Stars: Martin Clunes, Victoria Hamilton, Conleth Hill, John Wood, Patrick Malahide

Director: Stuart Orme

Summary: A former headmaster of a private boys' school looks over his life remembering pupils and colleagues but, above all, the courtship and marriage that transformed his life.

Martin Clunes slips into the famous role of Mr. Chips in this latest adaptation based on the classic novel by James Hilton. The film sees Mr. Chips takes a nostalgic look back on his lengthy teaching career, the pupils he had taught and the woman who changed his life.

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The first film adaptation of James Hilton's British school saga, Goodbye Mr Chipsis a genuine Hollywood classic. Despite competition from Gone with the Wind, The Four Feathersand The Wizard of Oz(all 1939) the film won a Best Actor Oscar for Robert Donat and six further major nominations. Donat, who had previously starred in Hilton adaptation Knight Without Armour(1937), is superb as a beloved public-school Latin teacher in an episodic tale spanning 1870-1933. From initially incompetent young teacher, he meets his wife (well played by Greer Garson) during an extended idyll in Austria, only to endure the horror of former pupils becoming victims of the Great War.

Though studio-bound and sentimental by current standards, Goodbye Mr Chipscontains great warmth and humanity, and is eventually extremely moving. There is an excellent score by Richard Addinsell, and the evocation of the tragedy of 1914-18, together with Chips' friendship with German teacher Staefel (Paul Henreid), must have struck a truly resonant note in 1939. James Hilton had previously been responsible for Lost Horizon(1937), and oddly both that film and Chipswould be remade as musicals, in 1973 and 1969 respectively. Chipswould again emerge as a BBC serial (1984) and a 2002 TV movie starring Martin Clunes; but for many this original screen version will always remain the best.

On the DVD:Goodbye Mr Chipsis presented on a basic disc with the only extras being an alternative French soundtrack and various subtitle options, including English for hard of hearing. The mono sound is fairly good, though there is occasional distortion on the music. The b/w picture is transferred in the original Academy ratio but the print used shows frequent, though minor, damage. --Gary S Dalkin

Aspect Ratio:	16:9 Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	History Of Mr Chips, TV Trailer, Biographies
Year:	2002
Release Date:	January 27, 2003
Runtime:	100 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	37115 04763
Keywords:	General, Wide, Screen, Goodbye, Tv, Chips, Drama, Mr
Genre:	Drama