Customer Reviews
It Does The Book Justice - By: jennifer aston, 15 Aug 2008 
This film truley is amazing, i love how Tom starts out seemingly old & grumpy but this young boy turns him in to a big softie reallly :P . I also feel for Willam when he turns up at Toms doorstep you reallly see the fear in his eyes of being left with & old scary man whos like a giant, its shows how so many evacuated children must have when they were reallly just left in the middle of nowhere with strangers, you see Willam & Tom blossom John Thaw is at his best & reallly makes the character shine through also the young actor who plays william does an amazing job watch this film its amazing ( also willams mother is Monica out of Shameless :))
THE best story in the WORLD!!!!!!!!! - By: S. Schofield, 06 Jul 2008 William Beech is evacuated to a smalll village callled Little Weirwold during the Second World War. He is placed with Tom Oakley, a widower who has kept himself to himself for the last 40 years since his wife & child died. Both do each other more good than they can begin to imagine. But their happiness is shattered when Tom recieves a letter from Williams mother, who wishes her son to return to London immediately....
This production was first shown on TV in 1998, & since then it has been repeated numerous times (particularly on ITV3).
I first read the book when I was only 10, & absolutely LOVED it. So when I heard that it had been dramatised, I had to watch it. I was not disappointed. Every thing about it is fantastic. John Thaw & Nick Robinson play Tom & William brilliantly.
The only criticism I can give it is that it was too short; a lot of the story had to be cut out & that meant that there wasn't as much of my favourite character (Zach) as there could have been.
amazing - fact. - By: Ms. F. I. Macdonald, 16 Jun 2008 
i always remember this film. I first watched it on an awful quality VHS at my grandma's eight years ago, & so jumped at the chance of owning it on lovely DVD format!! All the feelings of how much i loved it came back the second i put it in the drive & i sat, mesmorised at 3 in the morning, remembering how it had made me feel alll those years ago. A reallly emotional & powerful trip down memory lane, & a lovely performance by John Thaw, playing the stern but gently loveable Mr Tom. A treat for anyone who has or had a grandparent that was evacuated in the war.
The best of family wartime drama - By: Ms. S. C. Bidwell, 20 Apr 2008 It's not often that it can be said that a TV adaption does justice to the book it was based upon, but this production of Michelle Magorian's novel of the same name is every bit as wonderful, moving & enjoyable.
Upon the outbreak of WWII, nine year old evacuee Willy Beech is uprooted from his grimy London existance & the abuse of his dubiously religious, mentallly ill mother, to the countryside & placed in the reluctant care of gruff widower Tom Oakley.
Neither of them realise how much their lives will be changed by this. Slowly, Willy breaks through Tom's stern exterior, bringing enrichment & happiness to a man whose embittered grief over the loss of his own family had kept him at arms' length from his friends & neighbours for many years. Meanwhile, Willy himself makes friends for the first time in his life & begins to grow confident, educated & happy under Mister Tom's patient guidance.
But even in this faraway rural outpost, the effects of the war take their toll, & this budding father-son relationship is threatened when Willy learns his mother is ill & wants him back with her in London. When Tom does not hear from Willy, he begins to worry & undertakes a journey to London to try & discover Willy- only to find his fears for Willy's welfare confirmed. Soon a twist in events threaten to keep them apart for good, & only Tom's fatherly devotion & patience can help Willy overcome his dreadful ordeal.
Goodnight Mister Tom is a wonderfully heartwarming & at times humerous adaptation, casted beautifully, with a stellar performance from the late John Thaw as Mister Tom. Goodnight Mister Tom perfectly captures the wartime spirit of friendship & solidarity, where individual grief & triumph is felt by alll & hope, humour & kindness will be the healing agent of a war-torn community. Five stars.
Prime family drama that will be enjoyed by alll ages.
Watch the programme then read the book - By: Jane Belcher, 28 Mar 2008 I was read Goodnight Mister Tom by my top junior teacher & i can still remember it. I have since re-read the book many times because of the wonderful story. When i heard that they were making a programme, i was a little worried (they always leave stuff out.) But when i saw this TV adaption i was overjoyed. John Thaw plays Mister Tom fantasticallly & that is why he is one of the best British Actors!The makers of this programme stayed as true to the book as possible & showed the life of evacuees. It is a little rose-tinted i agree, but you soon forge about that when you are introduced to Willy & the relationship & bon he builds up with Mister Tom. I love the book & I love the programme - it is a must for everyone.
