Goodbye, Mr. Chips (TV 2002)

In the later years of the nineteenth century Latin master Mr. Chipping is the mainstay of Brookfields boys boarding school, a good teacher and a kindly person but he is considered to be ... See full summary »

Director:

Stuart Orme

Writers:

James Hilton (novel), Frank Delaney,

Stars:

Martin Clunes, Victoria Hamilton, Conleth Hill

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Martin Clunes	...	Mr. Chipping
Victoria Hamilton	...	Kathie
Conleth Hill	...	Max Staefel
John Wood	...	Wetherby
Patrick Malahide	...	Ralston
David Horovitch	...	Burnley
Christopher Fulford	...	Metcalf
James Casey	...	Young Colley
Harry Lloyd	...	Young Rivers
Tom Roberts	...	Henshaw
Rory Copus	...	Alderdyce
James Byng	...	Hawthorne (as James Malcolm)
David Netherton	...	Rinehart
Joe Sowerbutts	...	Young Sexton
Hugh Sachs	...	Hotelier

Storyline

In the later years of the nineteenth century Latin master Mr. Chipping is the mainstay of Brookfields boys boarding school, a good teacher and a kindly person but he is considered to be married to the job so that it is a surprise when, on a walking holiday, he meets and marries the vivacious Kathie,who becomes his helpmate at the school but sadly pre-deceases him. Just before World War One insensitive new headmaster Ralston tries to edge Chipping out but the boys rally and Sir John Rivers, an old pupil of Chipping's and now head of the board of governors, invites him to stay and,when the war breaks out and Ralston joins up, Chipping becomes the new head. He is saddened by the waste of young lives in the pointless war and also by the death of his old friend and former German teacher Max, who had returned to his homeland to fight for Germany and he reminds the assembled boys that an individual's goodness is more important than their nationality. It is a sad day for all concerned when ...

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Plot Keywords:

school | headmaster | world war one | edwardian era | school assembly | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official PBS/Masterpiece Theatre website

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 October 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Adeus, Mr. Chips

Filming Locations:

Douai Abbey School, Reading, Berkshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Scottish Media Group (SMG)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Max Staefel: Distance lends enchantment to the view.

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Connections

Version of Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969)

User Reviews

Funny, touching, elegant and simple-almost perfect

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