Over the past century, J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan” has been rehashed on stage, video and screen a myriad of times. On the other hand, a look at the story behind the author of this magical tale has only been done on stage in Allan Knee’s play, “The Man Who Was Peter Pan." It wasn’t until Miramax decided that the story of James Barrie and how he was inspired to write his greatest work, held just as much cinematic and thematic value as “Peter Pan” itself, that Knee’s play then became a motion-picture. However, a slight hiccup held the film from finding its way into theatres.
Initially slated for a December 2003 release date, Finding Neverland (then titled J.M. Barrie’s Neverland) was a picture set to be in Christmas-season competition with P.J. Hogan’s big-budgeted, live-action version of Peter Pan. Once Miramax realized that the motion-picture market would then contain two entirely different interpretations of Peter Pan and Neverland, the company pulled the plug and pushed Finding Neverland back to November 2004. Fortunately, for its impeccable cast and crew, Finding Neverland didn't have The Lord of the Rings to contend with in February. Finding Neverland is a film that brought tears to the eyes of many and deservedly harvested numerous Oscar nominations.
The year is 1904, and playwright James M. Barrie (Johnny Depp) just cannot seem to produce a play that his audiences enjoy. After producing flop after flop, Barrie knows that he must create a crowd pleaser or face the possible collapse of his career. Consequently, under the financial backing and moral support of Charles Frohman (Dustin Hoffman), an American stage producer, James realizes that for his next play, he needs a major muse to elevate him to success.
Searching for inspiration, Barrie meets Sylvia Llewelyn Davies and her intriguing four young boys—Jack, Michael, George, and Peter. Captivated by Sylvia’s children (in a non-perverse way—despite accusations), James begins to spend every waking hour with the Llewelyn Davies family and away from his wife Mary (Radha Mitchell). Disregarding both the angst of his wife and the anxiety of the boys’ grandmother (Julie Christie), James establishes a friendly relationship with all of the children and their mother. James takes a particular interest in the eight-year-old boy named Peter (Freddie Highmore) and starts writing his next play around him and their adventures together.
Due to a few fantastical parallels, it is safe to say that if you enjoyed Big Fish, then Finding Neverland will most likely strike your fancy. It shares a subtle mix of fantasy and reality, and has the potential to hit you emotionally to the point of weeping. Without a doubt, many will walk out of the theatre with their hankies in hand. In fact, if this story and its faultless blend of an amiable biopic and a mesmeric drama doesn’t bring you to the brink of welling up – where you can feel your heart turn to mush – then you truly need to be institutionalized.
Article comments
1 - Chris Evans
What an absolutely great film. I cried buckets.