If you are willing to sprinkle some cinematic faerie dust called “Finding Neverland” into your holiday season, you will be richly rewarded with the kind of spirit that should be in Christmas.
“Finding Neverland” weaves a tale around J.M. Barrie, the man who wrote “Peter Pan.” The magic of this story is more than insight into the genius that created “Peter Pan.” The magic is the heartbeat of child-like imagination that only an adult can bring to life.
The reality of this story is a deep strain of sadness. This means if you need your Christmas movies to be a sweet roller coaster ride to “yes, there is a Santa Claus,” then stick with the animated creativity of Tom Hanks in “The Polar Express” (not a bad choice).
The kids in “Finding Neverland” are endearing conduits for the gentle excellence of Johnny Depp, who shows yet again why he is one of the most roundly compelling actors working today.
We live in angry times, to say the least. There is a bridge to happy from sad. You can’t get there from angry. Enriching the tradition of “Peter Pan,” “Finding Neverland” shows you what believing needs to be made of.