As a kid, my favorite show was Winnie the Pooh. I pretty much grew up with the bear, wearing dresses, watching the movies, playing with the toy sets and stuffed animals. The Hundred Acre Wood is one of my must-sees at Disneyland.
I went to the cinema to see Christopher Robin, which stars Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, and Jim Cummings as the voice of Pooh. I will say it right now: this movie made me bawl my eyes out…in a good way.
Christopher Robin has grown up to be a husband, father, and diligent efficiency manager at a luggage company. He has shaved off his childhood curiosity and desire to play. He is all about numbers, history, and facts in the post-war world of London. He is placed on a time-sensitive task to save the company money without laying off his coworkers.
Meanwhile, in the Hundred Acre Wood, Pooh is living his life as magical bears do. He becomes concerned when his friends go missing and journeys to the real world to seek the help of Christopher Robin. Christopher Robin is startled to find Pooh in London and hastily travels to the summer cottage in Sussex to return him home. Pooh reminds Christopher Robin his friends are still missing so Christopher reluctantly goes back to the Hundred Acre Wood to find his former pals. There, he remember what is what like being a child. That is, until reality hits and he is late for his presentation at the luggage factory.
I love that the producers had Jim Cummings reprise his role as Winnie the Pooh. For adults like myself who grew up with Winnie the Pooh, Cummings’ voice added a deeper layer of nostalgia and giddiness. I loved that the film had the catch phrases and motions of the characters. From Tigger’s theme song to Pooh’s morning stretch to Christopher Robin’s “100-99” conversation with Pooh, it was a lovely trip down memory lane instead of same old same old. Now, the character who I believed stole the show was Eeyore. His cynical view of the world, his skepticism, and his droopy face was hilarious. He definitely helped in mellowing down the over-optimistic characters from becoming too corny (“Hello ‘Evelyn, my wife'”).
The film is sweet and hits you with a punch of nostalgia. As I said, this film made me bawl my eyes out. It is a film that I genuinely can relate to as I am on my own journey exploring adulthood and shaving off the childlike wonder. I remembered my own childhood and how simple everything was, how fun it was. Adulthood is much more complicated, and sometimes, much more lonely. You prioritize things in your mind to the point it does not make sense. You look in the mirror and sometimes, you don’t recognize yourself. You come to face the fact that the impossible is simple that.
The film reminds you you need to stop and remember who you are. That you don’t need to surround yourself in work, numbers, logic and facts every second of every day. There is time to play and to wonder and for family.
Zelly & Ol' Hem's 