Sentimental but nonetheless wrenching! Excellent exploration of artistic creation.

DISCLOSURE: This review was originally written during opening weekend of the movie. I have not changed it, as my feelings haven't altered over time on this one.

A criticism frequently leveled against Finding Neverland is that it isn't very accurate biographically. In my opinion, this totally misses the point. First, the movie was never postured as "The Life Story of J.M. Barrie." It is a fictional speculation, inspired by actual events, as to what might have gone into the creation of Peter Pan.

I know from reading interviews with writers that one of the questions they are most frequently asked is: "Where do you get your ideas?" This movie shows how that sort of thing can happen...how inspiration comes from circumstance coupled with imagination. It's a beautiful evocation of how artists experience events and how their work is informed by both interior and exterior factors. Obviously, each artist is inspired in different ways, but the movie feels RIGHT in its delicate tone when it comes to how J.M. Barrie might have conceived PAN.

There's also a wonderful story here about the importance of the child in all of us. J.M. Barrie (Johnny Depp, the best argument for the importance of the child within the man), a famous playwright, has discovered that his work has become a drudgery. He isn't inspired by his life of wealth and position. He isn't inspired by his attractive wife...who is willing to put up with a lot from Barrie (to her credit), but doesn't offer him much in return (to her debit). Barrie accidentally meets up with a young widow and her several sons, and is immediately drawn to them. The widow (a radiant Kate Winslet) is swept up by meeting a "celebrity" and the two develop a relationship that is never sexual, but is a deep friendship, built around the fact that Barrie loves her sons, and is able to play with them in a way that no man ever has before. He knows how to spark the imagination of the kids, and they spark his. He takes them on elaborate flights of fancy. Winslet is thrilled to be with a man who can make her kids happy again. And he dotes on her. Her mother, played by Julie Christie, disapproves of this man who has entered the lives of her family. This relationship, she argues, is unseemly, and the "playing" is unseemly too. So the movie offers a tug of war between being "mature" and "manly" or "fun" and "childish." It argues, very well, that a rounded person needs a bit of both.

Barrie, as interpreted by Depp, certainly is a man who perhaps has kept a bit too much of the child in him. But, the film also shows that it's this very childishness that enables him to conceive of Peter Pan. The story of Pan has resonated with children for over a century, despite all the generational changes. He obviously tapped something deep in the human psyche. He couldn't have done it without his impish side. Yet, late in the film, Barrie must be strong and mature...and the man in him knows when to come out and take charge.

The movie itself is a treat. Beautiful sets and costumes, including some really terrific looks at backstage life and the way special effects were created for the theatre over a century ago. It's lighted in lovely, rich tones. When the film ventures outdoors, it's suffused with life. The acting is impeccable all around. Depp and Winslet are great. Young Freddie Highmore, as Peter, is really, really good. If you liked Haley Joel Osment in Sixth Sense, you'll appreciate Highmore even more...his emotions are even more open. Rhadha Mitchell, as Barrie's wife, is good...she manages to be both sympathetic and villainous at the same time. Dustin Hoffman has fun in a small role, and Julie Christie is really good...terrific to see her in a substantial role again.

I really couldn't find any major faults in the movie. It is not fast paced, but never drags. It's okay for kids. And it is tear-jerker of epic proportions that actually earns its tears. There is a scene near the end when Winslet's character gets a private showing of Peter Pan. From the start of that scene until the end of the movie, I challenge you to keep the tears away. And the final image of the movie...well, all I can say is that in the movie theater, we heard more than a few people gasping back their tears simply to prevent out and out weeping. And what's great is that even though it evokes tears...it isn't a depressing movie at all. I can't recommend it highly enough!