The film for all that can still find "child" in themselves

Rating: 8/10 (13 March 2005)

As I found out that Jan A.P. Kaczmarek got the Oscar for the music in this film, I went to see it. As a matter of fact, I partly ignored the content being predominantly interested in the music combined with scenes. However, when I saw Marc Forster's FINDING NEVERLAND a few weeks ago, I was touched into tears by the movie in general.
The whole story is very touching. The playwright, James Matthew Barrie (1860-1937), though an adult, has a soul of a child (played memorably by Johnny Depp). He writes a play PETER PAN and finds inspiration for this in family Llewelyn Davies and his relationship with children Davies(consider the moment of their first meeting and James dancing with a "bear", not "just a dog"). He sacrifices most of his time for these children, including the most memorable Peter (Freddie Highmore) who is going to play the major role in Barrie's PETER PAN. A widowed mother, Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (Kate Winslet), gets used to the magical world that James brought to their house. The play occurs to be a huge success... however, the mother slowly dies away...
The moving moments are particularly powerful in this movie. The most memorable of them, for me, personally, were:

orphans coming to the theater to see PETER PAN. In the beginning, the people there seem to be annoyed, but later... the theater turns into a harmoniously joyful place for all.

the final moment and James talking with small Peter. How he consoles the boy is particularly touching: "She is always with us, she is on every page of your imagination..." And isn't everything so simpler when we believe?

The cast give great performances, from Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet to the children, particularly Freddie Highmore as Peter. Fans of Dustin Hoffman will also have a chance to admire him in several scenes in the role of Charles Frohman.
The music by A.P Kaczmarek is very profound at multiple levels. If you like ambitious music in films, you will realize that here, it is in perfect harmony with every single scene. Great experience!
In sum, I will put it like this: FINDING NEVERLAND is not an average nice film, but it reveals one's attitude towards life and reality. It's a film about being different, about dreams that can be fulfilled ONLY if you believe.
Skeptical people will probably find it strange; realists will treat it as a nice fairy tale for kids; materialists will see no benefit in what the movie shows, particularly in what james does. Yet, all people who perceive the world through heart and their dreams through imagination and faith will absolutely love it. Only such viewers will find a reflection of their character in James, who, to the contrary of the world's trust in reason, has never lost the goal of achieving ... the "neverland".