Goodbye, Mr. Chips
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Movie Reviews of Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Movie Review: Another Fiction About The Blessed Isle
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a charming albeit unassuming PBS adaptation of James Hilton's charming albeit unassuming novel Goodbye Mr. Chips. This production has all of the usual Masterpiece Theatre trappings (fine actors in fine locations) but it fails to register much of a response from the viewer. Mr. Chipping is supposedly a man capable of inspiring many generations of students but this Mr. Chipping seems not to be entirely in touch with the world around him. In the classroom he appears to be somewhere between a run-of-the-mill teacher and pretty good one, and one who, on occasion, selects latin passages that resonate with the times (passages that have to do with empire, ethics, and war). But he does not seem to be a great teacher. His classroom is quiet with reverence because his students respect him but we never really see him engage his students minds. One outdoor bull session gets pretty lively but the argument is about a fairly flat topic: dead and living languages. Its not really until he marries that Chipping begins to come to life and under the influence of his much more assertive wife, he learns to be more assertive himself. The fact that men need women to provide them with balance and perspective is probably the most progressive point that this film makes. With Catherine as an ally, Chipping begins to chip away at the schools barbaric disciplinary practices & its exclusivity. But one thing that Mr. Chipping never outgrows is his belief in the social & intellectual hierarchies that govern the intellectual and the social world. Mr. Chipping may be a decent fellow who doesn't believe in corporal punishment and who does believe in offering scholarships to underprivileged students, but he's certainly not one to suggest any radical reforms or systemic changes. Mr. Chipping is the kind of reformer that respects tradition and works within the existing system; and as such he is a mildly effective piecemeal reformer and this makes for a mildly effective PBS Masterpiece Theatre production.Movie Review: A dumbed down version
Summary: 1 Stars
Immediately after watching this movie I watched the 1939 version with Robert Donat. I was struck by how much better the earlier version is than the modern version.
The 1939 version assumes that the viewers have some intelligence. This 2003 version is dumbed down by comparison. The earlier version has more depth, and far more historical accuracy. The characters not as flat and one-dimensional as in the modern movie, and the story is more complex. It's also more moving, despite (or perhaps because of) not having the excessive and sickly sentimentality of the modern version. The political correctness and didactic undertones of the modern version are stifling by comparison.
Chips has a strong character and a sense of humor in the old version, while in the latest version he comes across as dull and weak. Robert Donat is a better actor and far more believable in the role than Martin Clunes. Donat deservedly won an Oscar for his performance.
Another important point is that the boys in the 1939 movie are far more real, far more lively, and far more appealing than the over-aged actors of the latest version.
I strongly recommend the 1939 version rather than this version. It's both better and more enjoyable.
Movie Review: Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Summary: 1 Stars
I love the book, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, and was very excited to see that there was a newer TV version, as I hoped that it would stay closer to the story than other versions previously available. I was grossly disappointed with it. It should tell the story of Mr Chipping's life as he teaches at a boys' school in England leading up to World War I, and his gentle transformation from stagnation in his teaching style and life, to that of humor, compassion and a real bond of affection between himself and his pupils brought on by his unexpected marriage at the age of 40 to a fiery young woman of 20. Rather than this, it is a rather violent depiction of the worst kind of discipline and hierarchy possible in boys' schools during that era. It dose not tell Chip's story, it serves as a hobby-horse for some one wanting to tell someone else's story, and the plot is absurdly sensational and wildly dissimilar from that of the book. The acting of the many of the main characters is lacking in ease and often the viewer feels that the actors are speaking their lines rather than being the characters. I threw it away after watching it once. Make a cup of tea and read the book instead.Movie Review: goodbye Mr. Chips
Summary: 1 Stars
I ordered 2 CD's this one came cracked and did not play
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