Goodnight Mister Tom (film)

Last updated

Goodnight Mister Tom
Goodnight-mister-tom.jpg
British DVD cover
Based on Goodnight Mister Tom
by Michelle Magorian
Written by Brian Finch [1]
Directed by Jack Gold
Starring John Thaw
Nick Robinson
Music by Carl Davis
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducerChris Burt
EditorJamie McCoan
Running time101 minutes
Production company Carlton Television
Original release
Network ITV
Release25 October 1998 (1998-10-25)

Goodnight Mister Tom is a 1998 film adaptation by Carlton Television of the novel of the same name by Michelle Magorian. The film was directed by Jack Gold, in his final film. The cast featured well-known British actors, including veteran actor John Thaw.

Contents

Plot

In September 1939, the United Kingdom declares war on Nazi Germany, and children are evacuated from London to the countryside for their safety. Tom Oakley, a lonely and bitter old man living in the countryside village of Little Weirwold, is forced to look after one of the evacuees, William "Willie" Beech. Tom has become reclusive after losing his wife and child to scarlet fever many years before, while Willie is a quiet young boy who comes from an abusive home and is apprehensive of Tom.

Despite initial difficulties combined with his reluctance to care for Willie, Tom later takes pity on Willie after learning about his abusive upbringing by discovering the leather belt his mother used to beat him, which he throws into the garden, and does his best to create a suitable home for Willie, such as providing him with new clothes and helping to educate him. Willie's new life with Tom eventually boosts his self-confidence and he opens up to Tom, looking up to him as a surrogate father figure. He also meets and becomes best friends with a Jewish boy, Zacharias "Zach" Wrench. However, shortly after Willie's tenth birthday, Tom receives a letter from Mrs. Beech, who claims to be ill and needs Willie back in London to look after her.

When Willie reunites with his mother, he discovers that she lied to get him to return and is completely fine. Willie also meets his baby half-sister, Trudy. Mrs. Beech claims she is a "present from Jesus", but Willie is too young and naïve to consider any other scenario. It is obvious, however, that Mrs. Beech has been made much more uneasy by the Blitz, and after an argument sparked by her discovery of the absence of the belt, she sends Willie to his room for the night. The next day, Mrs. Beech seems better after suffering a mental breakdown, but when Willie presents her with gifts that the locals from Little Weirwold had given him, and tells her about some of his friends, she accuses him of stealing and is angry he had been interacting with girls and Jews. She finally pummels him and eventually locks him in the cupboard under the stairs, accusing him of blasphemy after he tells her that Jesus was a Jew. Back in Little Weirwold, Tom starts missing Willie greatly. Initially, he thinks Willie has moved on from him, until he digs up the belt in the garden. Tom has an instinct that Willie is in danger, and travels to London with his dog, Sammy.

After spending the night in an air raid shelter, Tom enlists the help of an A.R.P. Warden, Ralph, to find Willie's address. They are informed by a neighbour, unaware that Willie has returned from evacuation, that Mrs. Beech has left. Sammy detects a strange smell from the house and Tom breaks the door down. Sammy leads Tom and Ralph to the cupboard under the stairs, which appears to be the source of a vile stench. They find Willie bloodied and battered, but still alive, and chained to the closet wall. He is also holding Trudy, who has died. Tom visits Willie in the hospital and meets Dr. Stelton, a child psychiatrist who works with a children's home in Sussex. Stelton wishes to take Willie to the children's home as he believes he needs psychiatric treatment, although he promises to attempt to trace any surviving relatives that Willie might have. It is during a discussion with Ralph that Tom learns about Willie's early childhood; Willie's father was a violent wife-beating alcoholic who choked to death on his own vomit. Tom decides that it would be best for Willie to return to Little Weirwold and kidnaps him from the hospital.

Willie gradually recovers from his injuries and reunites with Zach and the others. While speaking with Zach, Willie learns about the concept of sex, something his mother raised him to believe was "something dirty" and unacceptable, and realises that his mother herself had been having a relationship with another man, which resulted in the birth of Trudy. Eventually, Stelton and some social workers come to Tom's house with the news that Willie's mother has died by suicide. They intend to take Willie to the children's home, but Willie and Tom protest. Tom explains a bad dream that Willie has repeatedly been having regarding this exact event, and argues that he needs to be with someone who loves him.

Tom speaks alone with an official from the Home Office, Mr. Greenway, and persuades him that the only reason he wants Willie back is because he loves him like his own son and that Willie has clearly been happier with him than he ever was when he lived with his mother. Mr. Greenway accepts Tom's story and allows him to adopt Willie. Unfortunately, Willie's newfound happiness is cut short when Zach receives a phone call from his mother, saying that London's East End was bombed while his father was there, and he wants to see Zach one last time in case he dies. be: “Then Willie dreamt that he and Mr Tom slept in the air raid shelter. The next morning at breakfast Zach is then killed in another air raid, and the news devastates Willie, causing him to withdraw from everyone. Tom however, remembers how he felt when he lost his own family, and in order to stop Willie going down the same path he did, gives Willie a heartfelt speech that while a loved one may physically be gone, they will always live on inside his mind and heart, which can never be taken away.

Willie eventually overcomes his grief and teaches himself how to ride the bicycle Zach left behind. In the film's final scene, Willie rides the bicycle down the long hill and stops just in front of an impressed Tom, whom he addresses as "Dad" for the first time.

Cast

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Thaw</span> English actor (1942–2002)

John Edward Thaw, was an English actor in television, stage and cinema, best known for his starring role in the television series Inspector Morse as Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse and The Sweeney as Detective Inspector Jack Regan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicholas Lyndhurst</span> English actor (born 1961)

Nicholas Simon Lyndhurst is an English actor. He began his career as a child actor and became best known for his role as Rodney Trotter in the sitcom Only Fools and Horses (1981–2003). He also had major roles in other sitcoms including Goodnight Sweetheart, Going Straight (1978), Butterflies (1978–1983), The Two of Us (1986–1990), The Piglet Files (1990–1992) and After You've Gone (2007–2008). He starred in the comedy-drama series Rock & Chips (2010–2011) and co-starred in the procedural crime drama series New Tricks (2013–2015). In 2023, he was cast in the revival of the US sitcom Frasier.

<i>The Indian in the Cupboard</i> 1980 childrens fantasy novel

The Indian in the Cupboard is a low fantasy children's novel by the British writer Lynne Reid Banks. It was published in 1980 with illustrations by Robin Jacques (UK) and Brock Cole (US). It was later adapted as a 1995 children's film of the same name. Later books in the series were illustrated by Piers Sanford.

<i>Goodnight Mister Tom</i> 1981 childrens novel by Michelle Magorian

Goodnight Mister Tom is a children's novel by English author Michelle Magorian, published by Kestrel in 1981. Harper & Row published an American edition the same year. Set during World War II, it features a boy abused at home in London who is evacuated to the country at the outbreak of the war. In the care of Mister Tom, an elderly recluse, he experiences a new life of loving and care.

<i>My Dog Skip</i> (film) 2000 film

My Dog Skip is a 2000 American comedy-drama film, directed by Jay Russell and starring Frankie Muniz, Diane Lane, Luke Wilson, and Kevin Bacon, with narration by Harry Connick Jr. Based on the autobiographical book of the same name, the film tells the story of 9-year-old Willie Morris as he is given a Smooth Fox Terrier for his birthday and how the dog fundamentally changes several aspects of his life. My Dog Skip was released on March 3, 2000, by Warner Bros. and received generally positive reviews from critics. The film earned more than $35.5 million on a $4.5 million budget.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Halop</span> American actor (1920–1976)

William Halop was an American actor.

Michelle Magorian is an English author of children's books. She is best known for her first novel, Goodnight Mister Tom, which won the 1982 Guardian Prize for British children's books and has been adapted several times for screen or stage. Two other well-known works are Back Home and A Little Love Song. She resides in Petersfield, Hampshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Perrotta</span> American novelist

Thomas R. Perrotta is an American novelist and screenwriter best known for his novels Election (1998) and Little Children (2004), both of which were made into critically acclaimed, Academy Award-nominated films. Perrotta co-wrote the screenplay for the 2006 film version of Little Children with Todd Field, for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. He is also known for his novel The Leftovers (2011), which has been adapted into a TV series on HBO.

<i>The Tale of Samuel Whiskers or The Roly-Poly Pudding</i> Childrens book by Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Samuel Whiskers or The Roly-Poly Pudding is a children's book written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter and first published by Frederick Warne & Co. in October 1908 as The Roly-Poly Pudding. In 1926, it was re-published as The Tale of Samuel Whiskers. The book is dedicated to the author's fancy rat "Sammy" and tells of Tom Kitten's escape from two rats who plan to make him into a pudding. The tale was adapted to animation in 1993.

A Little Princess (1986–1987) is a six-part British-American mini-series, directed by Carol Wiseman, and starring Amelia Shankley as Sara Crewe and Maureen Lipman as Miss Minchin. It was popular in Europe and Japan.

<i>Street Scene</i> (opera) 1946 American opera by Kurt Weill (music), Langston Hughes (lyrics), and Elmer Rice (book)

Street Scene is an American opera by Kurt Weill (music), Langston Hughes (lyrics), and Elmer Rice (book). Written in 1946 and premiered in Philadelphia that year, Street Scene is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1929 play of the same name by Rice.

<i>The Magic Box</i> 1951 British drama film by John Boulting

The Magic Box is a 1951 British Technicolor biographical drama film directed by John Boulting. The film stars Robert Donat as William Friese-Greene, with numerous cameo appearances by performers such as Peter Ustinov and Laurence Olivier. It was produced by Ronald Neame and distributed by British Lion Film Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Fletcher</span> British television presenter

Justin Fletcher is an English actor, singer and television presenter appearing mainly on the BBC pre-school television channel CBeebies. Speaking and performing in various, often self-created, roles, he specialises in slapstick comedy and works with children with special educational needs through his show Something Special. Fletcher also appears as the comedian Mr Tumble.

Nick Robinson is an English actor who has appeared regularly on British television, most famously as William Beech in Goodnight Mister Tom, starring John Thaw. He also played the lead in the television series Harry and the Wrinklies based upon the book of the same name by Alan Temperley, produced by Scottish Television.

<i>Loves Unending Legacy</i> American TV series or program

Love's Unending Legacy is a 2007 made-for-television Christian drama film based on a series of books by Janette Oke. It originally aired on Hallmark Channel on April 7, 2007. It was directed by Mark Griffiths and stars Erin Cottrell. It is the fifth movie in an ongoing series that includes Love Comes Softly (2003), Love's Enduring Promise (2004), Love's Long Journey (2005), Love's Abiding Joy (2006), Love's Unfolding Dream (2007), and Love Takes Wing (2009), and Love Finds a Home (2009), as well as the 2011 prequels, Love Begins, Love's Everlasting Courage, and Love's Christmas Journey which fits part way through the movie series.

<i>The Little Sweep</i>

The Little Sweep, Op. 45, is an opera for children in three scenes by the English composer Benjamin Britten, with a libretto by Eric Crozier.

Goodnight Mister Tom is a 2011 play by David Wood, based on the 1981 children's novel of the same name by Michelle Magorian. The play earned the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment at the 2013 Laurence Olivier Awards.

<i>Clouds</i> (2020 film) 2020 film by Justin Baldoni

Clouds is a 2020 American biographical romantic musical drama teen film directed and produced by Justin Baldoni and written by Kara Holden from a story by Holden, Patrick Kopka, and Casey La Scala. It is based upon the memoir Fly a Little Higher: How God Answered a Mom's Small Prayer in a Big Way by Laura Sobiech. The film stars Fin Argus, Sabrina Carpenter, Madison Iseman, Neve Campbell, Tom Everett Scott, and Lil Rel Howery, and tells the story of Zach Sobiech, a teenager from Minnesota who has osteosarcoma, and decides to follow his dream of becoming a musician after finding out he is dying.

<i>Lego DC: Shazam!: Magic and Monsters</i> 2020 animated superhero film

Lego DC Shazam!: Magic and Monsters is a 2020 American animated superhero comedy film based on the DC Comics and Lego brands. The film is produced by DC Entertainment, The Lego Group and Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. It is the tenth Lego DC Comics film and was released on digital on April 28, and on Blu-ray and DVD on June 16, 2020. The film received positive reviews from critics, with praise for the humor and action.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Price (actor)</span> English actor

William Price is an English actor, known for portraying the role of Sid Sumner in the Channel 4 soap opera, Hollyoaks. Prior to joining Hollyoaks, Price appeared in various theatre productions including Goodnight Mister Tom and To Kill a Mockingbird. For his role as Sid, he was nominated for a National Television Award for Serial Drama Performance.

References

  1. "Brian Finch | BAFTA". bafta.org. 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2014.