Goodnight Mister Tom is a 1981 novel by Michelle Magorian. It follows a young boy named William Beech who is evacuated from London during the air-raids of World War II, and put into the care of an elderly hermit named Tom Oakley. The novel was adapted into a television film drama, directed by Jack Gold, in 1998. John Thaw played Tom Oakley. 1981 (MCMLXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... DeFoes Robinson Crusoe, Newspaper edition published in 1719 A novel (from French nouvelle, new) is an extended fictional narrative in prose. ... Michelle Magorian is an author of childrens books. ... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7. ... Strategic bombing is a military strategem used in a total war style campaign that attempts to destroy the economic ability of a nation-state to wage war. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atomic bomb. ... Films are produced by recording actual people and objects with cameras, or by creating them using animation techniques and/or special effects. ... Drama is a term generally used to refer to a literary form involving parts written for actors to perform. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... John Edward Thaw (January 3, 1942 - February 21, 2002) CBE, was a British actor who achieved his first starring role in the military police television drama Redcap (1964 - 1966), and subsequently appeared in a range of television, stage and cinema roles. ...

Plot

The story begins in an small English village after World War I. Upon Tom Oakley's return from the navy he learns of the death of his wife and small son. He is in such grief that he turns into a hermit. But when children are being evacuated from London, he is needed to house one of them. Mr Tom takes in a quiet 10-year-old, who gradually reveals big problems. The boy, William, wets his bed every night and he can't read or write, although he is intelligent and shows artistic talent. World War I was primarily a European conflict with many facets: immense human sacrifice, stalemate trench warfare, and the use of new, devastating weapons - tanks, aircraft, machine guns, and poison gas. ... A rare occurrence of a 5-country multinational fleet, during Operation Enduring Freedom in the Oman Sea. ... A hermit (from the Greek erēmos, signifying desert, uninhabited, hence desert-dweller) is a person who lives to some greater or lesser degree in seclusion and/or isolation from society. ... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7. ...

Tom discovers the boy's back is covered in scars and he soon realizes that his little boarder comes from an abusive home and he becomes determined to provide him a better one.

All goes well until William's mother persuades him to return to London for a few days' visit. When Mr. Tom hears nothing from the boy after two weeks, he can finally endure the loneliness and worry no longer.

Mr Tom goes to London and finds the house where William lives. With a policeman and an air raid warden he breaks in and Mr Tom's dog Sammy is attracted to a vile stench coming from an alcove under the stairs. They open the door leading into the alcove and find William tied to a pipe. He has been left there for several days, after his mother exploded at him for 'blaspheming'. There is also a baby in the alcove, who is dead by now.

It turns out that Mrs Beech had been pregnant with the baby girl and because of this she has asked for William to come home. William's father has been dead for several years and he later works out that his mother was having an affair with a man.

William is taken to hospital and Mr Tom takes him home to Little Weirwold two nights later. They are then visited by Mr Stelton, a doctor from a children's home in Sussex, who wants to take William to live at the home because his mother has died - she committed suicide by drowning herself at sea, and was mentally ill. After a long discussion Mr Tom is finally allowed to adopt William.

Soon afterwards, William's best friend Zach is killed in an air-raid on London. He had returned to London to see his father, who was in hospital after being injured in an air-raid on the docklands. William takes this very hard but soon manages to get on with his life.

At the end, William is given Zach's bike as a present from Doctor Little (whose house Zach had lived at) and learns how to ride it. He then says to Mr Tom:

"I can ride dad, I can ride!!!!!"

Cast

• John Thaw - Tom Oakley
• Nick Robinson - William Beech
• Annabelle Apsion - Mrs. Beech
• Thomas Orange - Zacharias Wrench
• William Armstrong - Dr. Stelton
• Geoffrey Beevers - Vicar
• Mossie Smith - Mrs. Fletcher
• Peter England - Michael Fletcher
• Ivan Berry - George Fletcher
• Harry Capehorn - Edward Fletcher
• Merelina Kendall - Mrs. Holland
• Marlene Sidaway - Mrs. Webster
• John Cater - Dr. Little
• Denyse Alexander - Mrs. Little
• Avril Elgar - Mrs. Ford

John Edward Thaw (January 3, 1942 - February 21, 2002) CBE, was a British actor who achieved his first starring role in the military police television drama Redcap (1964 - 1966), and subsequently appeared in a range of television, stage and cinema roles. ... Nick Robinson is the Political Editor of the BBC. He was previously the Political Editor of ITV News from November 2002 until 2005, and Chief Political Correspondent of BBC News 24 before that. ... Geoffrey Beevers is a British actor who has appeared in many different television roles. ...

External link

IMDB listing