Finding Neverland [DVD] [2004]

Inspired by the life of James Matthew Barrie, author of the children’s classic Peter Pan, this semi-biographical period drama stars Johnny Depp as the turn-of-the-century playwright and novelist. Set in London in 1904, the film follows Barrie’s creative struggle to bring Peter Pan to the stage, from his first inspiration for the story up until the play’s premiere at the Duke of York Theatre: a night that would change not only Barrie’s own life, but the lives of everyone close to him. Meanwhile, he plays a continuing role in the lives of the four children who inspired the story. Kate Winslet, Dustin Hoffman and Julie Christie co-star.
Sweetness that doesn’t turn saccharine is hard to find these days; Finding Neverland hits the mark. Much credit is due to the actors: Johnny Depp applies his genius for sly whimsy in his portrayal of playwright J. M. Barrie, who finds inspiration for his greatest creation from four lively boys, the sons of widow Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (Kate Winslet, who miraculously fuses romantic yearning with common sense). Though the friendship threatens his already dwindling marriage, Barrie spends endless hours with the boys, pretending to be pirates or Indians–and gradually the elements of Peter Pan take shape in his mind. The relationship between Barrie and the Llewelyn Davies family sparks both an imagined world and a quiet rebellion against the stuffy forces of respectability, given physical form by Barrie’s resentful wife (Radha Mitchell, High Art) and Sylvia’s mother (Julie Christie, McCabe and Mrs. Miller). This gentle silliness could have turned to treacle, but Depp and Winslet–along with newcomer Freddie Highmore as one of the boys–keep their feet on the earth while their eyes gaze into their dreams. Also featuring a comically crusty turn from Dustin Hoffman (who appeared in another Peter Pan-themed movie, Hook) as a long-suffering theater producer. –Bret Fetzer