Finding Neverland
(2004)
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It all begins as successful Scottish playwright J.M. Barrie watches his latest play open to a ho-hum reaction among the polite society of Edwardian England. A literary genius of his times but bored by the same old themes, Barrie is clearly in need of some serious inspiration. Unexpectedly, he finds it one day during his daily walk with his St. Bernard Porthos in London's Kensington Gardens. There, Barrie encounters the Llewelyn Davies family: four fatherless boys and their beautiful recently widowed mother. Despite the disapproval of the boys' steely grandmother Emma du Maurier and the resentment of his own wife, Barrie befriends the family, engaging the boys in tricks, disguises, games and sheer mischief, creating play-worlds of castles and kings, cowboys and Indians, pirates and castaways. He transforms hillsides into galleon ships, sticks into mighty swords, kites into enchanted fairies and the Llewelyn Davies boys into "The Lost Boys of Neverland." From the sheer thrills and adventurousness of childhood will come Barrie's most daring and renowned masterwork, "Peter Pan." At first, his theatrical company is skeptical. While his loyal producer Charles Frohman worries he'll lose his shirt on this children's fantasy, Barrie begins rehearsals only to shock his actors with such unprecedented requests as asking them to fly across the stage, talk to fairies made out of light and don dog and crocodile costumes. Then, just as Barrie is ready to introduce the world to "Peter Pan," a tragic twist of fate will make the writer and those he loves most understand just what it means to really believe. |
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Fantasy and reality combine to magical effect in this deeply affecting drama from Monster's Ball director Marc Forster. Adapted from a stage play by Allan Knee — and taking a few liberties with events — it's a beautifully crafted account of the creation and evolution of the children's classic Peter Pan. A perfectly cast Johnny Depp portrays the young-at-heart Scottish playwright J M Barrie, whose career is reinvigorated when he befriends the four fatherless Llewelyn Davies boys and their recently widowed mother, Sylvia (Kate Winslet). Depp is magnificent, alternating between playful and sensitive as the joys and tragedies of this inspirational relationship unfold. It's a performance of genuine emotion, superbly complemented by Winslet's tender turn. But the movie's real soul comes from the youngsters, particularly Freddie Highmore as the serious-minded Peter. Forster matches his actors' talent with imaginative visuals, giving even mundane events an enchanting sense of wonder.
Halliwell's Film Guide
Delicate, restrained account of creativity and the power of imagination; it allows Johnny Depp to make good use of his fey manner while also conveying Barrie's sympathetic intelligence for families other than his own.