From “Oh captain, my captain!” to To Sir With Love, and from “Gangsta’s Paradise” to Mr. Holland’s Opus, there has never been a shortage of great films focused on teachers. A vocation that is perhaps not as respected as it should be, there have been many films that have attempted to bridge the gap between perception and reality regarding educators and the incredible work they do to bring up the next generation, and subsequently influence the future in their own way. One of the pioneering works into this sub-genre is Goodbye, Mr. Chips, which is a film that may not have the strongest reputation (especially when we’re comparing it to the ill-fated musical version that had a terrific performance by Peter O’Toole and very little else in terms of redeeming qualities), but which is oddly compelling on a very peculiar level. It’s a film that touches on many profound issues relating to teachers, delivering a steady and solid drama with touches of good-natured humour that work so well in the context of the film, and which gradually find their way into the hearts and minds of even the most cynical viewers, who may not be fully prepared for the emotional heft that Sam Wood was insisting on providing when he decided to adapt the namesake novel by James Hilton, who truly established something special when stringing the story of Charles Chipping and his decades-long career as an educator, which makes for truly endearing viewing that may not be without its flaws, but rather embraces them with heart and humour, enough to propel Goodbye, Mr. Chips to the status of being an unheralded classic that dares to be simple in a time when excess was often a priority.

Perhaps I’m speaking from a place of bias, but anyone that has had any experience in the area of education will undoubtedly find some value in the story being portrayed here. There is an even further element of resonance for those who attended incredibly traditional schools built on long histories, to the point where they have their own culture embedded in the fabric of the institutions. This is the basis for Goodbye, Mr. Chips, a film that focuses on one man’s journey from novice to expert, and the roughly five decades in between them, which not only gave him the reputation for being the embodiment of longevity and perseverance, but also confirmed that he was someone who could change the lives of anyone who crossed his path, as well as have his own life changed by the myriad of boys he taught, each one bringing their own experiences and interests to his classroom, which was a safe-haven from the outside world, which was perhaps not fully-prepared for Mr Chips’ peculiar way of looking at it. Goodbye, Mr. Chips is a film that perhaps didn’t warrant being as good as it appears to be – this kind of story normally lends itself to overwrought, hysterical filmmaking that equates an excess of emotion with strong storytelling. Whether its the result of the source material being quite faithfully adapted, or the restraint Wood shows in his direction, the film is free of many of the more heavy-handed moments, and as a result the emotional beats the film hits feel authentic and relevant, existing for the sake of furthering the narrative, rather than supplying it with additional material when the narrative is lacking. Goodbye, Mr. Chips is a wonderfully irreverent piece that pays tribute to teachers through being honest and direct in its intentions – and it culminates in an extraordinarily touching work of intricate, heartfelt fiction that could’ve been plucked directly out of reality.

Goodbye, Mr. Chips is anchored by a terrifically strong performance by Robert Donat, who had the daunting task of playing the titular character from his early days as a young upstart schoolteacher, to his final moments as a veteran educator who adored his profession and enjoyed changing the lives of those who he came to encounter over the years. Donat is a fascinating actor – he is able to play all sides of the character, including at the various different ages that the film traverses. Whether playing a young man, or someone approaching his final days after years of being in the throes of old age, Donat sells absolutely every moment as if it was essential to the film’s success – and in many ways, it absolutely was, since Goodbye, Mr. Chips would simply fail without someone who could handle the various challenges associated with the titular protagonist. Donat meets the obstacles head-on, and with the assistance of the lovely Greer Garson (who may be present in the film only briefly, but who does make a strong impression, despite not being quite on the same level as her co-star) and Terry Kilburn, who plays the mischievous Colley and his descendants throughout the years, and is present in the final shattering moments of this beautiful film. Much of the weight of this film is carried on these performances, and the dozens of smaller roles are just as vital in creating this vivid portrait as anything else in the film, and makes Goodbye, Mr. Chips an extraordinarily complex film in how it addresses the scope of the story its conveying – and without many of these strong performances alongside the primary characters, each one feeling strangely well-developed despite their brief time on screen, there’s very little else that can be said about how Wood and his collaborators so beautifully convey the message related to this film.

This film may be a classic case of intention superseding execution, since there isn’t anything particularly remarkable about Goodbye, Mr. Chips as a film, but rather it finds its value in how it reminds us of our own younger years. Whether we were student or teacher, this should be a wonderful reminder of those carefree years, where innocent minds were shaped to be functional in the modern world, and the people who dedicated their lives to this endeavour. Goodbye, Mr. Chips may not be a perfect film – it is slightly too long, and can sometimes be too concerned with relaying this sweeping story like a tentpole epic, without much of the narrative strength – but when you have something as emotionally-resonant as this, it doesn’t matter all that much, especially in the context of the specific story. This film is essentially just a deeply sentimental love-letter to every kind of teacher, but in particular those who never lose hope for their profession, and continue to press on in their field of shaping young minds and preparing them for the outside world. It takes a few liberties, and it can sometimes feel awfully dated – but its heart is truly notable, and we never once feel as if it is promising on what it may not be able to deliver. In short, Goodbye, Mr. Chips is a wonderfully upbeat film that has some moments of deep nostalgia, but ultimately has more than enough heart to propel it beyond simply being a meandering work of overly sentimental malarkey, which is always dangerous with stories like this. Ultimately, this isn’t a film that represents the best in cinema, but rather serves as a beautiful reminder of the best in humanity – and through its compassion, soulfulness and willingness to touch on a range of difficult issues, its simply too difficult to not be entirely sold by this wonderful film.