Day 76: Finding Neverland

J.M. Barrie (Johnny Depp) finds inspiration for ‘Peter Pan’ in a family of four young boys and their wonderful mother.

James helps Peter (Freddie Highmore) to become a child again, to not only think of how sad he is that his father died. But Peter is always expecting the worst and he can only pretend so far before it just becomes another lie for him. He has stories within him and James helps him to see the worth in writing them down and believing in them. The relationship between the two is great, I love James’ patience with him as he helps to rediscover his childhood.

Favourite bit of the film is when Sylvia (Kate Winslet) is too sick to go to the play, so James brings the play to her. It is so wonderful and just so sad. She gets to see the influence her children had on James and she knows their childhoods are forever immortalised within the story. And she gets to see Neverland for herself, as James promised she would.

Completely forgot just how sad this film is, bloody hell.

Peter:   It’s just… I thought she’d always be here.

James:  So did I but in fact, she is because she’s on every page of your imagination. You’ll always have her there. Always.

Peter:   But why did she have to die?

James:  I don’t know, boy. When I think of your mother I’ll always remember how happy she looked sitting in her parlour, watching a play about her family, about her boys that never grew up. She went to Neverland and you can visit her anytime you like, if you just go there yourself.

Peter:   How?

James:  By believing, Peter. Just believe.

8/10

Day 5: Breakfast On Pluto

The film today centres on Patricia ‘Kitten’ Braden (Cillian Murphy), a young trans lady searching for her mother against the backdrop of Irish turmoil. Abandoned as a baby at the priest’s (Liam Neeson) door, the priest sees to it that the child has a home. But in that home she’s rejected because of who she is and so she leaves for London to find her mother. Not particularly easy when all you have to go on are a name and the memory of someone saying she looks like Mitzi Gaynor. The majority of the men she meets along the way are awful and exploitative but some (like the womble Brendan Gleeson, the police officer, or the philosophical bikers) try to help. While the conflict in Ireland isn’t given the heaviest of attention it is used well throughout and couples well with the main story.

After being screamed at by an angry prostitute, Kitten jumps in the car of a seemingly well-meaning man. They chat about what she’s doing and she says she’s looking for her mother, the Phantom Lady. She calls her that so the whole thing sounds like a story that’s happening to someone else. Why? “Because otherwise I might cry and never stop.” The whole film Kitten has this attitude that shouts that she doesn’t care because she’s going to be who she’s going to be and she’s happy with that. But at the heart of it is someone who is desperately lonely and really wants their Mum. She’s constantly rejected, but the first ever to reject her was her mother. And she wants so much to see her perhaps to know she wouldn’t be rejected now, had her mother known the woman she’d become. Despite always making sure her identity is clear, she hides behind a fake name in order to meet her and never once admits to who she is. The encounter isn’t long but she comes away finally meeting the person who gave her up. She is married and has children so to all intents and purposes she appears to have moved on past the birth of her first child. Kitten knows who her father is, however, and knows he tried his hardest to help her so she returns to him. In the face of adversity given who Kitten is, her father doesn’t let it bother him even when he loses his home as a result. He stuck with her when her mother could not and so she’s given up the dream of the Phantom Lady for the reality of the person who stayed.

I still never understand those who react negatively to others (be they trans, queer, etc.). Why is it so difficult to accept the person before you as they present themselves? Why must you demand they be different? The common consensus is fear, the type caused by not understanding. I guess that makes sense. Someone told me today that God has a higher plan for all of us and that he loves everyone unconditionally. Now I just don’t believe that for a second. What is his plan for all this hate and violence? All the bloodshed caused by a lack of unconditional love from his very own followers? Where there are people, there is hate. They just can’t help themselves when it comes to being truly awful to others and I really hope we can somehow escape from it. But I don’t see it happening soon.

Really enjoyed the film despite having very little to say about it. Would watch many times.

8/10