Every year there is one movie that promises a full-fledged regression to feeling the vulnerability of being a child, which causes weeping and the necessity of tissue - the whole nine yards. This year that movie is "Finding Neverland."
"Finding Neverland" is not about Michael Jackson and his famed white glove. It is not about tripping on acid or anything of that nature. It is about a struggling artist finding inspiration in the beautiful things in life. And as much as I wanted to be too cool for this sickeningly sweet film, I was too moved to move.
"Finding Neverland" is a film about the playwright J.M. Barrie. At the beginning of the film we find an anxious Barrie (played by Johnny Depp), who has lost his ability to write a good play. The ink has dried.
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During a chance encounter, he meets Sylvia Davies and her four boys, George, Jack, Michael and Peter. Immediately, they form a bond with Barrie, who is in need of friendship and inspiration since his wife has become increasingly distant and his talent is constantly under scrutiny. The Davies family is also in need of friendship since their patriarch recently passed away.
Barrie begins spending every moment he can with Sylvia and her boys and later becomes inspired to write "Peter Pan."
Although there were - and are currently - rumors that J.M. Barrie was a bit of a pedophile, the movie does not stoop to that level. It just shows Barrie as an artist who was able to relate to children because of his creative tendencies and his unwavering willingness to use his imagination. "Neverland" leaves the rumors for a possible Lifetime made-for-TV movie.
The intelligence of the film comes out of the writing and directing. The whole movie is sentimental, but stops just shy of cheesy. Director Marc Forster's use of somewhat computerized visual images used to emulate the human mind during the "imagination scenes" was very well done. The dialogue seemed real and compelling and the acting was phenomenal.
Not once was I embarrassed to be in the theater. Well, except when the lady next to me was weeping openly and loudly. But I can't blame the filmmakers entirely for that.
If for no other reason, see this film for Johnny Depp. His performance is brilliant and for once I was convinced of his accent. (It's much better than it was in "Sleepy Hollow" or "From Hell.") While he got an Oscar nomination last year, he is still an extremely underrated actor. His subtle transformation to become J.M. Barrie was seamless. And the fact that he is jaw-droppingly gorgeous is just icing on the cake.
I understand the reluctance to see a movie whose tagline is "Unlock Your Imagination." But perhaps we should all allow ourselves to regress, just for two hours, and remember what it feels like to be a kid.