Dramatic beginning
During World War II in 1941, Alan
Alexander Milne – nicknamed "Blue"
by his friends and family – and his
wife Daphne receive a distressing
telegram at their home.
The birth of Christopher Robin or “Billy Moon”
The story begins in 1916 during World War I with Blue fighting in
the Battle of the Somme. Blue resumes his life with Daphne in England
while suffering shell shock with occasional flashbacks to his battle
experiences, and has a child with Daphne. Daphne appears traumatised by
the birth as the midwife says "she didn't understand the mechanics" of
giving birth. She was also hoping for a girl and is disappointed to instead
have a son. They name the baby Christopher Robin Milne but generally call
him "Billy Moon". They hire a nanny, Olive Rand, whom Billy calls "Nou".
At Olive's job interview, Daphne says how wonderful it is that whilst the
war killed so many men, it means there are a great number of women
such as Olive who will never marry and can therefore be of service to
others.
The move to the country and the relationship between father and son
Blue is having difficulty resuming his writing – he wants to draft a compelling
treatise against war – and relocates the family to a house in the country with
wooded acreage. Daphne resents the move and returns to London for an
extended period. During that time, Olive goes to care for her dying mother
and the cook takes some time off, leaving Blue and Billy to fend for
themselves. Reluctantly at first, Blue takes Billy along on walks in the woods
and begins making up stories about the boy's adventures with the plush toy
animals the parents have bought for him.
The development of the Winnie the Pooh book
Blue invites his illustrator friend Ernest to join them at the
house, and together they begin to develop the Winnie the
Pooh books. Daphne returns to the house after Blue sends her
a poem, “Vespers", that she has had published for him
in Vanity Fair. Olive returns following her mother's death.
The success of the book and the stress that goes with it
After the Winnie-the-Pooh books become a success, Daphne manages
their new-found celebrity and readily accepts extra opportunities to
generate publicity and income, for example, a line of Winnie the Pooh
bears, or an opportunity to have tea with 'Christopher Robin'. As
Christopher Robin, Billy makes frequent public appearances, which he
finds confusing and frustrating.
Billy and Olive fall out
When Billy learns that Olive has a beau, Alfred Brockwell, he tells his
parents, after which Daphne feels betrayed and confronts Olive nastily.
Olive becomes angry with Blue and Daphne, resigns, and admonishes
them for what they have been putting Billy through. Blue resolves to stop
writing about the boy and his imaginary friends. Olive leaves and Billy's
mother tells him not to cry.
Public school and signing up in the army
Blue ends Billy's publicity activities and enrolls him at a boarding school. However,
"Christopher Robin" is bullied at the school and emerges bitter toward his father.
When World War II breaks out, Billy is initially declared medically unfit for service,
but he demands that his well-connected father – despite being horrified by war
and the prospect of his son experiencing what he did – convince the army to
accept him regardless. Billy leaves for service, turning his back on his father and
disowning the books and the money from them. He gives Blue the cricket ball from
the one match they played together where they 'connected'. Blue tries to stop him
going at the last moment but it is too late.
Bad news – good news – reconciliation between father and son
The telegram from the opening scene is revisited: Billy has been reported missing and is presumed dead –
news Blue passes to Olive, who is distraught. Billy's parents are both devastated by the news; Daphne
blames Blue for having made it possible to send Billy off to the war. Relations between them are once
again strained. However, Billy has survived and arrives at the country house without warning, leading to
awkward but tearful reunions with his parents and Olive. Blue and Billy reconcile as Billy tells his father
how one of Billy's fellow soldiers, in the desert under enemy fire, sang one of the 'Hums of Pooh' which
made him realise that his father's storybook was a gift to the world which enabled British soldiers to
remember the simple happy things about home. Father and son walk together through the woods, Billy
being shown as both a young child and young man.