Goodnight, Mister Tom (1998)

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Goodnight Mister Tom is so beautifully filmed and beautifully realised. It isn't completely faithful to the book, but does it have to be? No, not at all. John Thaw is mesmerising as Tom Oakley. His transformation from gruff to caring was so well realised, making it more believable than Scrooge in Christmas Carol. After Inspector Morse, this is Thaw's finest hour. He was matched earnestly by a young Nick Robinson, who gave a thoroughly convincing portrayal of an evacuee traumatised by the abusive relationship with his mother. The script and music made it worth the buy, and you also see Thaw playing the organ. Amazing! The most moving scene, was Willie finding out about Zak's death, and then Tom telling him about his deceased family who died of scarlatina. Buy this, you'll love it! 10/10 Bethany Cox

This is arguably John Thaw's finest performance where he successfully shakes off any traits of his Inspector Morse character and brings a perfect adaptation of Tom from the pages of the book to the TV screen. This is a well made production which maintains its family viewing vibe despite some very mature themes like the outbreak of the second world war and the physical abuse suffered by the child.However it is the relationship between Tom and young Willie that is the heart and soul of this story. It is touching and beautiful to see this bond between the young boy evacuated from London and the grumpy old man he is left with develop - a real grandfather/grandson connection.It is a pity that this story wasn't made with a bigger budget with a more established director as it belongs on the big screen, not shown once or twice every ten years on a Sunday afternoon. Given the right guidance, John Thaw would be celebrated the world over and bestowed with many awards for his brilliant performance in this movie. A great actor and a great role that should have been honored more than it was at the time.

Children - if you know any adults who don't read enough, please sit them down in front of this film and then give them the book by Michelle Magorian.It may seem like a paradox, but Goodnight Mister Tom, which is a wonderfully written, mature and complex book for children, is here turned into a more simplistic film for grown-ups.It is, I might add, a very good film. The book, as I recall, was loved by children at my old school - in a survey my friend did of the 11-12 year olds it was rated as the favourite book of a significant percentage. The film was recommended to me by at least two different adults. The difference being that the main character of the book is definitely William, a young evacuee, whereas in the film it seems more as if the main character is Tom Oakley, the man who takes William in. It therefore lacks the "coming of age" feel of the book, making the overall plot less subtle.But it is certainly beautifully made. Recently I saw my 80 year old aunty watching the film and reminiscing about the second world war - she felt the blitz was depicted brilliantly. The darkness of this story is captured well, being neither sentimental nor depressing. It instead seems simply truthful - war is terrible, and people can do terrible things, but there are also good people in this world. Magorian's plot pulls no punches, and this film is the same. I suspect the end of being deliberately tear-jerking... but I cried anyway (I won't give away the plot, but it is a happy ending!)

If John Thaw had never played "Morse", "Kavanagh", or starred in "The Sweeney" and other productions, he'd be remembered for this wonderfully unforgettable performance in "Goodnight Mr Tom".Superbly supported by an equally tremendous performance by his co-star (young Nick Robinson in his first role), and an unobtrusive cast, this adaptation of Michelle Magorian's charming novel is a fitting memorial to his art.When I read this story of an old widowed Norfolk countryman having to accommodate a young boy from London before and during the Blitz, I found a rather obvious time-line error in it, and credit must go to the makers of this film for rectifying this error. They also must be applauded for not over-sentimentalising the tale, and preventing what could have been turned, quite easily, into a mushy mess.If you keep a CD or video library then this feel-good made for TV movie is an absolute must inclusion.