I was not alone in my hesitation when I first heard that yet another Peter Pan movie was in the works. Many are tired and weary of that flying green pixie. Sure, some of the talent attached to the newest project was impressive, but hasn't the story been told and re-told so many times there couldn't possibly be anything more that could be depicted on the subject? Be that as it may, Finding Neverland is, in fact, an exception though. The initial kneejerk is understandable, but once it becomes clear the movie is more a biography, a period piece, an on and offstage look at theatre, and a fable on the joys of creativity and inspiration, we are transported from the pesky reminders of the super-saturation of the source material and quickly discover this is the best Peter Pan-ish film yet made (though possibly because it is in fact so independent from the story itself).
It's London, approximately one century ago. The young playwright J.M. Barrie (Johnny Depp) has had his latest oeuvre mounted to indifferent reaction by the theatre community. A costly flop makes the producer (Dustin Hoffman) understandably worried, and now Barrie must strike inspirational literary gold. One day, he meets a family while relaxing in the park. They are the Davies, with mother Sylvia Llewelyn (Kate Winslet) minding her four sons George (Nick Roud), Jack (Joe Prospero), Michael (Luke Spill) and Peter (Freddie Highmore). They all begin a friendship, based heavily on playing dress-up and make-believe, which deepens over the passage of time.
Barrie, meanwhile, is able to find his muse again by playing with the boys and using names and imaginary settings that would become the basis for Peter Pan. From a marital perspective, his wife Mary (Radha Mitchell) is concerned because the attention he gives the Davies is more than she has ever received. Soon, townspeople begin to gossip about their seemingly inappropriate relations and behaviours, although these are mostly depicted as innocent in the film. Even Sylvia's mother Mrs. Du Maurier (Julie Christie) voices her concerns in no uncertain terms. When one of the characters takes a turn for the worse, the ability to see and seek the fantastical within the harsh realities of life becomes more and more important.
Some of the film's best parts involve the production of the play itself, as a theatre troupe workshops the new script. Although the synopsis of Peter Pan may sound familiar today, the ideas and story were understandably met with considerable confusion back then. In one memorable scene, a group of orphans are invited to opening night and are strategically placed amongst the stuffy patrons so that their laughter, joy and awe will help to break the ice. The delightful Kelly Macdonald plays Peter Pan in the stage portions, and my only criticism would be that the budget, costumes, and apparatus within the theatre itself seem quite fancy and modern, although I am certain the production designers must have researched such things with due detail.
While some of the fantasy portions of Finding Neverland aren't very spectacular, director Marc Forster is able to provide magic of a different kind through some strong performances by the children, whose faces light up every time Barrie appears. Kate Winslet is adequately armed to bring a universality to her role, but Depp trumps her in almost every scene. He approaches Barrie as one who is bursting with creative energy on the inside, but keeps himself reserved on the outside in social situations. Depp's Irish accent, ordinarily not easily pulled off, is believable here.
The film ends on a sober note, but it is also an uplifting note too, in a way. All of us will die, this is an inevitable fact of life. However, if we exclude play and imagination from our selves entirely -- regardless of our age -- we will be less equipped to handle life's all-too-grave curveballs when they inevitably manifest themselves. Day-to-day events are dry enough without that crucial bit of silliness that makes everything else bearable. Finding Neverland enforces this message with a buoyant screenplay, a light charm and even a sprinkling of pixie dust.
