Goodbye Christopher Robin shows the origin story of the infamous Winnie-the-Pooh stories and the hardships British author A.A Milne faced. The real-life story behind the books isn’t as innocent as it seem it would.

The movie takes place in a post-war England, A.A. Milne (played by Domhnall Gleeson) who served in the first World War and as a result, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, moves his family from noisy London to the mellow countryside. His wife Daphne de Sélincour Milne (Margot Robbie), a London socialite, urges Milne to pursue in what gives him ‘happiness’ rather than handle the trauma that comes from war.

He finds inspiration to write stories based on his son’s toys and teddy beaR. From a young boy’s imagination, the “Hundred Acre Woods” and friendly, cuddly characters came to life; based on the woods near where young Christopher Robin lived by and his toys.

The film stars Domhnall Gleeson, Margot Robbie, Kelly Macdonald, Will Tilston, and Alex Lawther. Newcomer Will Tilston did well for his first major role, even though any boy could have acted the role. Domhnall Gleeson makes a notable A.A Milne as he has flashbacks and a closed-off look in his expression. Every role Australian actress Margot Robbie takes are different from the feisty stockbroker’s wife, Naomi Lapaglia, to the psychotic villain Harley Quinn, yet she excels at them. Robbie portrays the distant mother and self-centered wife of A.A. Milne, Daphne Milne, befittingly for how she must have be like. It was refreshing to see a nurturing, tender character which was the nanny, Olive, played by Kelly Macdonald, yet her departure was upsetting for she was only one who seemed to care.

The behavior and actions for the time was natural, despite our beliefs today where parents shouldn’t neglect their child or ‘sell’ them out. It was common for parents to leave a child with a nanny in order to go on ‘holiday.’ The movie overall is quite confusing and bittersweet, but that was the author’s life and how the period’s atmosphere was. But if you can easily get over the confusing plotlines, then you can enjoy this movie, especially if you are a fan of the “Winnie the Pooh” series.