The Original Lost Boy

Rating: 8/10 (9 January 2005)

"Finding Neverland" is the bittersweet story of J.M. Barrie, the creator of "Peter Pan." In this movie, Barrie is played by Johnny Depp, in a subdued but satisfying performance. He plays Barrie as an eccentric who goes against the conventions of Edwardian society. In the story, Barrie had just seen his latest play flop, and is suffering through a loveless marriage. Then he finds inspiration after meeting Sylvia Llewellyn-Davies, a sickly widow played by Kate Winslet, and her four sons. The story switches between bright fantasy and a bleak reality. The best fantasy sequence sees Barrie and his friends aboard a pirate ship, sailing on a sea of stage waves. The touching climax comes when Sylvia falls ill, and is too sick to attend the premiere of "Peter Pan," so the cast gives her a private performance in her home. Watching the movie, you realize that Barrie himself was the sort who just didn't want to grow up. That is something that can speak to us all.