Finding Neverland

Synopsis: 1903 London. Renowned playwright J.M. Barrie (James)'s latest effort has garnered less than positive reviews, something he knew would be the case even before the play's mounting. This failure places pressure on James to write another play quickly as impresario Charles Frohman needs another to replace the failure to keep his theater viable. Out for a walk with his dog in part to let his creative juices flow, James stumbles upon the Llewelyn Davies family: recently widowed Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (the daughter of now deceased author George L. Du Maurier) and her four adolescent sons. James and the family members become friends, largely based on he and the boys being able to foster in each other the imagination of children, James just being the biggest among them in this regard. Sylvia also welcomes James into their lives, he who becomes an important and integral part of it. Among the six of them, the only one who does not want to partake is Sylvia's third, Peter Llewelyn Davies, who is st
Director(s): Marc Forster
Production: Miramax Films
  Won 1 Oscar. Another 19 wins & 80 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.7
Metacritic:
67
Rotten Tomatoes:
82%
PG
Year:
2004
106 min
Website
2,475 Views


- Lights up !

- Beginners, please !

- Your five-minute call, sir.

- Places.

- Places. Everyone to their places.

Sh. Quiet, everyone.

Opening nights ?

I love opening nights.

- How are you ? Good to see you.

- Good evening, Charles.

- Sir Herbert, how are you ?

- This is my wife.

- Oh, Lady Herbert.

- How do you do ?

May I give you a peck ?

One of Mr Barrie's finest ?

Oh, that genius Scotsman

has done it again.

It's the best thing I've produced

in 25 years.

I already have investors interested

back home in New York.

See you on Broadway !

First positions, people.

Standing by, please,

ladies and gentlemen.

If you could take

your opening positions, please.

Beginners, please take

your opening positions.

Audience are coming in. Standing by.

- Good audience.

- Sorry ?

Good audience tonight.

OK. That's great, thank you.

How much longer ?

Um, ten minutes, sir.

I love opening nights.

I want to dance with your wife

at the after-party.

- Oh, my goodness.

- Good evening, Mr Frohman.

- How are you, John ?

- Very well.

It's the best thing

that I've produced in 25 years.

- Hello, George. How are you ?

- Healthy and wealthy, I see.

You've rearranged a holiday

for me and I won't forget it.

- For you, Charles, anything.

- You won't regret it.

I'm sure.

- Have you got the tickets ?

- They're in my pocket.

- There's Mrs Barrie.

- Oh, Mr and Mrs Snow.

We were so hoping to speak

with your husband before the show.

- Have you seen him ?

- I'm not sure where he is, actually.

We do miss seeing you on stage.

You were so wonderful.

Yes, well, it's been some time now.

Are you right to find your seat ?

Oh, yes, yes.

See you at the party, then.

Excuse me. Could you find Mr Barrie

and remind him that they're doing his play

this evening.

- Yes, ma'am.

- Thank you.

Let's close the doors.

Really, I mustn't

inconvenience you in this way.

I can wait quite well in the shop.

'Tis no inconvenience.

The shop is chilly. And there is a fire here.

Really, you are uncommonly good.

Sorry, sir.

Mrs Barrie wanted me to remind you

that the play's begun.

- Though I imagine you know that.

- They hate it.

- Sir ?

- It's like a dentist's office out there. Why ?

- I wouldn't say they hate it, sir.

- What do you think ? Do you like it ?

- I've just been hired here, sir.

- Yes or no ? I'm not bothered.

- I'm not really qualified to...

- Do you like it ? Is it crap ?

- Crap, sir ?

- Go on, say it. Just say it.

It's shite, isn't it ? Go on. Say it.

- Don't know if I'm...

- "It's bull's pizzle, Mr Barrie." Go on, say it.

- It's bull's pizzle, Mr Barrie.

- I knew it.

- No, I haven't even seen it.

- I knew it. Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Might I knock a tune, milord,

for a moment ?

I'm an old man...

..and I've seen few of the sights.

Absolute rubbish from start to finish.

Yes, I found it fearfully dull.

Say goodbye to your investment, old boy.

Good to see you. My apologies.

We'll get them with the next one,

Charles, I promise.

- Of course we will, James.

- I know you put a lot into this one.

A fortune, James, but I am fortunate

because I can afford to lose a fortune.

- Can you ?

- No, I can't. How are you ?

- Arthur.

- James.

You were sorely missed

at the last club meeting.

Was I ?

We were beginning to wonder

which is your hobby, writing or cricket.

You wanted to speak with Mr Barrie,

didn't you ?

Oh yes, but we shouldn't interrupt them,

should we ?

I don't see why not.

If you ask me, the problem

lies in our batting order.

- James.

- Hello, darling.

You remember Mr and Mrs Snow,

don't you ?

- Mrs Snow.

- Mr Barrie.

Mr Snow.

The Snows have been waiting

to meet with you all evening.

- Oh, yes.

- Is that right ?

Your play this evening,

it was remarkable, wasn't it ?

Was it ?

Well, thank you. That's very kind of you.

I'm glad you liked it.

How did you feel it went ?

- I think I can do better.

- Really ?

- Mary ? Hello ?

- Yes, James ?

I'm headed off for the park if you'd

like to join me. It's a beautiful morning.

You'll be working, won't you ?

Perhaps, yes.

I'll let you to your work then.

- Morning, Mr Barrie.

- Morning, Emma.

- Have a good day, sir.

- And you.

That's it. Go on, boy. Go get it, boy.

That's right. Good boy. Grab it. Good.

Who do you belong to ?

Come on, boy. Come on.

Excuse me, sir,

you're standing on my sleeve.

Am I ? So sorry.

I might point out

you're lying under my bench.

I have to, I'm afraid.

I've been put in a dungeon

by the evil Prince George.

I'm sorry if it bothers you.

Well, if you're trapped in the dungeon,

there isn't much to be done now, is there ?

Perhaps I could slide a key to you

through the bars.

I wouldn't risk it, sir. The evil

Prince George has tortured many men.

I'm sorry. Is he bothering you, sir ?

My brother can be

an extremely irritating sort of person.

Aha, Prince George, I gather.

I understand you are the horrible tyrant

who imprisoned this unfortunate wretch.

I'm not horrible really, but a firm ruler, yes.

Kind and tolerant.

And what precisely is...

What did you say your name was ?

- Michael.

- What precisely is Michael's crime ?

- He's my younger brother.

- Ah.

- Fair enough. Sorry, lad. Cannot free you.

- That's all right.

- Do you mind us playing with your dog ?

- No. Go on.

This is Jack, second in line to the throne

and that one's Michael. He's only five.

And I'm in prison for it.

- I'm so sorry. Are my boys bothering you ?

- We're not bothering him, Mum.

Michael, darling,

come out from under there.

I can't. I'm in prison.

Oh, I see.

JM Barrie. Pleased to meet you.

JM Barrie, the author ? A pleasure.

Sylvia Llewelyn Davies.

- Are you a writer ?

- I am.

He's a playwright, Jack.

Quite a famous one, at that.

- I apologize. I imagine you're writing.

- No. Not at all.

- Where's Peter ?

- What have you written, Mr Barrie ?

Well, currently, I make my living

entertaining princes and their courts

with my trained bear, Porthos.

If you command your brother,

Peter, to join us,

I am willing, Prince George,

to give you just such a performance

in exchange for the freedom

of this prisoner, of course.

- Very well.

- Very well.

Now...

I want you to pay particular attention

to the teeth.

Some unscrupulous trainers will show you

a bear whose teeth have all been pulled,

while other cowards

will force the brute into a muzzle.

Only the true master would attempt these

tricks without either measure of safety.

- What did you bring me over here for ?

- Peter.

This is absurd. It's just a dog.

Come on, darling.

"Just a dog" ? "Just" ?

Porthos, don't listen to him.

Porthos dreams of being a bear

and you want to dash those dreams

by saying he's "just a dog" ?

What a horrible, candle-snuffing word.

That's like saying, "He can't climb

that mountain, he's just a man."

Or, "That's not a diamond, it's just a rock."

"Just."

Fine then. Turn him into a bear. If you can.

Peter, where are your manners ?

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David Magee

David Magee (born 1962) is an American screenwriter who was nominated for a 2004 Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Finding Neverland. Along with Simon Beaufoy, he wrote the screenplay for Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day starring Frances McDormand and Amy Adams, which was released in 2008. His 2012 screen adaptation of the novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel earned him a Satellite Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He is currently writing the screenplay for the Disney musical Mary Poppins Returns, directed by Rob Marshall, with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The film will star Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda and is scheduled for release in December 2018.Magee is also the screenwriter for the next Chronicles Of Narnia film, The Silver Chair, which is being produced by the Mark Gordon Company and released by TriStar films. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "Finding Neverland" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 Nov. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/finding_neverland_8205>.

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