Review: Finding Neverland

Posted by: Tom Milroy  •  November 12, 2004 @ 11:59am

Filed under: Reviews

Johnny Depp is not the best actor in the whole wide world, but he's in the top 5. Whether he's playing Ed Wood or Ed Scissorhands, he brings a touch of class to every movie. In Finding Neverland, he is J.M. Barrie, the man who brought us "Peter Pan".

We learn early on that his marriage needs help. J.M. and the missus, played by Radha Mitchell (Man on Fire, Phone Booth) are living in the same house, but don't sleep in the same bed or even in the same room. He strikes up a relationship with the widow Sylvia Llewelyn-Davies â€" as played by Kate Winslet â€" and her four sons, one of them named Peter, as played by a fabulous kid named Freddie Highmore.

There's also a fine performance by Julie Christie, who at 63, gets to act her age. She plays Kate Winslet's domineering mother. Dustin Hoffman has a small role as the producer of J.M. Barrie's plays. Hoffman must love Peter Pan â€" he was Captain Hook in 1991's Hook.

There are several nice moments in Neverland, but it's never maudlin, and if there's a moral to be found here, perhaps it's that it's all right to never grow up.

This movie was directed by Marc Forster. His credits include Monster's Ball, which earned Halle Berry an Oscar in 2001.