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Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie, Radha Mitchell, Dustin Hoffman ... see more see more... , Kelly Macdonald , Freddie Highmore , Ian Hart , Eileen Essell , Paul Whitehouse , Joe Prospero , Nick Roud , Luke Spill , Toby Jones , Kate Maberly , MacKenzie Crook

Following up his critically acclaimed Monster's Ball, director Marc Forster took on this biography of playwright James Matthew Barrie, the scribe who penned the children's classic Peter Pan. Johnny De... read more read more...pp stars as the turn-of-the-century writer as the film follows Barrie as he struggles to write and have his play produced while he cares for his down-on-their-luck neighbors who inspired the story in the first place. J.M. Barrie's Neverland also stars Dustin Hoffman, Kate Winslet, and Julie Christie. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

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84% liked it

435,422 ratings

Critics

83% liked it

201 critics

PG, 1 hr. 46 min.

Directed by: Marc Forster

Release Date: November 12, 2004

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DVD Release Date: March 22, 2005

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Stats: 27,203 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (27,203)

  • TheDudeLebowski65
    September 13, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Finding Neverland is a terrific film about author J.M Barrie's journey in creating the legendary work, Peter Pan. Starring Johnny Depp as J.M Barrie, Finding Neverland is a wonderful, well acted film with an engaging story. Kate Winslet and Johnny Depp have terrific chemistry on ... read morescreen. The performances of the cast altogether are superb. Johnny Depp is perfect in the role of J.M Barrie. I felt he added a touch of innocence to the role, which was needed to make Barrie come truly alive on screen. Finding Neverland is a terrific drama film that the whole family can enjoy. A wonderful, engaging story makes this a must see film, and for those who love Barrie's work of Peter Pan, this film may appeal to you too. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and it may not be perfect, but it shows how this legendary story came into being. Finding Neverland is a terrific film that is well acted and well told. I really enjoyed this film, and I thought it was a superb drama film with many elements that can appeal to people of all ages. The film is sad, whimsical and is really a perfect film that you can watch as a family. The cast elevate this film from being just another biopic or real life drama, and they make it truly something special and memorable.
  • 3niR
    August 29, 2011
    3niR
    It was okay.
  • murphmann93
    June 23, 2011
    murphmann93
    A great and heart wrenching film!
  • fb535316333
    June 8, 2011
    fb535316333
    It's a good drama, but a very obvious one. What other themes would you explore in a movie that pays tribute to Barrie finding inspiration to write Peter Pan? How would you resolve it? You probably already know.

    Lots of people are praising Depp but it's his repertoire with Highmo... read morere's character that's the real center stage of the film. His attempts to show the boys the merits of innocence as reality comes caving in on all sides is handled remarkably gracefully.

    The most visually engaging parts were the scene switches between imagination/reality, I wish Forster had the directive courage to really use those elements stronger through out the film than he did.

    All in all, a really delicate film that either hits the right emotional notes or comes off as a shallow fluff piece.
  • ythelastman89
    April 25, 2011
    ythelastman89
    It's hard to really evaluate Finding Neverland. On the one hand, it's nothing we haven't seen before. However, it stands above the plethora of Miramax movies that take the biopic genre and blend it it with fiction. Comparing it to something like Shakespeare in Love results in me ... read morewanting to give this a flawless five star rating. This does everything it sets out to do; show an accurate depiction of J.M. Barrie's inspiration and process of writing Peter Pan. I like that this doesn't try to cover the entire life of the writer or cram in a lot of unnecessary characters or subplots. This is extremely straight-forward. Of course the main attraction here is the acting. Johnny Depp assumes the role of the beloved writer with ease and even goes further with a tour de force performance.
  • DreamExtractor
    April 24, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    Peter Pan is an icon, and icon that children should never grow up. For me I play with my cousins who are very yound all the time, and this movie shows you you are never to old too grow up. This movie is not only the historical backround of Peter pan, but it is a fantasy movie i... read moretself. The music in this movie is phenomenal, and deserved the Oscars. Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet are great, but Depp deserves more credit. This movie is the most magical and wonderful fantasy Ive seen in a long time, and deserves more fame than it has.
  • cosmo313
    March 23, 2011
    cosmo313
    I like whimsy and fantasy, but this really didn't click for me. I couldn't get into it, and it just came off as flase and hollow. The story is an interesting one, and deserved to be made, but it should have been far better than this. I mostly fault David Magee screenplay and Marc... read more Forster's direction. I like how Forster constantly jumps from genre to genre, always trying to do something new, but I think he might be better off picking just one genre and sticking with it. This movie just seems all over the map both tonally and with it's aims.

    The film looks great, as do the costumes, set pieces and camera work, but the music is a bit too sappy and it boggles the mind how so many people think this film is amazing. Granted, I sometimes love stuff that others hate, but still. The film feels like it is trying to hard to be important and precious, but the justification just isn't there. That, and the film is boring. How this happened is beyond me. A fun and inspiring story like this shouldn't be draggy and boring.

    I did like some of the acting though. Hoffman elevated things, and Kelly Macdonald as Peter Pan was a great touch. I kind of liked how Depp actually dialed it down here instead of being wildly over hte top like so many of his other performances, but this is a case where I think he shouldn't have been quite as restrained. I'm not saying go nuts, but maybe be a little more eccentric. He did great with the accent though. I love Kate Winslet, and she's not bad here, but she's really not given a whole lot to do, and that's a shame. Because of this, maybe they should have cast a lesser known. I'm all for well knowns scaling it back and not always taking the spotlight, but she looks bored. A collaboration between her and Depp should have been wonderful, not a fizzley let down. I will say that Freddie Highmore is dynamite here. Hell, he's pretty much the highlight, and, given who else is in this, that really says something about the mediocrity. Great actors aren't supposed to be outshined by children (unless the children are just as excellent).

    I've spent more time talking about this than I should have. Look, the film's not terrible, it's just boring, cliched, predictable, and a shallow retread of something that's been seen many times before and better.
  • lewiskendell
    August 11, 2010
    lewiskendell
    "Just pretending? You brought pretending into this family, James."

    Finding Neverland is a story about the London-based playwright James Barrie, and the special family that inspired him to write his timeless masterpiece, Peter Pan, over the course of a summer. It's a cute and cha... read morerming movie, but not really the kind that I go for.

    Johnny Depp stars as Barrie, and gives a solid performance as the imaginative, yet frustrated, playwright. He seems to have wonderful chemistry with the young actors that he shares so many scenes with, and his interactions with his distant wife (Radha Mitchell) are suitably strained. I thought that Winslet was also good in her small role, as the widowed mother who occasionally seems more like a background character, but begins to add more to the movie towards the end.

    Finding Neverland is a good family film, and people who loved Peter Pan as children (or as adults) will probably love it. I thought it was a solid, it just didn't connect with me as much as I suspect it will with others. Despite the unremarkable rating I gave it, I have no qualms about recommending it to anyone who has an interest.
  • FrizzDrop
    August 2, 2010
    FrizzDrop
    Very cheerful and contemporary. Loved the whole thing.
  • fb733768972
    February 15, 2010
    fb733768972
    It was extremely powerful for a family film, but it should only be watched once, because there are plenty of surprises that will wear out over time!

View All Finding Neverland Reviews

Critic Reviews

Ken Tucker
February 13, 2005
Ken Tucker, New York Magazine

If it didn't have Johnny Depp as its star, Finding Neverland would barely pass muster as an average PBS Masterpiece Theatre entry. Full Review

Rex Reed
November 29, 2004
Rex Reed, New York Observer

It's harmless cotton candy with pleasant turn-of-the-century décor, but I admit the Disney ambiance eventually wore me out and I spent a lot of time looking at my watch. Full Review

Roger Moore
November 24, 2004
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Finding Neverland is not exactly the way it happened, but this is a movie with a higher truth, one we need to believe in. And you will believe. You will. Full Review

Desson Thomson
November 19, 2004
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

Depp is a charm. He becomes his own, subtly compelling Barrie. Full Review

Teresa Wiltz
November 19, 2004
Teresa Wiltz, Washington Post

You're expected to weep, and perhaps you will weep. But if you do, it's not likely that you'll respect yourself in the morning. Full Review

Geoff Pevere
November 19, 2004
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

There isn't much that's less interesting to watch Johnny Depp do than bring a quiet and steady decency to anything. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
November 19, 2004
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

The movie is one long snooze, until the finish leaves half the audience glowing and in tears. Full Review

Joe Baltake
November 19, 2004
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

Guided by Depp's gentle performance, Winslet's wistfulness and Macdonald's intense Pan, Finding Neverland will send you out of the theater crying and saying, 'I do believe!' Full Review

Bruce Westbrook
November 19, 2004
Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle

Some things are worth causing a lump in your throat. Finding Neverland is one of them. Full Review

Rick Groen
November 19, 2004
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

It's a mild pleasure to watch. Full Review

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Facts

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    • James Barrie: They can see it you know... You can't go on just pretending.
    • James Barrie: You find a glimmer of happiness in this world, there's always someone who wants to destroy it.
    • James Barrie: Young boys should never be sent to bed... they always wake up a day older.
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  • In which movie did Johnny Depp play a pirate for just one scene?  Answer »
  • Johnny Depp is the playwrite ______ in Finding Neverland.   Answer »
  • Stars Johnny Depp, Dustin Hoffman and Kate Winslet in this imaginative journey?  Answer »
  • what movie starred johnny depp and kate winslet  Answer »
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