Goodnight, Mister Tom

I'm in agreement with all the other posts here. I just watched the Inspector Morse mystery with the Masons and realized there were several programs I had seen the late Mr. Thaw in that weren't Morse, so I decided to recognize them as well.

This was one of them. It has been quite a while since I viewed it, but it left a lasting impression.

Thaw always gave the impression that he could be out-argued no matter what, then he would deliver a performance that showed he was on top of what was going on.

This was a good one. Would love to see it again. It has been a while.

Keep an eye out for it if it comes on again.

A truly wonderful film, with superb acting all round. The story was very engrossing and held me spellbound. Just loved everything about it, so much so that I've ordered the video and the book! Couldn't imagine another actor to play Tom Oakley. John Thaw WAS Mister Tom.

The plot of GOODNIGHT MR TOM on paper makes it seem we are in for a large dose of maudlin,sickly sentiment.But,talented director Jack Gold is an expert on touching the emotions in the right manner,and it emerges instead as a compelling,deeply moving wartime drama with excellent production and lead performances.One of the best,if not the best TV movies of the 1990's which possibly would've had even greater success if it had been released in the cinemas.

The evacuation of children to countryside towns and villages in World War II was of course a common practice,but in the case of the young boy here was doubly important because of a wretched home life in the UK's capital.The horrors of war on the home front are not drifted over though,and the construction of the film until it's throat-lumping,misty-eyed ending leaves us with a sense of optimism despite what has happened before.It is almost(but not quite)worthy of comparison with the finale to IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE(1946).All in all,a modern classic.

This film has been on my wish list for ten years and I only recently found it on DVD when my partner's grandson was given it. He watched it at and was thrilled to learn that it was about my generation - born in 1930 and evacuated in 1939 and he wanted to know more about it - and me. Luckily I borrowed it from him and watched it on my own and I cried all through it. Not only did it capture the emotions, the class distinction, the hardship and the warmth of human relationships of those years (as well as the cruelties (spoken and unspoken); but it was accurate! I am also a bit of an anorak when it comes to ARP uniforms, ambulances (LCC) in the right colour (white) and all the impedimenta of the management of bomb sites and the work of the Heavy Rescue Brigades. I couldn't fault any of this from my memories, and the sandbagged Anderson shelter and the WVS canteens brought it all back. The difference between the relatively unspoiled life in the village and war-torn London was also sharply presented I re-lived 1939/40 and my own evacuation from London with this production! I know Jack Gold's work, of course, and one would expect no more from him than this meticulous detail; but it went far beyond the accurate representation of the facts and touched deep chords about human responses and the only half-uttered value judgements of those years. It was certainly one of the great high spots in John Thaw's acting career and of Gold's direction and deserves to be better known. It is a magnificent film and I have already ordered a couple of copies to send to friends.

This is a very moving story which tugs at the heart strings. The acting is flawless and the story is compelling.

Full of surprises which will keep you glued to the screen until the very last moment.