Its the story of a strange(by today’s standards) relationship between Mr. Barrett(a playwright), Ms. Sylvia(a widow) and her four children, set in early 20th century London. Its the age when there was no cinema, and theater was very matured and popular.
Barrett(John Depp) is just out of a a creative low (a big flop play) that any artist goes through. Before he gives some food for thought, he smoothly homes his mind and spirit in a father-less family with four kids. The kids’ world becomes his 24x7 muse.
Barrett shows the beauty of imagination by creating fairy-tale games for the kids, and all the while observing (and reacting to) the cognitive(and emotional) dimensions of the family. This is not toally unconditional because Barrett multithreads this new experience by creating his next play, Peter-Pan on stage... which becomes a runaway success.
All the while, there are the usual societal pressures of being involved with another family. But, all this seems immaterial to our naive hero who is only physically existent in this normal world.
Finding Neverland’s beauty is its screenplay. The unconditional(say, asexual) love between Barrett and Sylvia, though fantastic is made believable and moving by the undercurrents provided by various checkpoints in the screenplay. The scenes between Barrett and Peter(the most matured of Sylvia’s sons) are heart-rendering.
Few strokes of genius in screenplay like:
Inviting 25 orphans to the premier of the show and dispersing them across the ’’mature’’ audience to evoke the ’’child’’ in everybody
Showing ’’Neverland’’ to Sylvia at her home during the pre-climax scenes
Summarizing Peter the beauty of ’’believing in imagining’’ in the climax
would take this movie one step closer to the ’’Best Adapted Screenplay’’ award.
Finding Neverland would give a tough standing to its competitiors in all its seven nominations at the Academy. I dont know what chances John Depp has at the Oscars, because I havent seen the other Oscar nominations yet. But, yes.. Depp’s maturity(and range) as an actor is quite evident with this wonderfully subdued performance after displaying his flamboyance in his last year’s Oscar nomination, The Pirates of the Carribean.
Go, get enchanted by the magic of Finding Neverland, but remember to take the ’’child’’ in you with you.... Where can your imagination take you? Well, Find Neverland.