Goodbye, Mr. Chips

This is one of the most interesting and touching dramas I have ever seen with stunning performances from all of the cast, especially Martin Clunes and Victoria Hamilton. I loved this drama to bits. I watched this on ITV a few nights ago and have to say that all of their dramas are spot on! Thankfully there were no Americans in the cast who could tone down this wonderful British programme!

Absolutely excellent! 10/10 !

I approached this re-re-remake of Goodbye Mr Chips with a great deal of skepticism. Surely, no filmmaker could hope to pry me loose from the unforgettable Robert Donat version.

Well, they didn't. But they did impress me far more than I expected. This version of the story succeeds surprisingly well, on several counts.

* Martin Clunes is truly astonishing in the part of Chips. He doesn't make me forget Robert Donat - but he does earn a place right alongside Donat. His performance is nuanced, evocative and impeccably believable. Ably taking the character from youth to old age, Clunes *is* Chips, in a way I would not have expected. Like Donat, Clunes *will* make you cry.

* Clunes is helped by a solid script. This rendition of the book gives us much more insight into conditions at the school. There's a frank look at elitism, bullying and antiquated teaching methods. We see in some detail how Chips and his wife stand for a more modern concept of education. There's no anachronistic moralizing in this - it's integral in revealing Chips' character, which is, first and always, the essence of the story.

* The modern production is not particularly stylish, but it does give us a better feeling of immersion than the old black and white Donat film can provide. We feel more connected to the school, and more involved with Chips' trials and frustrations, simply because they're presented through a more modern lens, in greater detail and scope.

Still, the movie does have two notable faults:

* Too much time is spent on World War I and its impact on the school. The movie's anti-war statements and historical perspective are absolutely valid and necessary, but they could have been presented more concisely. One particularly unlikely incident in the school's courtyard could easily have been omitted.

* The final sequence, showing Chips' in his old age, is also a bit longer than it might have been. Sometimes, less is more.

These relatively minor structural problems prevent me from giving this version of Goodbye Mr Chips a perfect 10 score. However, the movie is well worth seeing for its fine attention to historical detail, and for Clunes' resoundingly 10 out of 10 performance.

Considering how brilliant, regardless of how sentimental it is, the 1939 Robert Donat film was, this 2002 TV adaptation had a lot to live up to. What a wonderful surprise! I loved this version from beginning to end, it isn't as good as the Donat version, but as a TV drama it is almost perfect. The production values are excellent, elegant in style and gorgeous to look at. The music had a lovely sense of whimsy about it, and gave a gentle and relaxing feel. There were parts that made me laugh, such as the classroom scenes, but others that were very poignant, the ending especially. The scripting was mature and subtle and also I loved the simplicity of the story. The acting was exceptional from all involved. Martin Clunes is brilliant as Chips, maybe just lacking Donat's superiority, but it was still a performance of subtlety and made me smile and cry. Not to mention that his transition from an idealistic 20-something year old teacher to a wiser and gentler headmaster was very believable. Victoria Hamilton is positively luminous as Kathie, Patrick Malahide is excellent as Ralston and the boy actors also give surprisingly good performances if careful not to overshadow Clunes in what I consider one of his better performances. Of course the drama doesn't quite explore what made Chips such a great and inspirational teacher, yet it has a greater emphasis on the progressive aspects of education, that I found most appreciative. Overall, I loved it, just a joy to watch in general. 9/10 Bethany Cox

I would love to give this film 10/10, it was so totally amazing! The best version I've ever seen, let down only by the fact that it made me cry! Martin Clunes gives a fabulous performance, one of his best ever. From start to finish I couldn't tear my eyes from the screen. I can't wait to watch it again, can't recommend it highly enough! As I said, the only thing that lets the film down in my opinion is that its a tear-jerker. It's never a bad thing that a film can rise such strong emotions of joy, sadness or relief in you, but I hate it when I cry in films because I just feel so uncontrolled! If you don't love this film, I have to say I am utterly baffled. No scene is not compelling, no plot-line is not fascinating. All in all, if you don't like the film I really have to ask why!

This is a very good film; beautifully acted. Martin Clunes was exceptional as Mr. Chipping, playing the part from a young man to an eighty year old most sensitively. Indeed, all the actors in this film played their parts well. The make-up department also deserves some kudos for their part in the transformation in age of Martin Clunes. I had seen the original version and while generally I have found that re-makes fall well below the standard of the original, this one to me, was far superior. The whole atmosphere of the film gave me a breath of the era in which it was set, and indeed made me almost sorry at the end to find myself back in 2006! I would recommend this film to any discerning viewer, with the "warning" that they must watch it with open mind and not view it with Martin Clunes previous TV characters clouding their enjoyment.