Finding Neverland (2004)

Coming Out at 29 October 2004 in theaters.

Biography, Drama, Family

Finding Neverland is historical fantasy drama film directed by Marc Forster and written by David Magee, based on the 1988 play The Man Who Was Peter Pan by Allan Knee. The film is about playwright J. M. Barrie and his relationship with a family who inspired him to create Peter Pan. The film earned seven nominations at the 77th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor for Johnny Depp, and won for Best Original Score. The film was the inspiration for the stage musical of the same name in 2012.

Following the dismal reception of his latest play, Little Mary, Barrie meets the widowed Sylvia and her four young sons (George, Jack, Peter and Michael) in Kensington Gardens, and a strong, close friendship develops among them. He proves to be a great playmate and surrogate father figure for the boys, and their imaginative antics give him ideas which he incorporates into a play about boys who do not want to grow up, especially one named after troubled young Peter Llewelyn Davies. Although Barrie sees this family as wonderful and inspirational, people question his relationship with the Llewelyn Davies family. Sylvia was a widow: her husband died from cancer and left her with four boys to bring up on her own.

Barrie’s wife Mary, who eventually divorces him, and Sylvia’s mother Emma du Maurier, object to the amount of time Barrie spends with the Llewelyn Davies family. Emma also seeks to control her daughter and grandsons, especially as Sylvia becomes increasingly weak from an unidentified illness. Along the way, Barrie goes on adventures with Sylvia and her boys. He too is a boy at heart and spending time with the family is special. Barrie takes those adventures he has with the boys and makes them into a play called Peter Pan.

Director: Marc Forster

Writers: Allan Knee (play), David Magee

Stars: Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie, Radha Mitchell, Dustin Hoffman, Freddie Highmore, Joe Prospero

Cast:

Johnny Depp	…	Sir James Matthew Barrie
Kate Winslet	…	Sylvia Llewelyn Davies
Julie Christie	…	Mrs. Emma du Maurier
Radha Mitchell	…	Mary Ansell Barrie
Dustin Hoffman	…	Charles Frohman
Freddie Highmore	…	Peter Llewelyn Davies
Joe Prospero	…	Jack Llewelyn Davies
Nick Roud	…	George Llewelyn Davies
Luke Spill	…	Michael Llewelyn Davies
Ian Hart	…	Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Kelly Macdonald	…	‘Peter Pan’
Mackenzie Crook	…	Mr. Jaspers – Usher
Eileen Essell	…	Mrs. Snow
Jimmy Gardner	…	Mr. Snow
Oliver Fox	…	Gilbert Cannan
Angus Barnett	…	‘Nana’ / Mr. Reilly
Toby Jones	…	‘Smee’
Kate Maberly	…	‘Wendy’
Matt Green	…	‘John’
Catrin Rhys	…	‘Michael Darling’
Tim Potter	…	‘Hook’ / Lord Carlton
Jane Booker	…	‘Mrs. Darling’
Paul Whitehouse	…	Stage Manager
Catherine Cusack	…	Sarah
Kali Peacock	…	Emma
Robert Oates	…	Cottage Doctor
Nicholas Pritchard	…	Hospital Doctor
Jonathan Cullen	…	Doctor Brighton
Raymond Waring	…	Stage Worker
Laura Duguid	…	Theater Patron 1
Sevan Stephan	…	Theater Patron 2
Rosie Ede	…	Theater Patron 3
Richard Braine	…	Theater Patron 4
Tobias Menzies	…	Theater Patron 5
Murray McArthur	…	Stagehand
Charlotte Birmingham	…	Orphan
Cora Harrison	…	Orphan
Jack Birmingham	…	Orphan
Sacha Janes	…	Orphan
Chelsea Carpenter	…	Orphan
Keeley Janes	…	Orphan
Luciano Cusack	…	Orphan
Stella King	…	Orphan
Serafina Cusack	…	Orphan
Jake Roche	…	Orphan
Claudia Davidson	…	Orphan
Molly Whitehouse	…	Orphan
Noah Harrison	…	Orphan
Sophie Whitehouse	…	Orphan
Eden Harrison	…	Orphan
Tony Way	…	Set Mover
Greg Bennett	…	Theatre Goer
Kiri Bloom	…	Miss Snow
Gabriel Currington	…	Conductor
David Decio	…	Charles Frohman’s Theatre Usher
Ray Donn	…	Theater Guest
Marc Forster	…	Costume Room Worker
Paul Hornsby	…	Laughing Man at Cricket Match
Suzy Kewer	…	Mary McCormack
Jackson Payne	…	The Cricketer
William Tomlin	…	Lost Boy
Julz West	…	Lost Boy

Sources: imdb & wikipedia