Finding Neverland

Reel Critic Grade: A- Running Time: 105 minutes Rated: PG

As you might guess, Finding Neverland is magical. It’s as if Tinkerbell herself crossed over and sprinkled fairy dust on the audience, transporting us to another world—the world of J.M. Barrie (Johnny Depp). Barrie is the early 1900’s playwright who crafted the timeless tale of Peter Pan.

This isn’t a mechanical film about his writing process, but rather a journey into the man’s life and the heart-warming/heart-breaking influences which inspired his story of the boy who never grows up. It’s a beautiful, touching film on many levels – tissue recommended.

The film opens in an elegant London theatre, circa 1903.

Wealthy, decked-out socialites mingle and glad hand on the way to their seats. Like an electrical storm, the air is charged with the anticipation of an opening-night success. Anxiously peeking between red velvet door curtains is Barrie. This is his play, his baby. The stage curtain opens, the play begins and the audience fidgets, yawns and falls asleep—a flop. Barrie takes it surprisingly well. When questioned afterwards by an older couple as to what he thought of the play, he replies, “I can do better.”

This kind of honesty is what makes Barrie so interesting and Finding Neverland so enchanting.

Barrie’s producer, Charles Frohman (Dustin Hoffman), brushes off this critical and financial failure with the kind of ease that marks a veteran investor. He’s already thinking about the next project and is anxious to hear a fresh idea. Barrie doesn’t have one.

It seems his muse is on hiatus. This is likely due to his dying marriage to his wife, Mary (Rhada Mitchell), and a home that’s as lively as a morgue.

In search of inspiration, Barrie escapes to the park one sunny afternoon with his faithful dog and happens upon a young boy lying under his bench. Their brief conversation leads to an unlikely friendship with recently widowed, Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (Kate Winslet), and her four young boys.

The boys crave the attention of a male role model, and Barrie craves the innocent playfulness of the young lads. Soon, Barrie is spending the majority of his time with Ms. Davies and her sons; dressing up like pirates and Indians and creating fantastic stories for all to act out. Best of all, he’s writing again – a new play.

But, life is rarely easy: Sylvia’s cough is getting worse (not a good thing in the early 1900s); her domineering mother(Julie Christie) disapproves of Barrie and the time they spend together; community gossip is questioning Barrie’s interest in the boys; Mary has left him for another man; and Sylvia’s youngest, Peter (Freddie Highmore), doesn’t trust Barrie anymore.

In the end, through all the trial and hardship, Barrie finishes his play and shows us all the magic of staying young at heart.

Director Marc Forster (Monster’s Ball) and screenwriter David Magee have done a superb job crafting a film that captures the imagination of Barrie and the dynamics that played a part in creating his most famous work. Forster’s use of quick cuts and theatrical style effects during Barrie’s play time with the kids pulls us into the playful make-believe that is an everyday part of children’s lives, but often lost on adults.

It’s an effective and imaginative technique. Magee shows his writing skill in the emotion he invokes and the subtle methods used to get information to the audience. His characters are distinctive, deep and immediately draw you into their story.

This film is full of great performances. Johnny Depp is once again at the top of his game as J.M. Barrie. He fills the role with a unique blend of quiet authenticity and renegade fun. It’s easy to see why such a man is misunderstood by his counterparts and embraced by children. He’s fun. The sexy Kate Winslet is the perfect opposite to Depp’s Barrie. She has many of the same inherent traits which made Depp the right choice for his role.

The only shame is the range of her role is limited given her character’s illness. Winslet is always a breath of fresh air on the screen. Dustin Hoffman is funny in his small role as Barrie’s producer. Just having him in another Peter Pan film (remember the not-so-wonderful, Hook?) is worth a laugh. And the young Freddie Highmore, as the inspiration for the character of Peter Pan, shows talent far beyond his years.

For those of you who think Finding Neverland is another rendition of Peter Pan—it is not. Instead, you’ll discover it’s an engaging journey into the lives of several characters who, through great writing and excellent direction, allow us to experience their highs and lows and walk away with a greater understanding of our own place in neverland.