Finding Neverland
Miramax
Starring: Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie and Dustin Hoffman
The Verdict: Depp’s performance as the imaginative children’s author weaves a magical tale of its own.
Movie: 3 1/2 stars out of 4
Extras: 3 stars out of 4
Thanks to smooth pacing and a wonderfully apt Johnny Depp, this film will enchant youngsters and grown-ups. “Finding Neverland” stirs a magic potion of accessibility.
In case you’ve been brain-dead for the past year, “Neverland” is a bio-pic of Peter Pan author Sir James Matthew Barrie. Director Marc Forster, who was behind the camera for the mature and provocative “Monster’s Ball,” ushers Barrie’s rise to imaginative glory with sweet passion and careful taste. Things could’ve been nastier: some still question whether pedophilia drove Barrie to spend time with children. “Neverland” makes this assumption a fairy tale.
During a visit to the park, Barrie (Depp) meets a widow, Sylvia Davies (Kate Winslet), and her four boys. Not only do the boys get their kicks from pretending, but so does Barrie as he dances with his Newfoundland dog. The playwright informs the Davies that he’s dancing bravely with a bear, and Peter (Freddie Highmore), the doubting child, refutes Barrie’s claim. Ironically, Depp faces a greater adversary than he did in “Pirates of the Caribbean”: a boy torn apart by his father’s death, unreceptive to Barrie’s wild inventions. A foil to Depp’s childlike faith, Highmore brings us back to reality when “Neverland” takes us into another world. Despite the evident age gap, Depp finds a worthy counterpart in the young and promising Highmore.
While Barrie spends practically all his time with the Davies, his wife (Radha Mitchell) becomes increasingly bitter. And Sylvia’s stuck-up mother (Julie Christie) wishes the writer would leave her daughter and grandchildren out of his fantastic wiles. Even more, Barrie’s producer (Dustin Hoffman) thinks his scripter is a kook.
If you also have doubts, they are not unwarranted. Sure, the prospect of another grand performance from Depp always sounds delightful, but hearing about another Peter Pan-related flick rarely leads to clapping hands. Shame on us for doubting. Right away you’ll notice that time burns quickly with “Neverland.” Never dragging his film through unneeded slop, Forster refuses to deviate from the captivating path of unending imagination; when Barrie plays a game of cowboys and Indians with the boys, we see them in the Old West firing pistols and hiding between buildings. Although the real world reappears in the form of Sylvia’s garden, you’ll still be high as a kite from the surrealistic splendor.
Strong acting sprinkles bonus fairy dust on “Neverland.” Winslet perfectly demonstrates a widow staring at death, keeping things pleasant all the while. Barrie’s fed-up wife (Mitchell) manages to ice the most agitation on her role as possible. It’s nice to watch Christie play an old serpent of a grandmother as well, and Hoffman’s uptight skeptic emulates the anal retentive culture surrounding Barrie with dashing efficiency.
But let’s be honest. More than anything, Depp runs the show. Evoking delicate humor reminiscent of his role in “Benny & Joon,” the chameleon actor provides rip-roaring fun and bloody real emotion. He’ll tug at your heart when he tells his wife he always wanted her in his adventures, and he’ll paint smiles on the indifferent when he acts up at the dinner table, spoiling the British stance of uppity formality. Also, thank God Depp can actually convince us he’s Scottish.
So hold off your uncertainty and plunge into “Neverland.” More than any other recent release, this tale directs its viewers into pictures never seen and lessons any one should learn. Make sure to take a few hits. It’s like an acid trip for kids, which equals genuine entertainment for everyone.
A commentary track features Forster, producer Richard Gladstein and writer David Magee. “The Magic of Finding Neverland” runs about 15 minutes and tells a little about the history of Peter Pan and the skills of Depp and Winslet. An interesting bonus, “Creating Neverland” shows how the visual effects team worked for a seamless blending of fantasy and reality and details the purpose for some of the film’s giddy and dizzying camerawork. Finally, three deleted scenes and outtakes are on the disc as well, and they’re great! Depp and Hoffman will restore your faith in outtakes especially.