Finding Neverland

Rating: 9/10 (9 May 2012)

I don't know whether the events of Finding Neverland actually occurred or are fictionalized in this account of playwright J. M. Barrie's life. Forgive me for lazy journalism, but I don't care, and I don't want to know. A good film is a good film is a good film, regardless of whether it actually happened or not. And I can't help but think that such an lovingly crafted film as Finding Neverland - one with wit, wonder, and a sense of magic - is better left ambiguous.
Johnny Depp plays Barrie, the playwright best known for writing Peter Pan, as a true gentleman. He's charming and friendly, all right, but in true Depp style, he's also an odd creature. For better or for worse, Barrie doesn't live in reality: he lives in Neverland, a land of pirates and Indians and fairies. In everyone else's version of reality, he's an unhappily married playwright with a floundering career. In short, he wished he hadn't grown up. To this end, he's befriended a widow (Kate Winslet) and her family of four precocious children (Freddie Highmore, Nick Roud, Joe Prospero, and Luke Spill), who he spends his afternoons with make believing.
What strikes me is how well-meaning all of the characters are in Finding Neverland. There are no true villains or antagonists. Barrie is apathetic in his marriage, but he never stops loving her or wishes to divorce. Mrs. Barrie (Radha Mitchell) is upset with her husband's seeming affection for Winslet's character, Sylvia, but she gives him numerous chances to repair their relationship. The theater financier (Dustin Hoffman, in a fun supporting role) seems greedy and grumpy, but ultimately admits the play is genius. Even Sylvia's mother (Julie Christie), who's antagonistic towards Barrie at every turn, is acting out of love. It's pleasant to see a movie so lost in the clouds firmly rooted in reality, for in our own lives, is there anyone truly despicable, who's motives can be written off as "simply hates the world"?
Finding Neverland's beating heart is Depp's relationships with Winslet and her most troubled and volatile son, Peter, played by Freddie Highmore. Depp and Winslet have no apparent romantic feelings for each other. The movie doesn't presume to create a romance story, but it weaves a heartfelt love story all the same. As Peter, Freddie Highmore displays a sense of vulnerability that's absolutely heart-wrenching, and, much to Highmore's confusion, Depp becomes a loving surrogate father. I won't spoil the ending, but it's safe to say that Depp, Highmore, and especially Winslet deliver poignant, heartbreaking performances.
The film is perfectly paced by director Marc Forster, and the music makes your heart soar while seeming as light as a feather; look for traces of perhaps Forrest Gump and Millions in the score. One of the additional delights of Finding Neverland are all the connections to Peter Pan. The play has never been better when bits and pieces are lovingly shown here, and Barrie's inspiration for the scenes and characters make for a remarkable game of connect the dots. A