Finding Neverland
By: Patrick Vu | Category: DVD Archive | 03/28/05 | 12:57 AM
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Grade: A | Genre:
Drama
Summary: "Finding Neverland" is a charmingly subtle film that plays to our imagination. It isn't overdone and is a sincere story of maturity and grief. Neverland is surprisingly solemn with an abundance of heart-felt emotion that will have you brushing away the tears. |
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 Starring: Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie, Radha Mitchell, Dustin Hoffman, Freddie Highmore
Director: Marc Forster
The Peter Pan Syndrome is in us all. In our grown-up lives, we no doubt fantasize about those days when things were much simpler. Our youthful excitement has been replaced by responsibility and our need to provide for ourselves and our families.
"Finding Neverland" seeks a balance between our adulthood and our imaginations. It's a portal into our inner child and allows us to momentarily get way from our everyday pressures.
J.M. Barrie (Depp) is in a cold dying marriage where both partners don't even share a bedroom let alone a bed. He is a playright and has hit a creative speed bump where his latest work has received less then rave reviews from critics and audiences. As life's downward spiral continues, he finds his muse in the unlikely Davies family: a single mother, Sylvia (Winslet), and her four boys one of whom is named Peter.
Barrie and the Davies spend all their free time together, developing a close bond while inspiring his work. Barrie collects notes from their outings, which become the basis for one of the most beloved stories of our time, Peter Pan.
During this time, his marriage permanently crumbles and the pressures of producing a successful play continue to mount. The stuffy socialites around town begin to speculate about the blossoming relationship between Barrie and the Davies, but none of it really seems to matter. Barrie has found something special in the family who are able to help him find his youthful excitement.
Spoiler Alert!!!
Not all is well, however, as we discover Sylvia is terminally ill with not much time left to live. This forces everyone to grow up and to face responsibilities. The boys will have to find the strength to deal with their mother's impending death and to become young men.
"Finding Neverland" is a charmingly subtle film that plays to our imagination. It isn't overdone and is a sincere story of maturity and grief. Neverland is surprisingly solemn with an abundance of heart-felt emotion that will have you brushing away the tears. Winslet brings her usual grace to the screen and Highmore is a standout as the main inspiration behind Peter Pan. Depp is as good as ever and is perfectly cast as Barrie.
Buy or rent it now.
Great Movie Moment: At the after party of "Peter Pan's" premiere, the crowd meets young Peter and begins to cheer, "You are the real Peter Pan!" Peter corrects them by pointing at Barrie and saying, "No, he's the real Peter Pan."
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