An Education Film, but Ultimately Overrated and Boring at Times

Rating: 3/10 (28 January 2005)

I'm a bit baffled as to why this film is so popular with critics. It's not really connecting with mainstream audiences and didn't really work for me. My largest complaint about the film is that it is a bit slow and boring. Don't take your kids to it, expecting to see "Peter Pan." This is an adults film only. FINDING NEVERLAND is not a horrible film, either. It's educational in the sense that it brings to viewer back 100 years in time to a different era. Those that are "Peter Pan" fans may be interested in learning how the play was written. Overall, the performances were a bit lackluster, although Depp does his best.
Another major problem for me is that I had a lot of trouble sympathizing for Barre (Deppe). From the first scene in the film, it is made clear that he doesn't care much for his wife and his only true love is the young boys in the film. I also find it disturbing that Barre was alleged to be a child molester, an issue that the film just glazes over. Like Michael Jackson, we have no concrete proof of this, but I would not have wanted to leave my kids alone with Barre anymore than sending them to the "Neverland Ranch."