A wonderful movie

Rating: 9/10 (5 October 2005)

Here is another Johnny Depp performance that makes a movie worth watching no matter what. After 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and 'Secret Window' (that basically only offers the Depp-performance) he once again disappears in his character; this time it is "Peter Pan"-creator James M. Barrie. Fortunately the movie offers a lot more. The story of Barrie is changed a little. Here the playwright, who just had a terrible release and therefore needs another play, meets the family of Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (Kate Winslet). She is a widow, left with four children named Peter (Freddie Highmore), George (Nick Roud), Jack (Joe Prospero) and Michael (Luke Spill). Barrie is able to let his imagination go free, creating his own world together with the children. Especially the little Peter, perfectly played by Highmore, is more an adult than he is. His time with this family results in his famous "Peter Pan".
Barrie, who is married, of course raises questions. What does a married man do with a widow and what does he want from the children? The way Barrie is shown we assume he really wants to be a child himself, loving the children not in a sexual way, but more as his brothers. In fact, he loves Sylvia but even for her we never get the idea that he loves in the sexual way. The villains, if you can call them that, is Sylvia's mother Emma de Maurier (Julie Christie) and a little cough Sylvia is having. A funny thing in the film is the man who needs Barrie to write a new play, Charles Frohman. He is played by Dustin Hoffman who was Hook in Steven Spielberg's adaptation of the play.
The changes made in the story seem to be right for the movie. It is very funny from time to time, and actually moving when it wants to be. Besides the fine performances the movie looks very good too. Art direction, costumes and cinematography all add to the quality of the movie and Jan A.P. Kaczmarek's score fits the events perfectly. It is there, giving a scene strength without us really realizing it. 'Finding Neverland' is one of 2004's best movies.