Christmas Movie Review: ***^The Man Who Saved Christmas (2002)

 This is a made for TV movie feature released on TV  in 2002 and in DVD in 2008.  It tells the story of Alfred C. Gilbert (Jason Alexander) and his wife Mary Gilbert (Kelly Rowan). Gilbert has the dream of being a toy maker, but his special toy is not dong well, the erector set.  His wife suggests taking it out of the box so people can actually see them.  With that simple change the business takes off and they are quickly hopping off the shelves.  The business is one people want to work for with daycare and bonuses.

WWI comes along and things change.  Alfred's brother (Ari Cohen) is drafted, and Alfred is called to stop making toys and move to munitions and gas masks for the war effort.  The business prospers but no longer pays extra for overtime, nor bonuses nor are the able to provide for children.  Alfred's brother is missing in action.  What is worse is the government wants to cancel Christmas, and come up with a media campaign based on something Alfred said.  Alfred is backed into a corner, and comes across a dictophone message from his brother about Alfred being a dreamer.  

Alfred goes to Washington to petition to start making toys and to not cancel Christmas.  For this he was known as the man who saved Christmas.  His father (Ed Asner) supported him in this.  And the brother makes it home Christmas Day. 

Movie Review: ****Goodbye Christopher Robin (2017)

This movie tells the story of the relationship between Christopher Robin, and his father, the author of the children's books about Winnie the Pooh.  It is sandwiched around two wars WWI and WWII.  AA Milne, the father served in WWI and Christopher Robin served in WWII.  AA Milne (Domhnall Gleeson) was a playwright before WWI.  The war traumatized him so that he had difficulty finding peace, and as a result the "fled" to the countryside.  He had lost his enthusiasm to right, but found it again when he was left to care for Christopher for several weeks.  Nannie (Kelly Macdonald) had left to attend to her sick mother.  His wife, Daphne (Margot Robbie) had left because he wasn't writing.  She returned to London.  His son's play and imagination provided the inspiration for the Winnie the Pooh stories.  He started writing poetry to go with the stories.  Christopher is portrayed by two actors, Will Tilston (young) and Alex Lawther as a young man.
The tragedy is that Christopher Robin was caught up in the publicity for the books.  In a way his childhood was put on display, and given to the world, whether Christopher wanted to share or no.  Being a public figure was not Christopher's choice, and as a result his childhood was stolen.  He became bitter, and enlisted in the military for WWII, against the wishes of his mother.  He could have been deferred for health reasons, but he insisted he be allowed to be his own person. 
He left bitter and mad at his father.  When his parents received notice of his death, it seemed that was the end.  Somehow the notice was wrong, he came back to let his father know that he had resolved the issues with his childhood.  Being in the world he was able to see the positive influence the Pooh stories had on other children.  He was glad to have been a part.

Movie Review: ****^War Horse (2011)

This is a fascinating movie, with fascinating scenes.  A farmer is finally able to purchase a horse, and though over priced it is able to help with plowing the fields.  The farmer's son (Jeremy Irvine) loves the horse, but a war intervenes.  The military takes the horse, and it is purchased by an officer.  In the meantime the son is also at war, in the infantry, at the front during WWI.  When the horse is separated from the calvary (they were ambushed) then it is put to use in different ways.  At one point, a kindly local family adopted the horse, and it was again working on a farm, and a farmer's daughter's pride and joy.  However it is confiscated by the military, and put to use pulling heavy loads.  This horse befriends a horse, and attempts to take the other horse's heavy loads.  In the end, the other horse dies.  There are a few fascinating scenes where the war horse is scared by a tank.  It bolts, heading for the front, where there is row upon row of barbed wire.  Barbed wire and a running horse do not mix.  There is a tragic result.  However two soldiers, one German and the other British go into no-man's land to rescue the horse.  The British soldier wins the right to take the horse back in a game of chance.  However the wounds are too severe to worry about saving the horse.  However, a wounded soldier recognizes the horse's whinnies, and calls the horse.  They are restored.  But the horse still is put up to bid in the end.  The country farmer purchases the horse, to honor his daughter who has died.  However when he discovers the soldiers love he gives the horse to the original soldier.  They are able to return home together.
Too much plot, but the scenes of the horse bolting were eerie and beautiful.  This movie is fascinating just watching the horse in this environment.

Movie Review: ***The Great Waldo Pepper (1975)

The Great Waldo Pepper stars Robert Redford as a WWI biplane pilot.  However Redford's problem is that he was held back as an instructor, and only getting into the action after the war is almost over.  He tells the story of fighting the great Ernst Kessler, as if it was himself when in actuality it was another pilot.   He gets injured doing stunts during the barnstorming era.  Frustration is his lot.  He returns to visit his girlfriend (Margot Kidder), a common landing place when he is injured.  He thinks to over come this by being the first to do an outside loop.  His brother-in-law builds him a plane for the attempt, however Waldo is grounded temporarily after a stunt goes wrong and a stunt woman falls to her death (Susan Surandon).  His partner attempts the stunt, and crashes.  Pepper tries to rescue him, but one of the spectators sets the partner on fire with a cigarette.  No one will help him extract his friend.  As his friend dies, Pepper becomes upset and takes to a plane to buzz the spectators and chase them away.  In doing this he crashes, and receives a permanent grounding.
However his flying days are not over.  He takes and assumed name, and becomes a stunt pilot.  As luck should have it, Kessler is hired as a consultant.  They take to the air, and without weapons, end the film with a dog fight.