Very special movie.

This movie was very well done, Exceptional. great dialogue and plot and never once felt dull or tired. A very refreshing movie, in particular Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet.

We were moved by the way the director conveyed the prevalence and impact of death on the lives of children in the early 20th century and how Barrie helped them handle tragedy through creating a fantasy world. The terror of TB (consumption) was real in England and the US and certainly devastated families. The performances were understated for a change and none of the ensemble drew attention to themselves. The way social control and scandal affected lives esp. simple souls like Barrie was handled without preaching. Depp only increases in our admiration each time we see him.… Expand

It is a touching movie, sad but full of hope. The young Freddie Highmore as Peter Pan is marvelous!

Trully inspired- depp and the rest of the cast give outstanding performances - remarkable story line - making every1 realise there lies a child within and theres many ways one can bring happiness to the lives of others.

Finding Neverland stars Johnny Depp as James Barrie, the famous Scottish playwright who struggles not only with a failed marriage but whose recent plays have been panned by the critics and have died quickly as financial failures. Against this background, he has a chance meeting in a park with four boys, the sons of recently widowed Sylvia Davies (Kate Winslet). The movie explores the friendship and loving relationship that develops between the Davies boys, Sylvia and Barrie. People talk about the "unhealthy" interest Barrie has with the children but Barrie finds in the boys the inspiration for his play, Peter Pan -- and, like Peter, it appears that Barrie just doesn't want to grow up but would prefer to live in Neverland, a place, he explains to Sylvia, where the young person in each of us goes the moment we step over the threshold of adulthood. Depp and Winslet give wonderful performances but their Scottish accents and the tendency of all of the actors to drop their voices at the end of nearly every sentence sometimes made it difficult for me to follow what was being said. I kept wanting to reach for the remote and turn up the volume. My wife and my daughter thoroughly enjoyed this movie; I give it an 8.00.… Collapse

I loved this movie...It makes you love all of the peter pans as a whole that much more. Johny Depp was so adorable and Kate was so pretty....and the boys were so cute *little boys should never go to bed beaause they wake up a day older* that line was so cute!!!

This movie is deeply touching. It is almost felt rather than analyzed. The acting of Johhny Depp and the boy who played Peter is profound. Johnny totally captivates the gentle, playful spirit of a man who is still very much a boy at heart. He is able to convey with a look, the very depths of his feelings, both joyful and sorrowful. All that he is lingers behind those deep dark sensitive eyes. It is good to be reminded that we did not arrive on this earth wearing adult faces and weary stares. We were meant for so much more! To laugh and love and live for whatever amount of time we are given. We must not hold back if we are to find the satisfaction that life holds.… Expand

If I had to describe the movie in one word it would be "touching". I was truly touched by all of the performances, by the story, the music, the imagery; everything! I don't know what it is about Kate Winslet but more than once now she's broken my heart with her truly amamzing and real performances. She's an actress worth every penny she's paid. Johnny Depp brings such heart to the movie that you can't help but cheer him on in his pursuit of magic and imagination, even with everyone else seems to be against him. And then there's those big blue eyes, welled up with tears, that CRUSHED me! Freddie Highmore as young Peter brings such reality to his role. You know that this is exactly how you would have felt under such hard and confusing circumstances when you were his age. He will bring tears to your eyes and the movie will leave you thankful for good actors!… Expand

I have seen this movie three times so far and can't wait for the DVD to come out. Johnny Depp is captivating in this role and conveys more with his eyes and facial expressions than a thousand words could. Whenever I have a bad day, I want to see this movie. It puts me back in touch with my inner child.

Brilliant, in a word. acting and directing top notch. note: barrie was much more childlike than depicted in the movie.

A beautifully filmed and very inovative movie!

Excellent movie. I wanted to take all of the little boys home with me, they were so adorable with those cute accents. Johnny Depp was great and Kate Winslet was also, surprisingly. It was a great story although it was semi-upsetting. Any movie that makes me cry is worth a good review.

A great movie for those who still believe in the power of art. Those disliking this movie either lack the intellectual capacity to appreciate the literary process or have constructed thick walls to protect themselves from piercing emotions. This movie gives you a taste of life's mystical balance between reality and fantasy without forcing it upon you. Individuals who disliked this movie should, for their own benefit, take a left at the movie theatre and see the next mindless computer-generated action adventure starring the Rock. For us others, see this movie and let yourself be taken to Neverland.… Expand

A touching movie that's a little sadder than you'd think for something based around Peter Pan, but also one that goes deeper than you'd expect. Some fine performances, especially by the boys, starting with Freddie Highmore as Peter Pan.

When I rented the movie, I didnt know it was a true story and it caught me off guard. overall a very good movie.

A beautiful film of where the imagination takes you with outstanding performances and a strong emotional feeling that will make you cry (only if "Titanic" made you cry).

Nothing particularaly offends, but nothing enchants. Two hours of my life I wish I had spent doing something more enthralling.

Wonderful and charming. Nothing to fancy. Not designed for all the attention defecit head cases out there. All the characters were sound. The acting was superb. Once again, nothing overly dynamic. Just efficient performances. All of it led to a suprisingly emotional finish.

Extraordinary and heartbreak story ! Johnny Depp does a really fabulous acting and Freddie Highmore merits to be nominated for best supporting actor at the Oscars insted of Alan Alda from The Aviator. The academy award winning score is extraordinary. everything was so well made and sentimental that I almost cried. I only gave it 9 because of a part kind of Boring. (The first discussion of J. M. Barrie and her wife). If you didn't saw it, go rent it at Blockbuster or Netflix.… Expand

This film is magical. The fantasy elements were wonderfully done and Johnny Depp shines as the original 'boy who never grew up'.

Great movie! Very well Acted and done! the movie was very magical, touching and perfect! ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES OF THE YEAR!. My LIST for Best movies so far: The Incredibles, Finding Neverland, Ray, THe Passion, Collateral, the Polar Express.

I am a movie snob. I truly enjoyed this film. It has a magical quality that makes it transcend the genre. Johnny Depp does a great job, as does the rest of the cast. I truly loved this film. Those of you who have abandoned the child within your soul will not get this movie. If you are in that category, avoid the film. If you still have a child in your soul, you will love and embrace this special film. peace steviegjd… Expand

Magical, Beautiful...Heart-felt!!

It was a bit sappy at some parts, but on a whole a great and touching movie.

This movie made me believe in neverland.

Warm and sweet. If this doesn't bring tears to your eyes in the movie theatre, I guarantee you'll hear a lot of sniffling going on by others watching it nearby you. I hate to make bold statements until I see every major film this year, but I think that Johnny Depp wins the Oscar with this performance.

Loved this movie. I want to go again and again.

Agree with Larry that the film was slow out of the box. After that it never explained the Jekyl and Hyde personality of Johnny Depp with regard to his two families. He seemed to bask in the limelight of his adopted family but had no time for his wife. Why did he ever marry her then? The ending was pure Hollywood but yet the film never connects with its audience. Some may buy into the romantic notion but it was without any true feeling. Sorry but I did not like it.… Expand

So much potential wasted... Should have been made as a musical/comedy, and the Weinsteins would be better off hiring a director WITH imagination. I hope their lobbying won't succeed this year.

Finding Neverland is, without doubt, the best movie of the year. After seeing Pirates of the Caribbean, I was compelled that Johnny Depp was a talented, incredibley handsome actor. After seeing Finding Neverland, there was no doubt in my mind that he was perfect. He caught the perfect essence of J.M. Barrie in this movie, as does Kate Winslet of her character. The directing and writing of this movie was immpecible. They left in just enough information to give you an outline of his life, but not so much as to ruin the charm of this story. Although everbody was wonderful, I still feel Johnny Depp, as he does with every movie, made this film truly wonderful. He was the Neverland of this movie.… Expand

As always, Johnny Depp gives an amazing performance -- one reviewer (can't remember from where) put it perfectly -- with just one look or glance, he can convey an entire encyclopedia of emotions. On top of that, a talented cast, superb writing, authentic costuming and beautiful cinematography - make this an outstanding movie experience.

Typical Miramax end-of-year Oscar bait in the tradition of Shakespeare In Love, The Cider House Rules, The English Patient, Cold Mountain and Chocolat. It's well-crafted and acted, filled with interesting historical generalities, has its heart in the right place and possesses all the proper liberal credentials, and is more than a wee bit airless. Only this time the Weinsteins' house director isn't John Madden, Anthony Minghella or Lasse Hallstrom but Marc Forster, who did Monsters' Ball and now chooses to massage audiences where once he challenged them. James M. Barrie (Johnny Depp), suffering an artistic and popular dry spell, is inspired and invigorated by a widow (Kate Winslet) and her children to create his enduring classic Peter Pan, features Depp in his gentlest, most restrained performance in years backed by lovely work by Winslet, Julie Christie (as her disapproving mom) and Radha Mitchell (as Barrie's neglected wife, who could've been written and played as a shrewish stereotype but isn't). Dustin Hoffman is amusing (in ways that he WASN'T in I Heart Huckabees) as a skeptical businessman who proves that producers really haven't changed much in the past century. The children are well-cast and used, and if you're not moved by a couple of scenes involving the surprisingly conservative little Peter (Freddie Highmore) then maybe you ARE looking at this film a little too analytically. The production is typical Miramax, a sort of Merchant-Ivory Lite where it's instantly noticeable that a different time period is being depicted but not in so much detail that you'd really know that people lived and breathed in it. Finding Neverland is at its zenith in all-too-infrequent scenes when Forster seamlessly blends Neverland with the real world--try NOT to well up at the indescribable but perfect segue near the end! Ultimately there's nothing really wrong with this movie, but my reservations about it are encapsulated by Depp's low-key, change-of-pace work: it's good to see him in a different light, but after the fascinating, can't-take-you-eyes-off-the-screen wildness of Pirates of the Caribbean and Once Upon a Time in Mexico (and, undoubtedly, as Willie Wonka in Tim Burton's upcoming Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), it's unavoidably a slight letdown. So, too, is Finding Neverland, which has already gathered some associations' Best Picture honors in a year that included such immensely more gutsy, passionate work as Million Dollar Baby, Sideways, The Aviator, Kinsey, The Passion of the Christ and Fahrenheit 9/11 (even if you DON'T buy into the politics or philosophical outlook of the last three). Finding Neverland may be gingerly in favor of breaking the conventions of the era it depicts, and of being artistically and personally unfettered, but for Oscar to honor it over the other films I've listed (and some I didn't) would be...Victorian.… Expand

This movie what fantastic.... Johnny Depp's Performance is Oscar worthy and more... Freddie Highmore's acting is amazing and is also oscar worthy.. Kate Winslet's performance was convincing and again amazing and oscar worthy.... Dustin Hoffman's performance was amazing and was funny. And finally Julie Christie's performance.... i have one word, Excellent... The talents of this cast were amazing and and the movie was astonishing..... i have seen it 3 times and i will probably go see it again.… Expand

Excellent! All the acting roles were convincing and first rate, from Johnny Depp & Kate Winslet right on through the four boys. Full price ticket for this one - absolutely.

I told myself I won't get manipulated like most other similarly themed movies. I actually didnt. I was very surprised how much I liked it. Johnny Depp has really become the great American actor. His scenes with Freddie Highmore highlight his brilliance. I was also impressed with the seemless editing of this movie.

This movie was beautiful. Although I cried, it was more touching than sad. Depp was amazing, the depths he conveys in his character was wonderful. I'm not a big Kate Winslet fan (ever since Titanic...) but she was wonderful as well. And the kids were so adorable! It was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time.

The best movie of the year, by far. Magical visuals, an inspiring story and depth of acting by Depp & Highmore in particular.

Not a Depp fan until now. He was just great...honest, low-key, emotional without being overy sentimental, not to mention easy on the eyes. Winslet and Freddie Highmore were also spot-on. A truly moving story and beautiful visuals. Definitely a film for all ages.

I'm glad to see at least some critics saw through the schtick of this unbelievably corny piece of fluff. And don't get me wrong, I'm all for quality fluff, which this is not. The characters are awesomely uninteresting and one-dimensional. The fact that several people told me this movie drove them to tears really makes me worry about the state of humankind. Worse of all, I just found it boring.… Expand

a litmus test for idealistic and romantic hearts.

Best movie ever!!!! Johnny Depp is grest, it's right up there with the best ones!!!!

Best movie of the year just ahead of Million Dollar Baby. Should have won Best Picture at the Oscars. Hang on,no Eternal Sunshine should have. . . this is brilliant though.

Excellentos mentos.

Truly inspirational. Two words: BUY IT.

Its nice, in a whimsical sense. However, its highly overrated.

It was a pretty good movie. But the should have made it a little more intresting because i almost fell asleep during the movie. I coudn't wait until it was over. But it was okay.

This was a touching movie and Mr. Depp did his part as always. He is an accomplished actor. The kid, Peter, crying over the death of his mother at the end of the movie was moving. This kid has potential as an actor. I wondered why there was no follow-up blurb at the end of the movie which is the norm in true stories put to film and then I did research on the net and found out why. There was too much tragedy in this story to put out a followup. After the death of both parents, these 5 boys did end up under the custody of Barrie. One boy was killed in WW1, one drowned in a lake as a suspected gay double suicide, and Peter, on whom this story is based, threw himself under a train at age 63 in despair over his life. So much for Wonderland. So much for the boy who never grew up.… Expand

Sweet, charming, funny, and touching. Loved it. Loved it. Loved it.

I generally do not like "fantasy" movies or science fiction. My wife rented the DVD assuming that would watch it for 10 minutes and then leave to go do something concrete. However, it is not a fantastical movie. It is very real. It deals with the role of fantasy in the minds of characters that are very real. In some ways it is to childhood what "Sideways" was to late 30's or early 40's.

I cried!

So magical and moving. Can't help but want to hug every character!

It's very rare that I think this, but I believe the critical majority is plain wrong on this film. It seems like the ones that dislike it didn't even see the film, they just saw that it was a weapy, knew they hated weapies, and slapped it with a bad review. They'll be sorry...this is going to be one of the most, if not the very most, audience crowdpleasers of the year. Everything most sentimental weap-fests do wrong, this does right. Depp, Winslet, and the child actor Highmore give extraordinary work, and the script and score are wonderful to boot. My #2 of the year behind Eternal Sunshine.… Expand

It is by far the most magical, and beautiful movie I've seen in a very long time. Johnny and Kate are brilliant. Absolute 10.

Mediocre at best. If not for Johnny Depp this film would have soon been forgotten.

It's groaning time when the oncoming tragedy comes to fruition on what should be James Barrie's big night. In movies, diseases have impeccable timing. But a great performance bails everybody out, and it doesn't come from Johnny Depp or Kate Winslet (look for the "Heavenly Creatures" allusion). "Finding Neverland" is unforgivable in its seeming endorsement of Andrew Llyod Webber as a savior to the dramatic arts. There's the suggestion that spectacle, here in the form of rigging actors with strings to simulate flight, helped stimulate a moribund theater scene, in which the crowd grew disenchanted with plays where the actors merely...talked. "Peter Pan" is comparable to Webber's insistence that grown men and women should dress up as caterwaulin' cats, or sing on rollerskates under cheesy lights. The opening scene works as a commentary on contemporary audiences. … Expand

?Finding Neverland? is not the story of the DA in Santa Barbara and his quest for evidence against the County?s most famous resident. No, it is the story of another celebrity?.i.e. James Barrie, a portion of his life and those that played such an integral and important part in it. It is the story of the writer?s role in creating, seeing and perhaps even being Peter Pan. One of the great children?s stories of all time is perhaps more a reflection and statement about the life of Mr. Barrie than the fictional character in the property. This is truly a ,quality movie. The writing, acting and directing are excellent. Johnny Depp is marvelous in his role as James Barrie. He gives an understated and meaningful portrayal matched by the quality work by Kate Winslett. Of course, the coups de gras and best performance, in my opinion, is given by the young boy named ?Peter? about whom much of the Pan character was based. It is very difficult to direct young children but as with everything, the greater the risk, the greater the reward?..so, too, when the directing of the child brings about a memorable and gut wrenching result , the accolades go to where they belong. Marc Forster does a really fine job of directing and, coupled with a great screenplay and wonderful acting, the movie gets and deserves an 8 with a strong >recommendation to go and see it. Dustin Hoffman, for nostalgic reasons I believe (he played Capt. Hook in "Hook"), is in the picture but his scenes are so short and inconsequential that you realize he?s there because, well, as Peter says, ?you have to believe?. Have fun and learn what really was behind the creation and writing of ?Peter Pan?. As Wendy would say, ?wiggle your shoulders and fly to the movie?. … Expand

[***SPOILERS***] NBR got it right - this is the best film of the year. I never liked Kate Winslet in anything (especially the insipid Eternal Sunshine), but here, her understated sadness is so well captured, I almost forgot it was her. The magic (it's Peter Pan after all) is in how JM Barrie (Johnny Depp will get an Oscar nomination - you heard here first) achieved success against all odds, and even at its height, (SPOILERS AHEAD), he loses both his wife and the Kate Winslet character. You won't get this film if you don't believe in fairies and tinkerbell - but those who do, you can, and will, fly. … Expand

Johnny Depp is good, Kate Winslett is okay, Julie Christie a delight, Dustin Hoffman (for the role he played) unecessary and the plot is - well, inadequate. Of course, it is a distorted reality in which all the factors are in place for a disenchanted, unloved and increasingly mediocre playwright to be revitalised and inspired by a chance encounter with a family needing a lovable, crazy-but-fun father. Happiness could be theirs forever if only the mother hadn't got that nasty cough... All in all, a commendable but disappointingly lightweight film for all its good performances.… Expand

Finely textured acting by Depp and cast (particularly the young Freddie Highmore as Peter) ruined by a pat, numbingly banal ending.

Granted the acting in this movie was first class, especially Johnny Depp who I absolutely love. However, the movie itself was painfully slow in developing. It was quite a paradox in that Depp's character was devoid of all emotion and feelings for his wife, but emersed himself in the lives of a widow's (Kate Winslet) family and her small children. He was never romatically involved with either woman which implied that he was asexual. If he loved children that much then why did he never attempt to have a family of his own? Either by natural means or by adoption? He humiliated his wife by spending all of his waking hours either with the Davis family or by writing his plays. The eventual outcome of his marriage was telegraphed thirty minutes into the film. After what seemed like an eternity the film showed the warmth and character he felt for his adopted family but still never explained the contempt he must have felt for his real life. Overall, even though the film was sappy, it was a most unsatisfying cinema effort. Avoid.… Expand

I thought it was a beautiful film.

Surprisingly touching without being cloying. And... great to look at!

This movie was soo great! it is definitely on my top 5 list of favorite movies. Depp was excellent, he gives an oscar-worthy performance, Winslet was fantastic, but Freddie Highmore's performance was flawless, his performance was oscar-worthy. Finding Neverland is such a good movie and you should definitely go see it.

I think that this movie is so good, i cried and cried like even 20 minutes after the movie, its really touching! GO SEE IT ITS WAY GOOD!~!

Wonderful! heartfelt! we should all be able to dream and enjoy life and never lose our child dreams and fantasies. johnny depp/outstanding and kate winslet very convincing in moving performances. children were wonderful take the whole family and go and see it. for all ages!!!

It's excellent. very tough subject material so well-handled. the movie theater was silent at the end...not a sound. hardly anyone left when the credits were done rolling...3-4minutes later. (if that tells you anything)

I didnt know this level of production talent still lives. I did note it was produced in England...NOT Hollywood, so that may account for something Top talent in every aspect! Starts kind of sleep and before you know it your overwhelmed with emotion. The final 15 minutes are the most emotional of any film!

Tedious, boring and uninteresting in all respects. Vastly overrated. Word of mouth killed it at the box office. If you liked it, you are probably one of those who like to watch paint dry too. Awful.

Totally inspiring, Great acting.

One of the best films I have ever seen.

Great movie.

After some fun takes on the story of Peter Pan, I've always wondered who the man was that started the epic tale, and if the life of the man was a movie, would it be any good. Ladies and Gentlemen, Finding Neverland has finally ended my craving for that movie, with (in my opinion) 2004's best picture.

Johnny Depp really grows up in this movie. A perfect actor to portray a man of imagination. His special style shines in his relationship with children.

Let's just get this out of the way--this movie is not accurate to Barrie's life. Okay, that's done. What I took from it was David Magee's interpretation of Peter Pan through Barrie's life. It's a little sappy, yes, but I certainly felt the poignancy of it as well. It's less about writing a play and more about facing death, and that theme is played beautifully. It's also nice to see a more mainstream movie that doesn't need to be over-the-top drama or ADD action. For the most part, subtle and imaginative, without relying too much on soundtrack or special effects to portray emotion. … Expand

If Tim Burton directed this movie, then maybe we woulda had something great. It's nicey nice. Bring your girlfriend and mom and watch them get the sniffles. That kid who played Peter will be why you went to see this. I heard that he WAS snatched up by Tim Burton for his Willy Wonka flick.

Awesome! Kate Winslet glows on the screen!

While some may rave about the wonderful acting, or the glorious scenery (both in nature and on stage), I enjoyed it most because it showed how a "written story" is created -- by observing life around you and putting it into fiction. If you know nothing more about Barrie than what you see on screen, you get the idea from the film that this was his one great book, and that it was because he was so deeply involved with a family that shadowed his sensitive, yet playful nature. -- as far as the other reviews here that refer to his mysterious relationship with his wife -- it unravels that they sleep in separate rooms, and he says that she hasn't cared for a long time where he is or what he's doing. Seeing her interact with her mother about their attitudes toward life are clearly opposite of Barrie's. We might assume this was an arranged marriage; do we need to know more? not really. This missed detail shows how some viewers will get more out of the delicate, subtle details in the film. On the surface it seems almost fluffy, and yet your brain will never forget the image/or/character of the ever-young (in the most beautiful and innocent way) Barrie.… Expand

Beautiful film about dealing with personal tragedy and maintaining your child-like imagination no matter how old you are.

Wonderful screenplay with great performances. I was totally absorbed and I generally the like comedic / fantatasy / shot-em-up type films.

Manipulative tripe.