27/50x2: Finding Neverland

The creation of a story, a film or an idea can sometimes even be more fulfilling than the finished project. But, what if the finished project is an iconic masterpiece known to everyone in the world? Would that story still be interesting?

Well, in Finding Neverland it certainly was. J.M. Barrie (Johnny Depp) had just wrapped up the play called 'Little Mary', which became a serious flop. Barrie heads off to a park to think and finds himself becoming wrapped up with the Davies family.

This family consists of four boys (most notably Freddie Highmore as Peter) and their mother Sylvia (Kate Winslet). The boys allow Barrie to act like a kid again and go on many adventures together. Barrie's wife, Mary (Radha Mitchell) and the boys' grandmother, Emma (Julie Christie), do not agree with the amount of time that Barrie is spending with the family. Especially since Sylvia is suffering from an unknown illness that she is desperately trying to keep from the children.

But, Barrie has given the children something they need - a sort of surrogate father figure - while also supplying friendship and companionship to Sylvia, but they are also giving Barrie something he needed as well - the inspiration to write what is now known as Peter Pan.

Barrie, however, needs to coax the producer, Charles (Dustin Hoffman), into allowing him to show the play as it is not something that the upperclass, stuffy people would usually enjoy. Barrie has a plan up his sleeve, though, as he brings children from a nearby orphanage and scatters them throughout the crowd to watch the production. And as the children react to the play - the adults react as well. 

The film is said to be semi-autobiographical so I am not sure how much of the story is true, but I was definitely enthralled by the performances of Depp, Winslet and Highmore. They were all at the top of their game.

Kind of nice to know that the play/film about a boy who never wanted to grow up - came from a man who loved acting like a kid.

Also, kudos to Hoffman for returning to the Peter Pan franchise. Of course, he played Capt. Hook in Hook years earlier.

Grade: