FamilyDramaTV Movie

Goodbye, Mr. Chips

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.

Release Date : 2002-12-26

Language :

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : SMG Productions

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Mr. Chipping

Original Name : Martin Clunes

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kathie

Original Name : Victoria Hamilton

Gender : Female

Character Name : Max Staefel

Original Name : Conleth Hill

Gender : Male

Character Name : Wetherby

Original Name : John Wood

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ralston

Original Name : Patrick Malahide

Gender : Male

Character Name : Burnley

Original Name : David Horovitch

Gender : Male

Character Name : Metcalf

Original Name : Christopher Fulford

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young Rivers

Original Name : Harry Lloyd

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young Colley

Original Name : James Casey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Henshaw

Original Name : Tom Roberts

Gender : Male

Character Name : Alderdyce

Original Name : Rory Copus

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hawthorne

Original Name : James Byng

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young Sexton

Original Name : Joe Sowerbutts

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier Colley

Original Name : Henry Cavill

Gender : Male

Character Name : Forrester (uncredited)

Original Name : William Moseley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Callender Sr.

Original Name : Andrew T. Collins

Gender : Male

Reviews

Peter McGinn

@narrator56

2023-11-16

I had seen at least one version of this novel adapted for film, but I have always liked Martin Clunes so I wanted to watch this one. He does his usual stellar performance in the title role, and Victoria Hamilton, who stood out in Lark Rise to Candleford, is vivacious and perfect here as Kathie. The movie is perfectly fine, though I can’t say I will be drawn to watch it again in the future. As with To Serve Them All my Days, the story follows a long-serving school teacher who share the experience of seeing their graduates dying in a world war, as well as both having their wives die young. This movie comes off sad to me, even with his small victories in school policy and student progress, a feeling which might have been mitigated if he had been allowed to be married more than a couple of years. I suppose in most movies the hero triumphs over evil or danger; Mr. Chips settles for triumphing over boredom and sadness.