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There are times
when I try to understand what it is that
fuels my love of film. As a child, I immersed
myself in movies and plays, and as I grew
older I found myself not only in watching
them but acting in them as well. Once the
acting bug was sated, I opted to learn as
much as I could about set and light design.
Then I turned my attention to the art of
special effects and monster making. It wasn’t
until recently that I discovered a goodly
portion of what fueled that fire. It was
in the simple fact that while I had indeed
grown older, I had never grown up.
Now for many that might seem to be an admission
of some deep psychosis which would cause
them to seek counseling. But that could
not be farther from the truth for me. Instead
I choose to embrace that somewhat childish
nature. Or at least the one part about it
that is so sweet. The part known as…
‘having an imagination.’ Far
too many of my friends who have ‘grown
up’ over the years seem to have lost
that simple pleasure, and I see it in their
pained faces every time we get together.
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They are so wrapped up in the everyday problems
of life, that they fail to see the magic in the
world… both real and imagined.
This isn’t to say that I shy away from life’s
adversities. I just face them as best I can, and
though they admittedly get the best of me from
time to time, for the most part I get by. When
things are at their worst, however, I can always
rely on a good movie, or even better… a
good book… to get me through. And life’s
adversities always seem a little less adverse
when you’re in a brighter overall mood.
What got me on this little road of discovery was
a little move that almost didn’t get released.
It was a movie all about, oddly enough, never
growing up and the wonder of the imagination.
The movie? “Finding Neverland.”
I first heard of “Finding Neverland”
a few years back, and was excited if for no other
reason than the fact that it starred Johnny Depp.
I understood it was to be a “Peter Pan”
story of sorts, or rather a semi-fictional look
at J.M. Barrie, the author who created the precocious
character. It was supposed to be release around
the same time as Universal’s live action
“Peter Pan”, but was temporarily shelved
for some reason or the other. I had almost forgotten
about it until last year when it finally hit theatres,
and surprisingly enough garnered enough attention
to warrant Depp a second Academy Award nomination.
When Johnny Depp hit the entertainment scene in
“21 Jump Street”, most people, myself
included, dismissed him as just another ‘pretty
boy’, who was destined to be a has-been.
Little did we know how badly he wanted to shed
that image and prove himself as an actor. Once
he left the show, he started accepting parts like
the title characters in “Edward Scissorhands”,
“Benny and Joon” as well as the delusional
Don Juan in “Don Juan DeMarco,” Depp
started distinguishing himself as a strong character
actor. Over his illustrious career, he has continued
to use his chameleon-like abilities to literally
‘become’ the characters he portrays.
Just look at his approach to playing Hunter Thompson
in Terry Gilliam’s “Fear and Loathing
in Las Vegas.” It is as left field as I’ve
ever seen him, a veritable a tour-de-force of
maniacal tics, leering stares, and drugged-out
insanity. I can keep going by mentioning newer
films like “Pirates of the Carribean”,
but I think you get the picture. In “Finding
Neverland”, Depp delivers a much more reserved
and quiet performance than he has in recent times.
This in itself was impressive as the character
has so many childlike characteristics, including
quite the active imagination.
The story revolves around Barrie’s sometimes
questionable friendship with a widow and her four
young boys. Barrie himself was married at the
time, so his intentions were often questioned.
In truth, his own marriage was crumbling, and
what he found in his ‘adopted’ family
was a muse of sorts who enabled him to work his
way past a series of theatrical flops and write
what was considered to be considered one of his
greatest works… “Peter Pan.”
I was so enchanted by “Finding Neverland”,
that it boggled my mind that there was ever any
consideration to shelve it. Even more so, it had
to have caused some of the studio suits to question
their decision making skills when the film found
itself nominated for several Academy Awards. All
of the nominations were well-deserved as far as
I’m concerned.
What surprised me even more was that I spoke with
several friends who somehow didn’t ‘get’
the film. And to be fair, I can understand why.
“Finding Neverland” succeeded in telling
a magical story in a magical way. Oftimes the
film would shift its focus into Barrie’s
imagination, and the viewer would find him or
herself looking at what appeared to be scenes
in a play that were occurring in the real world,
and it would switch back and forth. It was beautifully
done, but could easily be lost on those without
the imagination to appreciate it.
When the DVD was released recently, I couldn’t
have been happier. It was one of the films I had
most looked forward to seeing in 2004, but had
sadly missed. Along with the film itself, there
were some wonderful little extra features that
fit tight into the mood of the film, including
a look at the making of it and some interesting
deleted scenes. There were also some hysterical
outtakes that gave one the feeling that working
on the film was a true joy.
While “Finding Neverland” may not
have been the best picture of 2004, it proudly
and deservedly stands amongst the top 5.
Starring: Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie,
Radha Mitchell, Dustin Hoffman, Freddie Highmore,
Joe Prospero, Nick Roud, Luke Spill
Extras: Audio commentary with director Marc Forster,
producer Richard Gladstein, and writer David Magee,
Featurette: "The Magic of Finding Neverland",
Featurette: "Creating Neverland", Deleted
scenes with optional commentary, Outtakes, Film
première: "On the Red Carpet"
Specifications: Widescreen (2.35:1), Dolby Digital
5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Miramax
Release Date: 3/22/2005
Region 1
MPAA Rating: PG
Website
We'll give Finding Neverland an A+.
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