Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Directed by Sam Wood
Written by R.C. Sherriff, Claudine West, and Eric Maschwitz based on the book by James Hilton
1939/UK
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Mr. Chipping ‘Mr. Chips’: I thought I heard you saying it was a pity… pity I never had any children. But you’re wrong. I have. Thousands of them. Thousands of them… and all boys.[/box]
How in the heck did this classic miss the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die List?
Told primarily in flashback, the story follows the 60+ year career and life of Charles Chipping (Robert Donat), a Latin teacher at an old and prestigious English boys’ school (think Eton). The boys walk all over the timid, awkward Chipping and he responds by becoming a heartily disliked disciplinarian. Then, after he suffers a stinging career setback, a kindly German teacher (Paul Heinreid) takes him on a mountaineering expedition to Austria on holiday. Purely by chance, he meets Kathy (Greer Garson) and she changes his life.
For those of you who think I am developing a heart of stone, I have to report that I watched almost the entire movie through a veil of tears. Because I had seen it before, it didn’t take anything particularly sad to set me off. There is something about the British stiff upper lip that causes my own lip to start quivering. This is a beautiful film in every way and Robert Donat’s Best Actor Oscar was richly deserved in a year of great performances. I can’t imagine why this is not on The List and would encourage everyone to put it near the top of their own personal “to watch” pile.
Goodbye, Mr. Chips was also nominated in the categories of Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Sound Recording, and Best Film Editing.
Trailer
Time to revise the list. Another perfect movie from 1939. Recently, I revisited it. Robert Donat is wonderful, as always, and Greer Garson is a breath of fresh mountain air.
Such a wonderful movie. It’s stayed with me since yesterday.
1939 was a hell of a year. The Hunchback of Notre Dame, with a fantastic performance from Charles Laughton, is also not on the list.
Believe it or not, despite my name I only saw Goodbye Mr. Chips about a year ago. I liked it. I knew it was going to tug on the old heart strings ahead of time, but it still affected me some.
I’m pretty free with the old water works, but a movie has to have precisely the right pull to get them going. 1939 was a wonderful year. Even more remarkable, to me was the fact that Charles Laughton was not nominated for a Best Actor Oscar! He would have given Donat a run for his money. All I can figure is that the powers that be left him off because he had already won.