Minority opinion

Rating: 6/10 (28 December 2004)

Finding Neverland (2004), directed by Marc Forster, has received high scores and rave reviews on IMDb. This review represents a minority opinion. I found the movie shallow, the acting mediocre, and the ending obvious.
The one strong aspect of the film has been noted by an earlier reviewer--it allows a glimpse into the mind of a creative artist. JM Barrie takes bits and pieces from real life, and turns them into Peter Pan. Interesting, but let's remember that what he created wasn't exactly King Lear.
Johnny Depp has great cheekbones, Kate Winslet suffers beautifully, and Julie Christie demonstrates that true beauty is independent of age. Dustin Hoffman, as Barrie's long-suffering producer, was the only actor for whom I would have wished more screen time. The child actors were adequate, but then so was the dog.
I think this movie is too mature for children, too childish for adults, and not right for anyone. Don't say you weren't warned!