Feat. The music of Florence + The Machine
“They say nothing is impossible. But I do nothing every day.”
A workaholic father, Christopher Robin, rediscovers the joys of life, after his childhood teddy bear, Winnie The Pooh, emerges from a willow tree outside his London home, and leads him on a journey across the English countryside.
Like Pooh to Christopher Robin, this movie was for me a perfectly unexpected and delightful surprise. The sort of experience that lifts the fog, chases away that little black rain cloud, vanquishes those mean heffalumps and woozles. If only for a night.
Pooh, and Christopher Robin are a juxtaposition of opposites. Pooh is a “bear of little brains,” who does little more than eat honey all day and wander around the forest with his head in the clouds. Christopher Robin is an intelligent and productive man. However, his work responsibilities are so immense that his wife and daughter feel neglected, and his soul languishes.
Pooh’s idyllic lifestyle seems preferable to the hustle and bustle of Christopher Robin’s. Still, neither character seems truly happy. Not without each other.
In one scene, Christopher Robin, worried about meeting deadlines, is on the verge of leaving his childhood friend for good. Resolutely, he walks away from Pooh outside his willow tree home in the forest. From the front door, placid, Pooh bear, says goodbye in his usual soft tone of voice. The scene is so sad. Yet, this scenario happens all the time in real life.
On the one hand, work is a noble and fulfilling enterprise. After all, someone has to make the world go ’round. On the other hand, work can be a perfect bane of relationships and happiness. Pooh bear can attest. And so can I for that matter.
There’s got to be a middle path between work and leisure. This film, through the differing philosophies of its two main characters, allows us to glimpse that middle way in our own lives, perhaps. If it doesn’t help you achieve work/life balance just yet, Christopher Robin is sure to make you smile. For, there is hope in the image of Pooh and Christopher Robbin sitting doing nothing together. Nothing but enjoying the pleasure of each other’s company. Their time together will be entirely forgotten, if you believe “nothing comes from nothing.” Yet, against the backdrop of today’s busy and brutal world, the ability to do nothing and be happy would seem to amount to a state of enlightenment. To be able to be still for a moment instead of flailing one’s arms to try and swim to the top of the same tank we are all drowning in… Maybe Pooh is right when he says that, “doing nothing often leads to the very best of something.” Especially when you do it with someone very special.
– E.F.
EFC 3.4 Soundtrack – “No Choir” by Florence + The Machine
Christopher Robin
Release Date: August 3rd (USA)
Rated: PG
Director: Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, The Kite Runner, Monster’s Ball)
Writers: Allison Schroeder (Hidden Figures), Tom McCarthy (Spotlight), Alex Ross Perry. Greg Book (Story By), Mark Steven Johnson (Story By). A.A. Milne (Characters), Ernest Shepard (Characters)
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, Bronte Carmichael, Jim Cummings, Brad Garrett, Nick Mohammed, Peter Capaldi, Sophie Okonedo, Sara Sheen, and Toby Jones
The Inside Out: Joy (34), Sadness (20), Fear (10), Disgust (10), Anger (4)
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Experience Film 
Hi E.F.
There may be some truth to the quote,“doing nothing often leads to the very best of something.” I have found some of my better designs come when I am sat quietly doing nothing much. Unfortunately most of the time I am also on my own when it happens as due to family needs my wife has to spend a lot of time away, so I don’t get to do the sharing bit much. I have to say though this post and subject brings back fond memories of watching “Winnie the Pooh and the Hunny Tree”!
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It is interesting to hear that some of your best saber designs originate from sitting and not doing much. This indeed sounds like proof that Pooh’s maxim is true! It’s almost as if the ideas come To YOu, right? Like fishing. You can’t brute force it.
This is how it goes with my best music video ideas too.
I’ve been lucky enough to share some time doing nothing with my girlfriend lately. I find she is the inspiration for my recent videos, but I need to be alone in order to actually MAke them. So maybe it’s necessary for your wife To be away in order to create your sabers.
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Hi, possibly but I think it is a case of the quiet enabling me to “quiet my mind” and I’m also usually tired so I have an idea but then don’t overthink it! I mention in my new post how overthinking can ruin a design.
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It really is something that I have seen happening a lot. Work, while of course totally necessary can sometimes make people forget the simple things at life. There are some people at my work for instance, who keep checking their work email even when they have a vacation. Ughhh…
It sounds like a wonderful film. I saw a trailer for it over on another blog earlier this week, and really though it looked truly amazing. And it’s got Haley Atwell in it…so that for me alone makes it a must watch. Great post! 😊
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Email is so distracting! I’ve gone to the other extreme – I never check. It actually causes me anxiety. It makes me unreliable though and I hate feeling that way so there are tradeoffs.
Haley Atwell – If you see this one, notice her facial expression when she waves goodbye to Christopher at the train station at the beginning. Its minimal. It conveys just enough sorrow, but more so authenticity – as if her character isn’t quite feeling sad and she’s not going to fake it. Or maybe she’s just being strong.
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I never check my work email on a vaction: as in never, not even for a single second. When I’m on vacation…i’m on vacation. And work totally isn’t important at that point.
Thanks for pointing that out for me, will keep my eyes out for that scene. I just think she is an amazing actress, and one that’s highly underrated in my opinion 😊
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