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"FINDING NEVERLAND"
 (2004) (Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet) (PG)

Alcohol/
Drugs		 Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude		 Frightening/
Tense Scenes		 Guns/
Weapons
Mild None Moderate Mild Minor
Imitative
Behavior		 Jump
Scenes		 Music
(Scary/Tense)		 Music
(Inappropriate)		 Profanity
Mild None None None Mild
Sex/
Nudity		 Smoking Tense Family
Scenes		 Topics To
Talk About		 Violence
Mild Minor Extreme Heavy Mild

QUICK TAKE:
Drama: By getting to know a widow and her young kids, a famous playwright finds inspiration for his next work, "Peter Pan."
PLOT:
It's 1903 London and J.M. Barrie (JOHNNY DEPP) is a successful playwright, penning works that Charles Frohman (DUSTIN HOFFMAN) runs in his theater. Despite their past collaborative success, however, Charles is looking for a new play while Barrie is in search of inspiration. Although he doesn't initially realize it, he finds it in a group of siblings -- Peter (FREDDIE HIGHMORE), Michael (LUKE SPILL), George (NICK ROUD) and Jack (JOE PROSPERO) -- the young kids of Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (KATE WINSLET).

She's a widow who's let her mother, Emma du Maurier (JULIE CHRISTIE), rule her and her kids' lives since her husband's untimely death. Barrie's wife, Mary (RADHA MITCHELL), is interested in her only because Sylvia knows everyone there is to know. Barrie enjoys their company, however, simply because they're still kids, unencumbered by adult troubles, distractions and daily concerns, and he soon begins spending a lot of time with them and Sylvia, much to the discomfort of both her mother and Mary.

As that new friendship puts a strain on their marriage, the playwright soon begins to fashion a work based on the kids. Charles isn't happy since he doesn't think this "Peter Pan" will play to adult audiences, but Barrie perseveres, both with finishing the work and befriending Sylvia and her family. Yet, when an unexpected development arises, he races against time to get the work on the stage for all to see.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Teens might be interested in it, as might those who are fans of anyone in the cast, while some kids might be drawn in by the "Peter Pan" angle.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG
For mild thematic elements and brief language.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • JOHNNY DEPP plays a famous playwright in a failing marriage who spends a lot of time with Sylvia and her kids while being inspired to write his next play.
  • KATE WINSLET plays a widow who's sick and thus concerned about her young kids who've already lost their father.
  • JULIE CHRISTIE plays her uptight mother who's taken control of her daughter and grandkids' lives and isn't happy when Barrie gets involved with them.
  • RADHA MITCHELL plays Barrie's wife who becomes increasingly unhappy with Barrie and the time he spends with Sylvia and her family. She then gives him an ultimatum and then starts seeing someone else.
  • DUSTIN HOFFMAN plays a theater manager or owner who puts on Barrie's plays but is concerned with his next work that he doesn't think will entertain his audience.
  • FREDDIE HIGHMORE plays Sylvia's son who's yet to cry over his father's death, but has a frustrated outburst over his mother now being sick.
  • NICK ROUD, JOE PROSPERO and LUKE SPILL play his brothers who are in the same emotional boat.
    • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

    Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
    Then read OUR TAKE of this film.


    (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

    OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
    The following is a quick look at the content found in this drama that's been rated PG. Profanity consists of at least 2 "s" words, while a handful of other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. In an imagined, nonsexual scene, a buxom woman is seen soaking wet with part of her blouse open at the top (but nothing explicit is seen).

    Tense family material includes a parental death before the story begins and then another near the end, a childless marriage that's progressively strained and worsens throughout the story, and there's a strained mother/adult daughter relationship.

    Some bad attitudes are present, while some characters briefly drink and/or smoke. Some imitative behavior occurs (including some formerly period-accepted but now politically incorrect phrases), while there's some brief child-based violent behavior and a boy is injured when he falls from some theatrical rigging down to the hard stage floor below him.

    If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.

    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • Miscellaneous people have drinks.
  • Barrie and Mary have wine with dinner.
  • Barrie, Mary, Sylvia and Emma have wine in front of them with dinner.
  • Charles has a drink by him.
  • Some miscellaneous people have drinks.
    • BLOOD/GORE
  • None.
    • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • Mary wants to know Sylvia only because she knows everyone there is to know.
  • Although common for the time, one of the boys uses the term "Nasty Injun" during a game of "cowboys and Indians."
  • Emma repeatedly puts down Sylvia and her way of living and tries to control her life any way she can.
  • Some viewers could view Barrie as having a bad attitude for spending more time with Sylvia and her children than at home with his wife (but nothing sexual occurs between him and Sylvia).
  • One of Barrie's friends informs him of the gossip among others about Barrie and Sylvia and about the time Barrie spends with her boys.
  • Barrie returns home to see that Mary is apparently seeing another man (nothing adulterous is happening at that moment). That leads to additional strained marriage material of an already shaky and nearly ended marriage.
  • Mary sneakily reads Barrie's private journal.
  • Some affluent theatergoers don't look highly upon various orphans being seated around them during a performance.
    • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • When his younger brothers struggle over a safety line and then let go, George accidentally plummets to the floor (after "flying" on some theatrical rigging), apparently breaking his arm.
  • Mary has another bad coughing attack after an earlier one and must be assisted.
    • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • The kids hold pieces of wood that they use to represent guns during a game.
  • The kids use some fake swords while playing.
  • In an imagined bit, some canons on an old ship fire.
    • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "Bull-pizzle" (or something like that), "Nasty injun" and "Redskins" (said by one of the kids while playing "cowboys and Indians" and then in the "Peter Pan" play respectively).
  • Barrie plays with his dog in the park by casting a ball on the end of a fishing pole line and having the dog chase the ball.
  • Although common for the time, one of the boys uses the term "Nasty Injun" during a game of "cowboys and Indians."
  • Barrie and some of the kids hang dinner spoons from their noses.
  • The boys bounce up and down on their beds.
  • Barrie shows the kids how to affix wet stamps to a coin that, when flipped upward, cause the stamp to stick to the ceiling.
    • JUMP SCENES
  • None.
    • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • None.
    • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
    • PROFANITY
  • At least 2 "s" words and 2 craps.
    • SEX/NUDITY
  • In an imagined scene, Sylvia is on deck on a ship and is soaking wet, with one part of her blouse open showing the top of both her chest and maybe the very top of her breast (but nothing explicit).
  • Mary shows a little bit of cleavage.
    • SMOKING
  • Charles has a cigarette in a holder.
  • Some miscellaneous people smoke cigars in one scene.
    • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • Mary mentions that Sylvia's husband died of cancer of the jaw sometime in the past.
  • Sylvia says that Peter has been different ever since his father died and has yet to cry about that.
  • We see that Barrie and Mary already have a strained marriage (they sleep in different bedrooms) and the time he spends with Sylvia and her kids puts an even greater strain on that. He even states at one point that him not being around the house hasn't bothered her for some time.
  • Emma repeatedly puts down Sylvia and her way of living and tries to control her life any way she can (that creates some family tension).
  • Barrie states that he lost his brother when he (Barrie) was just a kid.
  • Mad about his mother being sick, Peter thrashes things on the kids' makeshift stage and states that he's tired of being lied to (about his parents, saying that he was told his father would be alright and then died the following day).
  • Barrie returns home to see that Mary is apparently seeing another man (nothing adulterous is happening at that moment). That leads to additional strained marriage material.
  • Mary states that Barrie was always off in his head even when he was home.
  • Mary threatens to end their marriage if her specific conditions are not met.
  • Barrie returns home to find that Mary and her clothes are gone.
  • An older woman tells Barrie that her husband died between now and the time of Barrie's last play.
  • SPOILER ALERT: We see family members (including children) gathered around a grave site and one of the sons of the deceased acts adversely to this development. Later, he's calmer and asks Barrie why his mother had to die. Barrie says he doesn't know, but that the boy can visit her anytime in Neverland as long as he believes.
    • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • Deaths of parents and dealing with that and illnesses within families.
  • Strained marriages.
  • The creative process.
  • The theater.
  • Mary wants to know Sylvia only because she knows everyone there is to know.
  • The comment that young boys should never be sent to be bed as they'll only wake up one day older and then one day will be adults.
  • The comment that time is chasing after all of us.
  • The artistic license, if any, taken with the real facts about Barrie and what inspired him to write "Peter Pan."
    • VIOLENCE
  • Two of the brothers briefly push and struggle with each other.
  • Mad about his mother being sick, Peter thrashes things on the kids' makeshift stage and states that he's tired of being lied to.
  • When his younger brothers struggle over a safety line and then let go, George accidentally plummets to the floor (after "flying" on some theatrical rigging), apparently breaking his arm.



    • Reviewed August 10, 2004 / Posted November 19, 2004

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