Sentimental Education

Goodnight Mister Tom is a 1998 British film adaptation by Carlton Television of the novel of the same name by Michelle Magorian. The film is set during World War II and is about a young evacuee named William Beech who is placed in the care of a reclusive widower, Tom Oakley, in a rural English village, where he gradually finds love and healing after escaping an abusive home. It was Jack Gold's final film as a director. The cast featured well-known British actors, including veteran actor John Thaw, who played a bearded character for the first time in his career. Filming took place during April and May 1998 in the village of Turville, chosen due to practical and aesthetic reasons. Critical reviews were mixed, with critics finding the story and conclusion of the film predictable, although with praise for the cast performances, particularly Thaw.