Never Grow Old. (Finding Neverland (DVD))

Name: QueenElf

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Product:	Finding Neverland (DVD)
Date:	02/01/08 (82 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: All-round Family Film.

Disadvantages: It ended!

It's been nearly four years since I last went to the cinema so I rely mainly on reviews and word of mouth to choose DVD's to watch. Even so, I often find I've missed some gems and so it proved when I watched the brilliant film "Finding Neverland" on BBC2 on new Years Day.
I was fortunate to find it since the TV guide I bought for the Christmas and New Year period had not placed it amongst the "must see" films. Frankly I thought this should have been amongst the best of the Christmas Films, since it's so appealing to adults and children alike. In case, like me, you have missed this film then let me tell you a bit more about it.

"Finding Neverland" is the cleaned-up version of how the famous playwright Sir James Matthew Barrie, came to write the play and book known to us as Peter Pan. I can't imagine anyone not knowing at least the story, even if they have never read the book, but it's a children's classic about a boy who never wants to grow up. The film opens with James Barrie (not then elevated to the status of Sir), anxiously watching behind closed curtains to see how his latest play is being accepted by the audience. His wife, Mary and his backer, Charles Frohman are equally anxious. The play flops and Barrie is next seen as he walks his large gentle dog in the park. By chance he meets a widow with her four boys, Peter, Jack, George, and Michael. Over a period of time his friendship with the boys and their mother deepens, leading to a halcyon period where it seems forever Summer. With his fertile imagination and the boys' need of a man to guide them, Barrie enters the life of a child and instigates a playful world where magic abounds and innocent play becomes a way of life.

But not everyone sees this innocence and Barrie's wife Mary threatens him with divorce, while the boy's mother, Sylvia Llewellyn-Davies is also undergoing pressure from her own mother to break friendship with Barrie in order to marry again. But Sylvia is ill and its not long before the eldest boy George and Barrie himself are forced to face the fact that her illness might be much more serious than anyone had expected. From Barrie's own childlike outlook and observing the boys at play, his writing takes on momentum finally culminating in the rough draft out of which "Peter Pan" is eventually born.
His private life is not going smoothly though as Mary leaves him for an actor and the boys struggle to come to terms with their mother's illness. Will real life intrude on the idyllic place that Barrie has named as Neverland? I won't spoil that ending for you.

I don't think that anyone could have played the role of James Barrie better than Johnny Depp. James Barrie was a quiet man of short stature and probably lived a lot of his time in a dream world. His plays were not understood by the theatre-going public, who wanted mild entertainment, rather than something that would challenge them. Barrie was born and brought up in Scotland, his imagination stimulated by a loving mother. His own childhood would have influenced his love of the fatherless boys, especially since his own marriage appeared to be loveless. This mixture of feyness and pathos suit Depp's acting abilities perfectly and his gentle Scottish accent is very believable. He is excellent in any role he undertakes, but there is a subtle winsome quality in his portrayal of Barrie that I have never seen before.
A very strong cast lifts this film from being a one-man show, with Dustin Hoffman playing the world-weary Charles Frohman. Freddie Highmore plays Peter, the middle son with a strength of character that belies his age. He went on to act alongside Depp in another popular children's film.
Kate Winslett is suitably vulnerable as the boy's ailing mother, Sylvia, while Julie Christie gives a moving performance as the stern mother and grandmother.
Directed by Marc Forster, this film was nominated for 51 awards, winning one Oscar and 16 other awards.

I found it absolutely delightful in an era when animated children's films replace real-life characters. The stage sequences were realistic, the quick flashes from real world to fantasy brilliantly suggested by superb photography. I loved the story and although it was slightly altered to fit a younger audience, I still felt that it gave a good insight into the character of a man who wrote one of the best children's play and book ever to grace a bookshelf. I defy anyone to watch this and not be moved, even if they don't appreciate Johnny Depp, or the enchanting world of J.M. Barrie.

For those who might have missed it the DVD is available on Amazon for £4.98new with additional material to the film. There are enhanced recording for slightly more, but for good all-round family films I think the version I watched is well worth the money.

Summary: Pure Magic from start to finish.