Goodbye Christopher Robin

This sweet, well-acted biopic follows three stories about A.A. Milne: how PTSD turned him into a pacifist, how his marriage nearly fell apart, and how Winnie the Pooh was both a blessing and a curse. Fascinating if slightly uneven, the drama reveals the complicated backstory behind some of the most beloved children's books of all time. Gleeson plays Milne as an earnest, clever artist who's suffering from post-traumatic stress; he's unable to move past his nightmares about the war and his desire to write about the need for global peace. Meanwhile, Robbie's Daphne is a social butterfly who won't stand for "blubbing" and is resentful that Milne is too consumed with his anti-war stance to write something publishable. But the movie's emotional center is Macdonald as Billy's patient, beloved nanny -- and, of course, dimpled little Tilston as the adorable, teddy bear-loving Billy Moon.

The best part of the film is seeing Milne play with Billy Moon and the stuffed animals that directly led to the creation of the legendary adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood. The (brief) father-son interaction is full of joy, and little Billy's sweet observations and childhood wisdom make it obvious how much of the stories were inspired by the real Christopher Robin. But as the books become a phenomenon, the fictional bear creates distance between Milne and Billy and eventually leads to years of resentment (not to mention bullying). At times, the well-acted, lovingly shot story doesn't feel completely cohesive, because it's so preoccupied with Milne's triggers and it introduces the distracting issues in the Milnes' marriage. But overall it's a touching look at the unique circumstances that gave birth to Winnie the Pooh and his friends.