A Ghost Story for Peter Pan

Rating: 8/10 (1 February 2009)

I really liked how writer Sergio G. Sanchez took the tale of Peter Pan and loosely adapted it around a ghost story about lost children. The way he paralleled the story of Pan to his own wasn't overt, but subtleas if it merely augmented a richer meaning behind the story of the lost boys. In the case of The Orphanage, the story is about lost childrenboth boys and girls.
In one aspect, the story's subtext is about piratesthose who search for buried treasure. Sanchez provides a series of clues (i.e. images/scenes) for the audience themselves to become pirates as they, too, piece together these cluesone by onein order to obtain the treasure of the overall story: its meaning. In other words, there is no seemingly pointless images/scenes/dialogue in this film. Everything is used as a clue to help the audience embark on a pirate's quest for buried treasure.
For example, the scene where Simon and Laura go on a treasure hunt to find Simon's coins sets up the story parallel between Peter Pan and the story that grew from itThe Orphanage. Simon tells his mother that his imaginary friends (e.g. the lost children) stole his coins and hid them. If he is successful in following the clues and retaining his coins, his friends will grant him a wish. She doesn't believe him but humors him anyway. It's interesting that Laura only begins to believe in her son's imaginary friends when something she holds precious (i.e. her son) is taken from her. It reminded me of how easy it is to lose the gift of believing when you become an adult. Adults typically have the tendency to treat most things with weary, skeptical eyes.
The challenge, then, is for adults to reclaim that sacred treasure of believing. Sadly, however, they usually have to be threatened with death before they start believing. In Laura's case, she must be threatened with the possibility that her son is dead before she starts a serious investigation to find her sonto find the qualities she used to possess as a child. Another example that helps the viewer become a pirate looking for treasure is when the orphans play the game of "1, 2, 3, knock on the wall." It seems like a somewhat arbitrary game to play, but it actually helps provide a clue that foreshadows a later scene when Laura attempts to summon the orphans back from the dead. She needs to talk to the orphans that haunt her house because she feels they can help lead her to her son.
The trick, though, is that in order for her to get what she wants, she has to help the orphans get what they wantand what they want is a mother to care for them. Laura is like Wendy of Peter Pan; a girl who left the Neverland orphanage when she was young, grew up, lost her child-like imagination and stopped believing in fantasies. When she left the orphanage, she left her friendsshe died (e.g. separated) from them. It's as if her friends are now haunting her because they're asking her to awaken herselfstart believing againbut most importantly, to be a mother to themlike Wendy of the lost boys. The only way they are able to make their plight strong enough for Laura to understand is by placing what she values most in jeopardy. Only then will she be prepared to accept the responsibility of caring for the lost children, because she would then know what it's like to lose a child. The lost children have lost a motherhave lost a person to care for them. It's really quite a profound story when you think about it.
It is the story of a person losing something as valuable as buried treasure; then going on a journey to reclaim that treasure by following clues along the way; gaining a deep sense of empathy in the process; finding that treasure in the end, and finally, taking on the role of Sheppardcaring for those around you who are currently lost and looking for treasure. Though the specifics of what we treasure may differ from person to person, I think it's safe to say that we all have taken this journey, and are yet currently in the process of searching for what we value most. Because of these things, The Orphanage is a story that is universally applicable to all.