Finding Neverland

He is the irrepressible spirit of youth.

Under pressure due to his success, in a token socialite marriage, playwright J.M. Barrie is less than enamoured with his lot. Then whilst out walking his dog in Kensington Gardens, he meets widowed Sylvia Llewelyn Davies and her four young sons, George, Jack, Peter and Michael. It is the start of a long lasting friendship that revitalises Barrie and brings about his masterpiece, Peter Pan.

OK, lets get the grumble out the way, you know the one, the one that so many are quick to mention. No this is not a definitive take on J.M. Barrie and this time in his life. Much like Allan Knee's play, "The Man Who Was Peter Pan", from which this is adapted, there are liberties taken and it's most definitely...

It can be just a little bit twee at times, this, but it's still quite an enjoyable look at the inspiration behind J.M. Barrie's timeless "Peter Pan". We start inauspiciously, though, as his latest play garners mediocre reviews. The pressure is on - he (Johnny Depp) must write something successful else risk his relationship with impresario Frohman (the very sparingly used Dustin Hoffman). Luckily, he encounters some children in the park playing with their mother "Sylvia" (Kate Winslet) and there starts a friendship that sees them all, and their dog "Nana", provide him with some much needed food for thought. There are some flies in his ointment, though. The young "Peter" (Freddie Highmore) still craves the return of their late father and her ...