Finding Neverland (Movie Review)

It's rare that my mother and I agree on a movie, but we did on Finding Neverland (2004). It's charming, well-written and even — at times — a bit sad.

The film chronicles J.M. Barrie's composition of his theatrical magnum opus, Peter Pan, and it does so by capturing his childlike sensibilities without ignoring the political backdrop during which it was written (early 1900s).

In fact, Barrie's relationship with the Davies family was frequently called into question; in part because he was married but remained close with the Davies mother... in part because he spent so much time with the boys, which led to accusations of pederast (though all five boys, even in adulthood, denied any inappropriate conduct on Barrie's part).

As a film based on actual events, my only complaint is that Finding Neverland painted Barrie and the Davies children in perhaps too fond a light, given what happened to them all after Peter Pan (two of the Davies — including Peter himself — later went on to kill themselves, and a third died in WW I). But this film isn't about that, after all, and if it was... it wouldn't have been anywhere near as light, nor as touching.

Still, certainly worth a watch, particularly if you like films that make you smile all the while tugging a bit on your heartstrings.

And if that doesn't work for you: Johnny Depp does a killer Scottish accent.

FINAL GRADE: B+