Finding Neverland

Peter Pan is the story of a young boy who finds a far off land in which you never have to grow one day older, but when he meets a young woman who gets older by choice, living her life the way everyone does. He has to suffer through seeing her change; meanwhile he becomes helpless and alone. Although a children's tale, Peter Pan has many underlying concepts which adults can relate to; the fear of growing old, losing the ones you love, and the responsibilities and rewards of growing up. But the most important aspect of Peter Pan is the power of the imagination. Hook, made much later with Robin Williams, is a favorite version of this tale where he learns to be in the moment and not waste a second of his children's childhood. The image of time in these tales is paramount, what is time? How do we get more of it? Is it worth the sacrifice of the ones we love, to live forever?

Peter Pan was an escape for children and adults everywhere, but what about the man behind this unthinkable notion of time and space, the man who decided that a child's mind and innocence would be preserved and their minds be expanded into a world that some people never enter... imagination. James Barrie was the original writer of the play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, who he fashioned after the Llewellyn Davies boys, and had its first performance in 1904. In Finding Neverland, Johnny Depp plays James Barrie, who in the film is writing a series of flops and then he begins to spend time with this family of four boys and begins to become inspired by their energy and eagerness for play. Kate Winslet plays the single mother of the four boys. Dustin Hoffman the Theater manager, agrees to put on this play, but is very skeptical of its crocodiles, Indians and fairies.

The film is absolutely wonderful; it delves into the importance of doing what makes you happy and surrounding yourself with people who inspire you. Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet are phenomenal together and apart. Their relationship on screen is so sincere and loving, it’s a wonder they haven’t been in a film together before. The four boys are wonderfully adorable, including the young Freddie Highmore, who has recently appeared in August Rush and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (also with Johnny Depp). Freddie and Johnny have a connection that is uncanny.

Besides the fantastic acting and a timelessly adapted story written beautifully different from the other versions, the film has moments of overwhelming emotion paralleled with a beautiful score by Jan A.P Kaczmarek. Finding Neverland does an excellent job of creating a world in which you are immersed and it is easy to care wholeheartedly about the characters. The film also has moments of love and sincerity, inspiration and comedy. Uniquely, Finding Neverland also reveals the events that led to certain aspects of Peter Pan as experienced by James Barrie, such as where the idea for Hook's character came from, how he thought up the dog for a nanny, and the exact moment he envisions the boys flying through the air, when they are simply jumping on their beds.

Finding Neverland is one of the few films that is impeccably made, tells a beautiful story, and yet teaches you something about what's important in life, makes you cry, but still manages to make you laugh at the same time. So butter your popcorn and remember what its like to be young and discover where your imagination has been dying to take you...