the plot of goodnight mr tom on paper make it seem we be in for a large dose of maudlin and sickly sentiment . but and talented director jack gold be an expert on touch the emotion in the right manner and and it emerge instead a a compelling and deeply move wartime drama with excellent production and lead performance . one of the best and if not the best tv movie of the 1990 which possibly would have have even great success if it have be release in the cinema . the evacuation of child to countryside town and village in world war ii be of course a common practice and but in the case of the young boy here be doubly important because of a wretched home life in the uk capital . the horror of war on the home front be not drift over though and and the construction of the film until it throat lump and misty eyed end leaf u with a sense of optimism despite what have happen before . it be almost ( but not quite ) worthy of comparison with the finale to it a wonderful life ( 1946 ) . all in all and a modern classic .