A Bear Named Winnie (2004)

A BEAR NAMED WINNIE is a cheap and sentimental Canadian TV movie about the true-life origins behind A.A. Milne's WINNIE THE POOH. It turns out that the original Winnie - aka Winnipeg - was originally a Canadian black bear, saved by a Canadian soldier and eventually transported to London Zoo during WW1, which is where Milne saw her. This low budget production is interesting for the cast alone, although it's very cheaply staged and unconvincing at times. Michael Fassbender puts in a good effort early in his career and Gil Bellows, Aaron Ashmore, Stephen Fry and David Suchet all offer their contributions.

It all starts in a world war environment, guys ready to serve their country, kill and be killed. Then as he is taking a walk in the local town, this soldier comes across a bear killer's shop, with bear skins everywhere. Then that little cub makes herself heard, and the soldier can't bear (haha!) the idea of the little one being skinned so buys it and tells his soldier unit this should be their mascot, their buddy, the little thing that could guide them and give them some warmth in the eve of a potential big fight. All fall in love with the cub, now named Winnie, and as weeks go by, all protect her and look after her. The key-soldier and his new best friend share a tent with Winnie at night. She is so cute and full of surprises, everybody falls in love with her. Difficult times and events follow, both for the army guys and Winnie, and then her destiny wraps up, as well as theirs. Not a blockbuster, but a very nice movie to watch on a Sunday afternoon, and one that makes you think again, in a nice way, about how animals can affect our lives. I recommend this film, if you are emotional, get some tissue. :-)

Winnie the Pooh has and always will be my first love. From A.A. Milne to Disney, he's a beloved character ... or, shall we say, she?While I'd always known the true story of Pooh, it was refreshing to finally see it displayed to the world without having to look it up. The fact remains that Winnie was a real character, Canadian, and an inspiration to more than just stories. This film captures that ideal with vigorous emotion and as something I'd willingly watch again.A must for anyone interested in Canadian history, or simply the 'silly willy nilly old bear'.

Here's a quote from the CBC website along with my personal comments at the very end:"It is August 1914 and World War I has just begun.Lieutenant Harry Colebourn (Michael Fassbender), a veterinarian with the 34th Fort Garry Horse Division, is traveling by train with other soldiers when he buys a bear cub at a rest stop. He names her Winnie, after his home town of Winnipeg and, in spite of all common sense warnings from his fellow soldiers, takes her with him to the camp in Valcartier, Quebec where the Canadian expeditionary force is gathering.Winnie is a breath of fresh air for the young soldiers faced with the prospect of war, and she travels with them all the way to Salisbury Plain in England.When Harry's regiment is sent to fight in France, the young vet knows Winnie cannot go. He finds a home for her at the London Zoo, promising to return as soon as the war is over and take her back to Canada.While Harry and his friends fight in France, Winnie becomes the star attraction at the zoo. For the children of London, living in the shadow of a frightening war, she becomes a symbol of friendship and hope."What a good way to spend 2 hours. The acting was great, well directed, the sets were appropriate and I did get choked up! (This doesn't happen often, except in Zombie movies).However, there were some VERY annoying slow-motion shots that looked terrible. Lots of flickering during the slow-motion scenes and bad timing. It should have been omitted.Final verdict...A very entertaining and educational story about a beloved bear for the whole family.