Released 2004
Stars Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie, Nick Roud, Radha Mitchell, Joe Prospero, Freddie Highmore, Dustin Hoffman, Luke Spill, Kelly Macdonald
Directed by Marc Foster

If it's Disney (or its subsidiary, Miramax), it must be "inspired by true events." Or maybe it just seems that way. Those words, which appear in a caption at the beginning, are chose with care. Finding Neverland uses strands of historical fact to weave a story that is largely fictional. Yes, J.M. Barrie did write "Peter Pan," and, yes, many of the characters in the film existed, but this is predominantly a soft-ball approach to the inspiration that led Barrie to write his most famous play. For one thing, it almost completely ignores sex, which was certainly a fundamental element in Barrie's life. (The issue of pedophilia, which has dogged Barrie's reputation for a century, is briefly mentioned, then quickly dismissed, as if it isn't worth contemplation.) Still, even considering the liberties taken with the known record (and I have often said that movies should not be constrained by the same rules that govern history books), the end result is compelling and life-affirming.

The story is a nice mixture of drama, fantasy, romance, and tragedy, with no hints of some of the ugliness that marred the real J.M. Barrie's reputation. Barrie (Johnny Depp) is at the nadir of his creative powers, having just bombed with his latest play, when he encounters Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (Kate Winslet) and her four boys: Peter, George, Jack, and Michael. Barrie strikes up a quick friendship with the Davies family, and soon is viewed by the boys as a favorite uncle. Suspicious of his new relationship with the children and their mother are Barrie's wife, Mary, and Sylvia's mother, Mrs. Du Maurier. This association frees the block on Barrie's creativity and he begins to develop "Peter Pan," which would be his most successful stage production.

Summary by James Berardinelli

The first half of this movie is very dry, and I didn't find it all that involving. Once the stage production of "Peter Pan" begins, however, the movie becomes magical. I love seeing a recreation of how a beloved story came to life, and this quasi-recreation is excellent. This movie plays so loosely with the facts, it's hard to tell what actually happened, but the idea of planting orphans in the audience for opening night was a stroke of genius. I hope that part was true, because it was inspired. Without those kids, the stuffed shirts in the audience would have killed that play, and we probably never would have heard of Peter Pan. Their laughs are infectious, and the wonder on their faces is enchanting. If I had been in that audience, I know I would have come back with my kids to see it again.