Finding Neverland, a review by Antares
Finding Neverland (2004)
3.5/5 - My childhood years were spent on athletic fields, and not much time was spent playing fanciful, imaginative role playing games with other children. So it may come as no surprise that I have never read
Peter Pan nor seen Disney's famous animated film of the same name. But after watching this rather creative and fanciful tale of the story's creation and creator, I'm probably going to give it a whirl. Granted, the historical aspects of the screenplay are dubious at best, but by the end of the film, I was bawling like a baby. There are moments that tend to drag just a bit, but it is all worth it once you get to the end of the story. There are two truly priceless moments that come towards the end of the film and should been seen by anyone who enjoys a creative twist to telling a story. The first comes when the author sets aside 25 tickets on opening night for selected children from an orphanage to come and see the play. They are randomly seated throughout the theater, and their presence is at first, looked upon with a sense of disdain by the entirely adult, upper class patrons who are there. But as the play begins, their spontaneous moments of giddy joy, break down the icy veneer of the adults, and for the remainder of the play, help to revert the adults to an earlier, innocent time in their lives, and this makes the play's opening night a success. The other moment deals with the death of a character, and due to being a an important spoiler in the film, I won't go into it. But it is used as a transition to a beautiful and touching scene involving the author and one of the children who was the inspiration for Peter Pan's character in the book. It takes place on a park bench and serves as a defining moment, not only in the author's life, but in the child's life also. As I said earlier, by this moment in the film, not only was I was shedding copious amounts of tears over the subject matter, but also at how beautifully created these scenes were projected. Some will probably say that it was all blatantly manipulative, and maybe it is, but I feel sorry for these people, because it is done so magnificently. I gave it a 3.5 rating out of 5, but it's a high 3.5. I would have rated it higher, but at times, the film become a little too fanciful and it can be a little too saccharine. But that being said, I recommend it to anyone with a powerful or creative imagination, it can make you feel young again.
(From Antares' Short Summations on October 9th, 2013)
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May 14, 2024, 10:46:43 PM
