OK, it’s been discussed before. I am a sucker for Peter Pan. This is a semi-recent development. When I was growing up the only Peter Pans we knew were Mary Martin and Sandy Duncan – not exactly the sort of thing to inspire admiration and devotion to a character. But then there was Hook. As goofy as it was it brought some of the meanness back to the Peter Pan story, which is after all a story about the perils of growing up. Then we had the excellent adaptation in last year’s Peter Pan and now we have the story of how the story was created.
Be warned, it’s a bit of a melodramatic tear-jerker. Folks were weeping openly as the credits rolled. But for all its manipulative aspects it’s a hell of an interesting films about a very strange fellow: J.M. Barrie. I knew the guy was odd but I don’t think I knew he was Scottish nor did I know that he was 1903’s equivalent of a Michael Jackson scandal – although Barrie, unlike Jackson, actually was innocent. I have to say, the film makes me consider seeking a biography of Barrie and for any stimulation to make me consider reading a biography of someone other than a great general or politician means it struck a chord.