Liked it

Rating: 7/10 (1 January 2005)

The big Oscar push has been on for Johnny Depp in Finding Neverland, and while I've seen better male lead performances this year, Depp still gives a fine performance as J.M. Barrie, and the movie itself ends up being very heartwarming. The movie focuses on the inspiration gained by Barrie to write Peter Pan, and a fine ensemble cast led by Kate Winslet helps to show how Barrie gained a family along with a great play, regaining a sense of childhood innocence along the way. Neverland is more closely associated with Michael Jackson these days, and a reference to a similar scandal is hinted at about halfway through the film, but quickly brushed aside. I had a bit of a problem picking up Depp's dialogue at times, he seemed to fall to much into the accent, but it wasn't enough to be a major distraction.