A Movie You Might Have Missed #99 — Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)

A bookish classics professor makes an inauspicious debut at the hallowed halls of Brookfield School for Boys but eventually finds his feet, ultimately becoming something of an institution at the school.

Robert Donat not only ages convincingly from young adulthood into doddering old age, he persuasively synthesizes the various stages of the character’s life, from diffident, humorless newcomer to endearingly eccentric absent-minded professor, into a well-integrated total portrait.

Stephen D. Greydanus, Decent Films review

A complete surprise. I've always had the impression that this is a namby pamby, sappy story. Au contraire. 

Watching it for our 1940 Oscar winner/nominees viewing, we were surprised at the subtlety of the storytelling. Not many movies extoll the virtues of the shy person who just needs a little encouragement. Mr. Chips doesn't become exactly outgoing but he does learn to go from being lonely to being able to give just the good humored inspiration that his students need. 

Absolutely lovely and Robert Donat earned his Best Actor Oscar with his nuanced portrayal of a shy, quiet man who blooms in later life.