Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1142 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-03-14
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, German, Italian, Spanish
• Dubbed in: German, Italian, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 97 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Sweetness that doesn't turn saccharine is hard to find these days; Finding Neverland hits the mark. Much credit is due to the actors: Johnny Depp applies his genius for sly whimsy in his portrayal of playwright J. M. Barrie, who finds inspiration for his greatest creation from four lively boys, the sons of widow Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (Kate Winslet, who miraculously fuses romantic yearning with common sense). Though the friendship threatens his already dwindling marriage, Barrie spends endless hours with the boys, pretending to be pirates or Indians--and gradually the elements of Peter Pan take shape in his mind. The relationship between Barrie and the Llewelyn Davies family sparks both an imagined world and a quiet rebellion against the stuffy forces of respectability, given physical form by Barrie's resentful wife (Radha Mitchell, High Art) and Sylvia's mother (Julie Christie, McCabe and Mrs. Miller). This gentle silliness could have turned to treacle, but Depp and Winslet--along with newcomer Freddie Highmore as one of the boys--keep their feet on the earth while their eyes gaze into their dreams. Also featuring a comically crusty turn from Dustin Hoffman (who appeared in another Peter Pan-themed movie, Hook) as a long-suffering theater producer. --Bret Fetzer

Synopsis
Most people know the story of Peter Pan, the boy who refused to grow up. Director Marc Forster's (MONSTER'S BALL) FINDING NEVERLAND delves deeper, depicting a fictionalised account of the family and events that inspired the classic tale. At the turn of the 20th Century, Scottish playwright J.M. Barrie's (Johnny Depp) latest play in London has flopped almost as badly as his marriage to stature-seeking Mary (Radha Mitchell). During one of his frequent excursions to the park with his dog, Barrie meets four young boys and their recently widowed mother, Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (Kate Winslet). Soon Barrie becomes a frequent playmate to the children, using the boys' imagination to take them on fanciful adventures. He also becomes a friend and confidante to the overwhelmed Sylvia, much to the dismay of her overbearing mother (Julie Christie). Barrie's active imagination and interaction with the family inspires 'Peter Pan', a play that celebrates the child in everyone and the importance of believing in fantasies and miracles. A droll and amusing Dustin Hoffman appears as American Charles Frohman, Barrie's producer. The film also features young Freddie Highmore as Peter Llewelyn Davies, the inspiration for Barrie's title character.

Customer Reviews

Appreciated
I watched this film first on the plane to Gran Canaria! And as far an inflight entertainment goes it was perfect! It really set the right mood for my holiday! When I got home i bought it on DVD!

It's such a poignant film which really moves you. Its also educational as it tells you how Peter Pan came about. But above all it has teh perfect acting duo of Kate Winslet and Johnny Depp. They compliment each other beautifully and really tell a story. It's a heart warming family film, which may make you cry due to some saddening content, but thats over ridden by the rest of the film anyway.

A genuinly lovely film.

The best film ever... Full stop.
I bought this film on the day of release and still to this day I think about it and it warms my heart. Johnny Depp is the best actor of our time, his performance as Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie is, in my opinion, his best performance and he will have to go a while to better it.
Michael, played by Luke Spill (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), is an amazing actor for such a young age and has a great future ahead of him. I know Johnny Depp is very impressed with his performance and credits him as one of his best friends.
The soundtrack to this film will last a lifetime, it honestly does create a tone to this film which is breathtaking, I cant help but have a lump in my throat when i listen to Peter Pan Overture.
Please take my advice - watch this film!

Do you believe?
FINDING NEVERLAND has proven to be the perfect film for Christmas or New Year. Although I am not a fan of Peter Pan or J. M. Barrie's other work, this film is truly beautiful and touching.

Johnny Depp plays the playwright, Barrie who is struggling to find the right magical ingredient for his plays. Then, a chance meeting with a widow (Kate Winslet) and her four sons in the park opens up his life and gives him the opportunity to find what is missing.
It is through this relationship with the boys that he is able to explore his own imagination, whilst at the same time igniting theirs, and so bringing the six of them closer together.
Yet, while Barrie's relationship with the boys' mother remains platonic, because of the times they live, people soon begin to talk, especially as Barrie is married yet spends more time with this family rather than his own wife.
Rightly or wrongly, Barrie does not sacrifice his friendship. Because of this, he is able to create Peter Pan - a play which saves his public image, and a play that enables him to give something to Sylvia at the end of the film.

FINDING NEVERLAND is turly a lovely film; one that surprises and delights in equal measure. The cast are brilliant. Depp and Winslet are both excellent. Likewise, the supporting cast help to make this film, each bringing something to their individual characters, making the whole thing more real. The examination of Barrie's relationship with his wife, for example, is very well handled - the actress expertly putting across the image of a woman who feels that she is being made a fool of by her husband's public display of friendhsip towards another female. And the actress who plays Winslet's mother also creates a formidable character, whose personality and motivations are brilliantly portrayed.

As a heartwarming film to watch, with an added bit of magic, that never falls into the trap of being too sickly sweet, this film hits all the marks.