Finding Neverland

Rating: 7/10 (8 January 2008)

I had seen a trailer for this film, and thought it looked quite interesting, the story of how one of children's' most loved stories came about, from BAFTA (the David Lean Award for Direction) and Golden Globe nominated director Marc Forster (Monster's Ball). Basically, in London, 1903, play writer Sir James Matthew Barrie/J.M. Barrie (Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated Johnny Depp) has a complete lack of inspiration, and his latest play is pretty much a failure. The one day in the park he meets the children of widow Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (BAFTA nominated Kate Winslet), and after a little while James becomes a close friend of the family, and they have wonderful days playing games using their imaginations. James also gains his inspiration from muse Sylvia, and her lovable children, and he writes the successful play (and story) about "Peter Pan and Neverland". Also starring BAFTA nominated Julie Christie as Mrs. Emma Du Maurier, Radha Mitchell as Mary Ansell Barrie, Dustin Hoffman as Charles Frohman, Ian Hart as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Eileen Essell as Mrs. Snow, The Fast Show's Paul Whitehouse as Stage Manager, Freddie Highmore as Peter Llewelyn Davies, Joe Prospero as Jack Llewelyn Davies, Nick Roud as George Llewelyn Davies, Luke Spill as Michael Llewelyn Davies, Kelly Macdonald as "Peter Pan", Mackenzie Crook as Mr. Jaspers - Usher and Tony Way as Set Mover. It is really clever with the family and James using their imagination, e.g. for a pirate ship adventure, and it has its emotional moments (obviously Sylvia's death the big one), a good biographical film. It won the Oscar for Best Music for Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, and it was nominated for Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Editing, Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay and Best Motion Picture of the Year, it was nominated the BAFTAs for the Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Make Up/Hair, Best Production Design, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film, and it was nominated the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Original Score and Best Screenplay. Kate Winslet was number 55, and Johnny Depp number 22 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, Depp was also number 9 on The 100 Greatest Sex Symbols, Winslet was number 2 on The 50 Greatest British Actresses, and she was number 29, and Depp number 2 on The World's Greatest Actor. Very good!