A Scottish playwrite, J.M. Barrie (Johnny Depp) has just written and produced a play he hopes will do well. Opening night comes, and the house is packed. There is only one problem: the play flops.
Barrie goes home to figure out what he wants to do next. Another play? Give up playwriting alltogether? He doesn't really know.
The next day, Barrie goes to the park to write a new play. Something original. Barrie doesn't really know what he's writing; he'll figure that out later. But as he is writing, he happens to stand on the sleeve of a young child, lying under a bench. This boy is Michael Davies, the son of widower Sylvia Davies (Kate Winslet), who has four children. Barrie takes a shine to the family immediatly; he tries to spend as much time as he can with them.
The days quickly go by, and Barrie becomes even more attached to the Davies family, at the cost of his own marriage. Barrie grows to love Sylvia, even if she doesn't reciprocate. While playing with the Davies children, however, Barrie realizes that he would rather be a kid forever than have to grow up.
It is during his time fooling around with the Davies children that he starts forming the ideas for a new play; a story of a boy who wouldn't grow up...
Finding Neverland is not a dramtic drama, but rather a happy drama. It is also a biopic about a man who created a great story.
Johnny Depp is amazing as J.M. Barrie. Johnny brings the great writer to life, and he does so with style and elegance. Depp's portrayal of Barrie isn't over-the-top or overly flambouyant; it is often subtle and Depp knows when to push the right buttons to make the character work.
Depp, and his co-star Freddie Highmore, have terrific chemistry together. For such a young actor, Freddie shows a wide range of emotions on screen to which Depp brings out - fully. Freddie is going to become a great actor in the years to come.
I loved Finding Neverland. Finding Neverland isn't a flashy Hollywood flick, nor is it a "must see" film. Finding Neverland is the kind of movie that focuses on character relationships, rather than bold visual effects or heavy action to make it good. It reminds me of the relationship between Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson in Lost in Translation. Johnny Depp and Freddie Highmore are simply amazing as James M. Barrie and Peter Davies, respectivly; They both deserve Oscar nominations at least for their roles. And, if you thought Johnny was good in Pirates of the Carribean, you have got to see him in Neverland. See it, and belive.
Plot: 
The story of Barrie and how he came to write Peter Pan is told is grand style; the film isn't too long, and it isn't too short. It gives us the facts albeit playing loosly with them, but giveing them to us without a lot of backstory or other loose ends that usually remain untied.
Visual Effects:
There are a few visual effects shots, mostly just camera tricks, though. Ther are, however, some special effects shots in the play scenes, which work well. And of course, the cinematography is exceptional.
Sound:
Excellent score.
Character Development:
Atmosphere:
The movie is very tame by today's standards. Finding Neverland isn't a chick flick, but you can enjoy it as a soft drama without a lot of the heavy drama seen in other films.
Realism: 
Well, the main points of the story are told here, yes, but the truth to them has been skewed, a bit. There were five Davies children and Mr. Davies was alive when Barrie wrote Peter Pan.
Warren’s Rating:
Movies it was nominated with for Best Picture:
The Aviator; *Million Dollar Baby; Ray; Sideways
9.86/10 Is the movie worth your time to watch?
06-01-05
