Finding Neverland 「ネバーランド」

2005年 12月 06日
作者: Andrew "Nick" Nichols
カテゴリー:

2004年イギリス・アメリカ作品
監督:マーク・フォスター
脚本:デビッド・マギー
出演者:ジョニー・デップ 、ケイト・ウィンスレット 、ジュリー・クリスティ 、ダスティン・ホフマン 、ラダ・ミッチェル
世界中の子供たちに夢と希望を与えたあの「ピーターパン」誕生までの裏にあるドラマを描く感動的な必見の作品。

The play “Peter Pan” has been one of the universal favorites of every generation since it first appeared on stage over a hundred years ago. To retell the creation of such a classic for a modern audience and remain faithful not only to the period but also to respect the near mythical people involved is a daunting task for any director. In “Finding Neverland” director Marc Forster hits a near perfect balance in not only telling a convincing version of the creation of the classic, but in the process refreshes the Peter Pan story for a new generation.

The relationship between Barry and the four Davies brothers he befriended, along with their widowed mother, is well know in the literary world. “Finding Neverland” beautifully recreates that magical summer when Barry opens their minds to all the wonder of his fanciful world and inspires young Peter to dare to dream and pursue his own fantasies, and in turn lend his name to the greatest of Barry’s works. Barry himself draws on the boys’ youth to rediscover the purity of the spirit of the innocent, the key factor to the success of the subsequent play.

I guess if I had to find one word to sum up what moved me the most about this movie, it is that word ‘purity.’ Barry’s relationship with the boys and their mother, as portrayed by Depp as Barry, is the essence of purity. As those closest to Barry disparage him for his ‘unseemly’ (for those times) relationship with the widowed mother, and even relaying rumors that he is abusing the children sexually, Barry remains resolute in the self-assured knowledge that only those who have lost their innocence and their youth forever could stoop to such thoughts. The play he produces is testament to his belief in the purity of youth and the redemptive innocence we must all strive to rekindle in ourselves.

For anyone who has fond memories of the Peter Pan story, whether they saw it as a play, read a book, or saw any of the uncountable television and cinematic versions of it, then this movie is a must. For those of us starting to feel our age, then I recommend you buy a copy of the DVD version and watch it whenever you find yourself unable to laugh at the antics of children around you, or find yourself thinking too much of the years you have lost, rather than the years you still have ahead of you to truly live.