~ Dave Barry, from Dave Barry Turns 40
P.J. Hogan's live-action Peter Pan (2003) is the first major film to break with tradition and cast a real boy in the role of Peter. The rest of the casting, by the way, is also spot on. There are some big-name actors involved, including Jason Isaacs, Richard Briers, and Lynn Redgrave. Yes, there is some silliness, but that comes with the territory. The world of Neverland is one of imagination and fantasy, and the filmmakers have succeeded in creating a full-fledged movie and not some made-for-kids fluff.
The story of Peter Pan, sprung from the mind of J.M. Barrie, was written as a book and adapted for the stage, but it was born to be a movie. Everything in the film is presented with a kind of storybook look, including the scenes set in London. Visually, the early scenes are just this side of being realistic, while the look of Neverland is a work of imagination that takes things to a whole new level. The story follows a path that over the years has become familiar. Along the way we meet mermaids, fairies, pirates, Indians, and the Lost Boys. Where the film succeeds is in making it all seem fresh and new.
The story begins with Peter Pan (Jeremy Sumpter) observing Wendy Darling (Rachel Hurd-Wood) and her brothers as they create stories and pretend to be pirates. They have a pleasant life with a loving mother (Olivia Williams), a kind yet timid father (Jason Isaacs), and a dog for a nanny. Wendy is on the verge of growing up, which is strongly encouraged by Aunt Millicent (Lynn Redgrave). This is an alarming prospect, and Peter floats in at the right time to whisk Wendy and the boys away to Neverland where they will never have to grow up.
At this point we begin to notice another successful element of the film. Advances in technology had finally made it possible to create "realistic" flying, without making the actors look like they're hanging on wires. While the Darling children are learning to fly for the first time, Peter is supposed to be an expert, and Jeremy Sumpter looks convincing and impressive.
Once they arrive in Neverland, the children are immediately attacked by pirates, led by Captain Hook. One tradition that the filmmakers have maintained is the dual casting of Mr. Darling and Captain Hook. Jason Isaacs has fun with both, giving us a deliciously nasty Hook, and a touching portrayal of shy Mr. Darling.
It appears that Hook's sole purpose is to be the nemesis of Peter Pan. Once Wendy comes along, Hook is almost at a loss. So, too, is Tinkerbell (Ludivine Sagnier), Peter's constant companion. As the narrator tell us, fairies only have room for one emotion at a time, and the feisty Tinkerbell gets herself into trouble, even going so far as to form an unwise alliance with the untrustworthy Captain Hook.
The presence of Wendy and her brothers in Neverland seems to have an effect on nearly all of its inhabitants. The Lost Boys suddenly lose interest in following Peter and beg Wendy to be their mother and tell stories. The sly part of the story is that Wendy has already grown up. While she has fun in Neverland, she is constantly thinking of her worried parents, and is always aware of the deeper emotions and issues in life that Peter is willfully avoiding. When he offers her the chance to never worry about grown-up things again, she replies, "Never is an awfully long time."
I fear that I haven't given you a good idea of the fun and momentum of the story. There are so many things that have been done just right in this film, yet so many things I don't want to give away. There is even a nice twist on the part about clapping to bring fairies to life, which is handled nicely.
Finding Neverland, the 2004 film about how J.M. Barrie was inspired to write Peter Pan, came out a year after this film. It is moving, enchanting, and a little sad. It's fun to see how the story of Peter Pan was first brought to the stage, and how it became Barrie's greatest success. I think the two films complement each other rather well.
While Finding Neverland is about the creation of the myth, this Peter Pan is all about seeing the story in its full glory. The first time I saw it in the theater, I had a goofy grin on my face most of the time. I wanted to see it because they finally got the look right, and I was surprised to find that they got everything right.
Peter Pan has always had deeper currents beneath the story that most versions don't even acknowledge. This one does. There has always been a bittersweet element to the story that's always been in the back of my mind. Roger Ebert said it perfectly: "...to never grow up is unspeakably sad, and this is the first Peter Pan where Peter's final flight seems not like a victory but an escape."
Nobody walks into Peter Pan expecting to be moved, but I was. It felt as though I was seeing the story of Peter Pan as I’d always imagined. This story has been around longer than I've been alive, and P.J. Hogan and his collaborators found a way to make it seem new and exciting. It never goes overboard with action, there is humor aplenty, and in the end I appreciated how this version became quite thoughtful. This is a Peter Pan for the ages.
The story of Peter Pan, sprung from the mind of J.M. Barrie, was written as a book and adapted for the stage, but it was born to be a movie. Everything in the film is presented with a kind of storybook look, including the scenes set in London. Visually, the early scenes are just this side of being realistic, while the look of Neverland is a work of imagination that takes things to a whole new level. The story follows a path that over the years has become familiar. Along the way we meet mermaids, fairies, pirates, Indians, and the Lost Boys. Where the film succeeds is in making it all seem fresh and new.
The story begins with Peter Pan (Jeremy Sumpter) observing Wendy Darling (Rachel Hurd-Wood) and her brothers as they create stories and pretend to be pirates. They have a pleasant life with a loving mother (Olivia Williams), a kind yet timid father (Jason Isaacs), and a dog for a nanny. Wendy is on the verge of growing up, which is strongly encouraged by Aunt Millicent (Lynn Redgrave). This is an alarming prospect, and Peter floats in at the right time to whisk Wendy and the boys away to Neverland where they will never have to grow up.
At this point we begin to notice another successful element of the film. Advances in technology had finally made it possible to create "realistic" flying, without making the actors look like they're hanging on wires. While the Darling children are learning to fly for the first time, Peter is supposed to be an expert, and Jeremy Sumpter looks convincing and impressive.
Once they arrive in Neverland, the children are immediately attacked by pirates, led by Captain Hook. One tradition that the filmmakers have maintained is the dual casting of Mr. Darling and Captain Hook. Jason Isaacs has fun with both, giving us a deliciously nasty Hook, and a touching portrayal of shy Mr. Darling.
It appears that Hook's sole purpose is to be the nemesis of Peter Pan. Once Wendy comes along, Hook is almost at a loss. So, too, is Tinkerbell (Ludivine Sagnier), Peter's constant companion. As the narrator tell us, fairies only have room for one emotion at a time, and the feisty Tinkerbell gets herself into trouble, even going so far as to form an unwise alliance with the untrustworthy Captain Hook.
The presence of Wendy and her brothers in Neverland seems to have an effect on nearly all of its inhabitants. The Lost Boys suddenly lose interest in following Peter and beg Wendy to be their mother and tell stories. The sly part of the story is that Wendy has already grown up. While she has fun in Neverland, she is constantly thinking of her worried parents, and is always aware of the deeper emotions and issues in life that Peter is willfully avoiding. When he offers her the chance to never worry about grown-up things again, she replies, "Never is an awfully long time."
I fear that I haven't given you a good idea of the fun and momentum of the story. There are so many things that have been done just right in this film, yet so many things I don't want to give away. There is even a nice twist on the part about clapping to bring fairies to life, which is handled nicely.
Finding Neverland, the 2004 film about how J.M. Barrie was inspired to write Peter Pan, came out a year after this film. It is moving, enchanting, and a little sad. It's fun to see how the story of Peter Pan was first brought to the stage, and how it became Barrie's greatest success. I think the two films complement each other rather well.
While Finding Neverland is about the creation of the myth, this Peter Pan is all about seeing the story in its full glory. The first time I saw it in the theater, I had a goofy grin on my face most of the time. I wanted to see it because they finally got the look right, and I was surprised to find that they got everything right.
Peter Pan has always had deeper currents beneath the story that most versions don't even acknowledge. This one does. There has always been a bittersweet element to the story that's always been in the back of my mind. Roger Ebert said it perfectly: "...to never grow up is unspeakably sad, and this is the first Peter Pan where Peter's final flight seems not like a victory but an escape."
Nobody walks into Peter Pan expecting to be moved, but I was. It felt as though I was seeing the story of Peter Pan as I’d always imagined. This story has been around longer than I've been alive, and P.J. Hogan and his collaborators found a way to make it seem new and exciting. It never goes overboard with action, there is humor aplenty, and in the end I appreciated how this version became quite thoughtful. This is a Peter Pan for the ages.
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