Goodnight Mister Tom [DVD] [1998]

I've lost track of the number of times I've watched this dvd; to me, it's the most delightful of all stories and I've read the book a number of times as well. It tells the tale of a small boy living in London, terrified by his vicious mother who treats him appallingly and beats him regularly, until war breaks out and he is evacuated to the country. He finds himself placed in the home of an elderly man, a widower who has no idea of how to treat children, and at first the little boy is frightened as he expects to be treated as he was at home. But as the days pass, he realises that the old man is kind and gentle, and they form a wonderful relationship. Half way through the film the boy's mother demands that he returns home, and his life changes back again. I won't say any more as I don't want to spoil the story, but it's a truly wonderful film, absolutely brilliantly acted and one you'll find yourself wanting to watch again and again.

A great movie .

Now 86 years of age, I can vividly recall my life as a young boy in rural Sussex during the early years of World War 2. This brilliant TV film portrays the relationship of a lonely widower in his sixties, Tom Oakley, and a sensitive ten year old evacuee, Willie Beech, during the early years of the War. The late John Thaw gives an amazing and refreshing performance as 'Mister Tom' while Nick Robinson provides a memorable portrayal of the physically abused young boy from inner London who finds himself in a rural village of an England which has largely disappeared. It is a love story with a difference - a tale of an innocent wartime relationship between a widower who has lost both his wife and infant son and a young boy from inner London who has been physically and mentally abused by his mother and her twisted understanding of the Christian faith. If you have tears, prepare to shed them when watching this brilliant TV film - you will never see a more convincing portrayal of true love - against a background of rural England at a time of war. Here we see another side to the late John Thaw - a gentle and caring individual, alone with his faithful border collie but one who is still grieving the loss of both his wife and young son while he was away serving in World War 1. And Nick Robinson gives the performance of a lifetime as the timid evacuee, Willie Beech. This is truly an outstanding film and a fitting tribute to the late John Thaw. Make sure you don't miss it.

Arrived well packaged a very good DVD with an outstanding performance by John Thaw. Would recommend.

Great Movie ! I was raised in an English Village as a small child during WW 2 and can relate to many things in this film ...... I was about 6 yrs old in 1944 and all I ever knew was War and its implications ( to a child it seemed a normal way of life as I knew no other ! ) The German bombers passed over us all the time on their way to bomb the industrial Midlands and when the air raid siren sounded I was hustled out of a deep childs sleep and into a shelter night after night . Of course I did not understand it all and it appeared quite normal . BUT.........for reasons beyond me I am glad I was around at that time , for it was a time of unity for all and this only happens when everyone is in the same boat . Although I was small I remember VERY WELL some of the stories that happened during that time in my life , very very clearly , you don't forget stuff like that ever ..... Oh and as a point of lighter relief the scene where the young lad was learning to ride a bike was something I related to entirely. I was quite a bit younger than our movie hero and my father was in the Navy fighting for freedom , so my mother tried to help me ride this little old bike she had managed to buy second hand . One day she let me go with a push and bingo I rode a way before falling off , but very happy never the less. For the next several hours I rode around the village falling off numerous times with arms and legs well blooded , but I didn't card I could ride. I have many little stories I could tell , but do not think many people would find them of interest. The film is very well acted and took me back a lifetime with its content . I liked it very much , I hope you do . I rate it five stars and highly recommend it . R.F.W. SoCal .

Good film

DVD arrived well packaged and in pristine condition. Well worth the money

A lovely story with lesson for youngsters about life in WW2 and how people become hardened by loss, but also showed kindness to each other. The quality on the Blu-ray is pretty good considering - sharper than you'd get from a DVD. However, the story has been badly edited with bits cut out from the original, which I saw on television, and I think this is to the detriment of the story. The scene where Mr Tom 'kidnaps' the boy from the hospital has been shortened, so while you see him take a wheel chair, you then see him outside carrying the boy - quite a lot missing. More importantly, the scenes where the boy is reticent about holding a baby have been cut out. In the original I think he backs off in the first visit, and only holds the baby on a later visit. Here everything happens in one short scene! I was thinking of showing this to my grand-daughter aged five, but several scenes might be a problem or too harrowing. Will leave it a few years.

Alles Gut

This is an old BBC non theatre movie believe. I remembered from when I was young. Although the format and picture is dated. Such a nice story. A message of kindness and stoicism that is never shown in modern movies. John Thaw gives good performance.

Tenero,coinvolgente.Due anime fragili,distrutte dalla vita si incontrano,vivono la difficoltà' dell'incontro e riescono a comprendersi,ad amarsi.ma perché' film così belli non si trovano in Italia?

Un film extraordinaire que je peux maintenant regarder à volonté! En plus il y a des superbes pistes sur la deuxième guerre mondiale à suivre avec mes élèves en cours de langue.

Very good film