Peter Pan
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Plot Summary:
Peter Pan is the new theatrical version of the old children's story. Peter Pan invites Wendy and her two brothers to Neverland where they fight against Captain Hook and his band of pirates.
Opinion:
"Peter Pan", the book, has been around for 100 years now; the Disney cartoon version has been around for 50. Since then, Peter Pan has also been the subject of many stage and TV versions and is undoubtedly one of the few fairy tales whose story is familiar to both children and adults. This new version of Peter Pan in movie form is quite faithful to the source material, and contains virtually all of the characteristics you may have remembered from the previous movie/stage/TV versions you may have seen:
(1) Peter living in Neverland--a place where kids don't grow old--with a group of kids called The Lost Boys.
(2) Peter losing his shadow and Wendy having to reattach it.
(3) The large sheepdog Nana who acts as Wendy, Michael and John's 'nurse'.
(4) John's teddy bear, whom he drags around everywhere (although he--the bear--gets, uh...'mistreated' more in this movie than in previous 'Peter Pan's)
(5) The giant crocodile with a clock in its belly who's constantly chasing Captain Hook.
(6) Captain Hook and Mr. Darling being played by the same person (a long tradition in Peter Pan performances with not a little bit of symbolism involved)
(7) 'Everyone' being called upon to exercise faith and save Tinkerbell.
Is there 'nothing new under the sun' in this version of Peter Pan, then? Not at all...the filmmakers may have decided to remain faithful to the basic Peter Pan story (not modernizing it, for example, as is often done with Shakespeare), but they has added significantly more depth--exploring deeper issues that were present in the original book but absent from the Disney version. One of the most fundamental changes is the filmmakers actually casting (*gasp*) a
boy as Peter Pan. This allows for a certain romantic tension between Wendy and Peter that was usually ignored in other versions. (And don't worry...it's strictly PG) One of the more interesting conversations happens upon Wendy's arrival in Neverland where she's asked to be the 'mother' to the Lost Boys, joining Peter as the 'father'. I was reminded (tangent alert...) of the arranged Family Home Evening groups in the BYU student wards where a single guy and girl were called to be 'mom' and 'dad' over the 'family'. Like Peter and Wendy, there were times where you secretly liked being paired together even though it was just a calling. (There were also times where guys in the group held a secret attraction to their 'mother'...but that's another story)
At the heart of the Peter Pan story is the idea of whether it's better to live forever as a child with no responsibilities, or if it's better to 'grow up' even though it means forsaking the carefree days of youth. Much like the similar discussion in "Tuck Everlasting", viewers will find that even though Peter is the 'hero'--things are not at all well and perfect in his world.
Another scene that represents well the depth in this Peter Pan is a small conversation near the beginning where Mrs. Darling patiently explains to the children the 'brave' things their father has done, even though he's not out fighting pirates or having adventures. It's brief, but very meaningful. Another little touch that sets this version above all others is the short and beautiful interlude between adventures where Peter and Wendy dance with the fairies.
This new theatrical version of Peter Pan had two things working against it in its initial theater run. (1) opening in theaters at the same time as "The Return of the King", and (2) an inherent familiarity with the story from most people young and old perhaps leading to a sense of 'been there seen that'. There were no marquee names starring in it to attract people to the theater either, although I would tend to think of that as a strength. Rachel Hurd-Wood (Wendy) is making her feature debut (and it's a good one) and Jeremy Sumpter (Peter) previously starred in the R-rated "Frailty" which approximately 0% of this film's target audience will have seen. Jason Isaacs (Mr. Darling and Captain Hook) may be recognized by many from his role of Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies, but that's about it for name recognition.
Still, you shouldn't let familiarity with the story keep you away from this version of Peter Pan. Compared to other 'family' movies that dumb things down, here's a movie that has adventure and meaning that everyone in the family can enjoy without sacrificing depth.
Content Analysis: (PG, 0-1-2-1 on the Baron's scale)
Captain Hook believes in (and practices) the "Darth Vader" method of dealing with subordinates, and there's a lot of sword-play but nothing brutal or bloody. Wendy and Peter share a kiss which, as mentioned, adds more sexual tension to the movie than you may be used to in Peter Pan stories, but it's PG all the way. Some viewers have interpreted the encounters between Captain Hook and Wendy as having some uncomfortable sexual overtones, but if you keep in mind that the guy who plays Captain Hook also plays Wendy's father and interpret things from that symbolic perspective it should make things easier. (Or, actually, that may make things worse for you...but then again why don't you get your mind out of the gutter and just enjoy the movie, okay?)
In-depth Analysis:
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. -- 1 Corinthians 11:13
One of the key issues underlying the story of Peter Pan is the dichotomy between Neverland and the real world. In Neverland, kids can be kids forever and never have to worry about 'grown-up' things. Peter tells Wendy this in an effort to entice her to stay in Neverland forever, although Wendy makes the mature decision and decides that becoming an adult--despite its occassional drudgery--is part of the purpose of life and she wants to achieve it.
From a more spiritual perspective, this same dichotomy exists in the world we live in concerning the purpose of life and our eternal destiny. Many people think the purpose of being on this Earth is to "eat, drink and be merry" all our lives, although with the benefits of scripture and modern revelation we know that the true purpose of our existence is essentially to 'grow up'--to learn the important things about life and the eternities and become a spiritual 'adult', instead of remaining a child spiritually our whole lives. It is a difficult decision to make because, just like in Wendy's case, it requires more discipline, more work, and an eye towards the big picture--even when those around us seem to be having more fun in life by avoiding responsibility.
Another buried theme in the movie is the need to belong to a family--which is the key motive for the Lost Boys deciding to leave Neverland and find a real 'mom' and 'dad'. They too recognize that the purpose of life is greater than what they had been heretofore exposed to, and that being a part of a family unit brings many blessings. It's surprising, in fact, that in the end Peter decided to remain 'immortal' in Neverland--mostly because at that point all of his friends had now left and he would be alone in Neverland from then on. Yet, that was the decision Peter made for better or for worse, and it makes it more poignant for Wendy when Peter returns many years later and convinces her daughter Jane to go with him to Neverland. (Oh...don't remember this scene? It's from the book, and reportedly also filmed but later cut for this theatrical version)
Random Notes and Comments:
(1) Olivia Williams, who plays Mrs. Darling, also starred as Bruce Willis's wife in "The Sixth Sense". In fact, the scene where Mrs. Darling is talking in her sleep is very reminiscent of a scene near the end of "The Sixth Sense" where she also talks in her sleep. The two scenes are shot so similarly I'm inclined to think it's not a coincidence, but a brief tribute.
(2) Jeremy Sumpter (Peter) grew from 5'0 to 5'8 during the course of filming--causing the producers to have to alter some of the sets mid-movie to accommodate his changing size.
