There's no wonder why Finding Neverland movie was nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Picture - Drama, Best Actor in a Leading Role - Drama, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. Johnny Depp played one of his best roles yet as Sir James Matthew Barrie, a play writer who wrote the very famous children's book 'Peter Pan'.
Sir Barrie is a playwright with magnificent imagination and only those with the imagination such as himself and truly enjoys his plays. The townspeople think he is crazy because they are used to the more traditional plays that are depicted on stage and not by imagination. At the very beginning of the movie the director shows Johnny Depp's ability see and imagine things that no one else can by showing the audience being down poured with rain. Sir Barrie comes across a widow with four young boys, one of which will be the inspiration of his story, Peter.
Throughout the story Mr. Barrie attempts to have Peter, who has seemingly lost his imagination due to his father's death, regain his imagination and to enjoy life a little bit more. Sir Barrie realizes that the only way he's going to get the townspeople to enjoy his plays is to invite children to be strategically placed throughout the theater to showcase their enjoyment of his play. Once the grown-ups realize what the children are laughing at they begin to view the play as the children do, therefore turning it into a success.
If you have enjoyed reading or watching Peter Pan, than you'll surely enjoy this movie and if not... wait that's impossible everyone likes Peter Pan.
"Finding Neverland" opens November 12, 2004 and is rated PG. Drama. Directed by Marc Forster. Written by Alan Knee & David Magee. Starring Dustin Hoffman, Freddie Highmore, Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Radha Mitchell.
