In this adaptation of the novel by Michelle Magorian, John Thaw stars as Tom Oakley, an old man with a short temper who doesn't have much use for people. However, after the outbreak of World War II, Tom is forced to take in Willie Bech (Nick Robinson), a young boy who has been evacuated from London and sent to the small village Tom calls home. Willie is a quiet, withdrawn child whose childhood has not been a happy one; Tom learns to draw him out, tutors him in reading and writing, and encourages his creative gifts. An unexpected bond develops between Tom and Willie, and when the boy's mother wants him to return to a London that's been torn apart by the blitz, Tom doesn't want him to leave -- and neither does Willie. Goodnight, Mister Tom received its American premier on PBS's Masterpiece Theater in 1999. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi