations from him. Some might even wonder where all of his kindness has vanished. Is society part of the blame, with its damaging ideas imposed on the character? Couldn’t have Christopher been stronger? But then again, a reveal of his weaknesses and outbursts of stress is to be appreciated. It just shows the reality of our regular delusions. We can easily get caught up in work and forget about what it is undeniably precious. Now surely, this topic has been explored in thousands of books and movies. Is Christopher Robin any different? Well, it does stand out since A. A. Milne’s characters possess simple, yet propelling powers. They portray human emotions, after all, and can be considered unique symbols of an opportune childhood. (This is the most objective I can get, my apologies.)
Besides the defeat of our real-life Woozles, the uplifting family reunion (spot Christopher wearing clothes similar to his school uniform from 2011’s Winnie the Pooh)
and the much-needed personal redemption, I also loved three other elements.
1) Pooh is the only one to immediately recognize Christopher. When it comes to the other friends, the man has to carry an imaginary battle with a Heffalump and prove that he’s not a Heffalump himself. That is a fine-drawn touch to show how close Christopher and Pooh used to be.
2) The weather in the Hundred Acre Wood corresponds to Christopher’s overall feelings. Was it always this gloomy? introduces his perspective upon the colorless and fog-cloaked forest. It’s a discouraging return in such a disheartening substitute for the vibrant land. For me, it’s more of a signal that Christopher has lost his enthusiasm for everything. As soon as he gathers every single one of his friends, the woods come back to life right away.
3) The balloon. Oh, that lovely red balloon... Balloons have a special meaning for me, since I imagine them delivering kind and thoughtful words to people all over the world. This time, Christopher’s famous red balloon is carried out around by a hopeful and playful Pooh. It ends up in the hands of Madeline and it magically unveils her childish spirit, long forgotten because of the ridiculous amount of studying she has had to do.
If you don’t plan on watching Christopher Robin anytime soon, here’s my balloon for you, with the following message: Silly old guy / gal, go live your life. Pooh would want you to do so. And he’ll be watching you from his ‘Thotful Spot’, with a hunny jar next to him and a gentle smile hidden among the sticky fur.
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