ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

Peter Pan

Come Away: The Paths to Freedom

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Come_Away_07.08.18._0115_AB Keira Chansa stars as Alice Littleton in COME AWAY, a Relativity Media release. Credit: Alex Bailey / © Maginot Line, LLC 2020

Two stories, both beloved by generations. One of a girl who slips through the looking glass and finds herself in a magical world of singing flowers, a grinning cat, and a red queen. The other of the boy who wouldn’t grow up, and instead journeyed to the second star on the right and straight on to morning – never to become a man but to spend his days in play. 

In Come Away, these stories are joined in the lives of the Littleton family. Siblings Peter and Alice (Jordan Nash and Keira Chansa respectively) along with their eldest brother David (Reece Yates) spend their idyllic days creating adventures and soaking up the affection of their doting parents Rose (Angelina Jolie) and Jack (David Oyelowo). Tucked away in the country, the Littletons seem to have all the peace and contentment any family could long for – until tragedy strikes.

As they reel from grief, Rose and Jack slip into despair – Rose turning to drink and Jack retuning to his long-ago gambling past…and those debts come calling. Peter and Alice strive to hold onto the joy of youth, but Peter is burdened by his quest to save his family from the reality knocking at their door, and Alice seeks out the comfort of her high class aunt (and Rose’s sister) Eleanor (Anna Chancellor). Their paths begin to drift –  one into a temporary Wonderland and the other into the timeless Neverland. 

Come_Away_20.08.18._3412_AB (ctr) Jordan A. Nash as stars as Peter in COME AWAY, a Relativity Media release. Credit: Alex Bailey / © Maginot Line, LLC 2020

From a conceptual standpoint, the joining of these two stories was intriguing. I’ve written before how I’ve always been a fan of Peter Pan lore, so it made sense for me to check this one out. Alice in Wonderland has never been a favorite of mine so I wasn’t sure what to really expect, but this is pretty much set up as a prequel of sorts. And I think it works. The dynamics that lead Peter and Alice onto their respective paths create another level of dimension into their “why’s.” For Peter, it wasn’t just about not wanting to grow up – it was about recognizing the reality of pain and change and a way to hold onto an untainted joy. For Alice it was less about escape and more about being unsure what was real and what wasn’t, and about finding where she would feel at home. 

The casting is phenomenal, with Angelina Jolie in her element playing the once ethereal and doting mother turned despondent and dismissal of her children. David Oyelowo is engaging as a craftsman who encourages the play of his children, but still struggles with both his lower class position and debt-riddled past. Anna Chancellor (of the BBC miniseries Pride and Prejudice) is perfectly balanced between disappointed sister and doting aunt. And the children carry an impressive range of emotions and believability. Rounding out this stellar cast is Gugu Mbatha-Raw as the adult Alice narrating, and Michael Caine as an acquaintance from Jack’s past. Together they tell a dynamic story of what happens when the veil of sanctuary is ripped away.

Come Away_0209_R Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars as adult Alice Littleton in COME AWAY, a Relativity Media release. Credit: Alex Bailey / © Maginot Line, LLC 2020

Overall, I found Come Away engaging and thought provoking. I imagine I’ll uncover even more of the treasures (both real and fanciful) that Peter and Alice sought in the midst of trial and transition with a second or third watch – something that is definitely on my list.

Wendy: Forever a Child

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I grew up with the 1960 version of Peter Pan starring Mary Martin, so much so, I can still sing “I’m flying” by heart. And something about the story of the boy who would never grow up has followed me around like a shadow, because I have kept a soft spot for all things Peter Pan. Maybe it’s the dream of eternal youth…maybe it’s the thrill of childhood adventure where anything can happen…maybe it is the journey of walking the line from childhood into adulthood and how we somehow strive to live in both worlds as we press on.

Whatever it is, I was looking for it in Benh Zeitlin’s Wendy, a film that dances between the well-known lore of Peter Pan and an eccentricity that is encompassed by an earthy realism of cinematography. Having never seen Zeitlin’s Oscar nominated film, Beasts of the Southern Wild, I wasn’t sure what to expect with this adaptation. And, truth be told, I sat kind of stunned and unsure of how I felt when Wendy was over.

With a cast of newcomers and unknowns, Wendy transports the viewer from a busy diner by the tracks to an island inhabited by lost boys, a mysterious group of aged adults known only as “the Olds,” and an underwater fish-like creature called “Mother.” It’s during their time here that Wendy (Devin France), and her brothers Douglas and James (twins Gage and Gavin Naquin respectively) latch onto the adventures of Peter (Yashua Mack) with the same determination to never grow up and lose the fun of being a child. While the basic storyline of a more typical Peter Pan is in tact, the expression of it couldn’t be more different. Where one might anticipate fanciful colors and scenery, Wendy is muted and dusty. Where one would look for good natured fun mixed with sword fights and fairies, Wendy borders on being too serious, pirate-less, and the only mythical creature we really see is the mother who lives under the sea. I squirmed through it, wondering where my beloved story was. 

The setting was part tropical island, part decimated war zone, creating a clear visual between the life of youth and the death of aging. There is a brief backstory to the destroyed living quarters of the Olds and how Peter came to be, but honestly I couldn’t follow it. Or was it because I didn’t want to, as this was just not Peter Pan? 

There were more elements that I simply didn’t care for, like the fish-like creature, “Mother,” and how far deep into the ocean the children had to swim to see her. James’ and Douglas’ storyline was heart wrenching, and at times I couldn’t help but want to yell at Peter for being so careless about those he is supposed to care for. Peter seems to always have that tendency of selfishness, yes, but this took it too far me. And while the ending was what it had to be, I still was dissatisfied with what I had just watched. And yet.

And yet I felt something nagging in my mind for days after. No, the story I loved wasn’t there on the surface, but the poignancy of Zeitlin’s adaptation wouldn’t leave me alone. With the majority of Peter Pan stories, it’s easy to embrace and then move on from the point that we have to grow up and leave childhood behind. But Wendy doesn’t really let you “move on.” I was left contemplating, and deeply, the implication that in transitioning from childhood to adulthood, there is death. There is that part of us, whether we call it innocence or naivety, that is lost and forever. We may cling to it or try to reclaim it, but the truth of our realities drowns out the fantasy. If Wendy and her brothers aren’t completely immune to it, how can I expect to be safe from it as well? We all have to grow up.

But that doesn’t mean that innocence in childhood is free from the worries of the world. This film displays just how messy childhood is. There is loss, there is pain, there is darkness. Grief knows no age limit. We do our best to guard and shelter our children but in many ways, they are on the front lines of life. They see and hear far more than we realize, and so their feelings dwell from depths unexpected. Being at home with four kids right now, who have been forcibly detached from their friends and families, has provided a crash course in just how easy it is to both under and over estimate their feelings and adaptability. They are resilient, yes. And often, the role of protector and comforter is transposed from us to them. When we hit the walls of realization that we “can’t go back,” they are the ones taking us by the hand and leading us off into a new horizon.

I am so guilty of simply assuming that because they are strong, they are ok. They run through the yard on invisible adventures, create entire worlds on paper and in their minds, and spend hours exploring the depths of their imaginations. But at night the fear creeps in. The unknown darkness overwhelms them as they finally focus on the changes the world is throwing at them, with their minds and bodies exhausted from it all. They turn to me, seeking peace and safety, and what can I offer? How do I balance hope with reality with the same grace and confidence that they do? Who am I to lead them, when I so desperately long to be them?

If I take anything with me from Wendy, it is that to be a child isn’t just to be innocent and carefree…to be a child means to hold onto life, with all the joy and all the sadness it brings. Yes there is fear and doubt, but there is also peace and hope. We are all children when we look at the world in front of us, in the midst of the good and the bad, and believe that “to live will be an awfully big adventure.”

Wendy is available on VOD now.

Pan: What’s In A Name?

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peterpan2

Peter Pan (Levi Miller) is the kid who wants to find his mother before he’s the boy who never grew up. That is, before he never grew up, he was just an orphaned, little boy missing his mother. Imprisoned in an orphanage with the ominously hoarding Mother Barnabas (Kathy Burke), Peter leads a mini-rebellion and is sold into pirate slavery under the deliciously evil Captain Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman, channelling his inner Johnny Depp) in Neverland. Now, we’re getting somewhere: the legend has begun.

Jason Fuchs’ script was on the Hollywood “Blacklist” of most desirable scripts (he’s scheduled to pen Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman for 2017) but somewhere along the way, director Joe Wright got lost in the eyes of most critics. To be fair, the film is not great – certainly not as good as Robin Williams’ Hook – but the story of searching, seeking, and longing for something lost is still pretty compelling. It’s a little spooky, like a Tim Burton film, but it’s not as abysmal as some have painted it to be.

Of course, this is a prequel, and as such, Peter makes friends with his future enemy, Hook (Garrett Hedlund, who overacts his way starboard), and Hook’s accomplice, Smee (Adeel Akhtar). There are giant crocodiles, mermaids, and an Indian princess named Tiger Lily (Rooney Mara), but this isn’t your grandfather’s (or Disney’s) Peter Pan. This is more complicated, more realistic (!), more emotionally charged, as Peter begins to understand where he came from, and the power in his own name.

peterpan1Now, we’re well-versed in names this year, are we not? There’s Max’s name in George Miller’s dystopian thriller and Adonis’ surname in Creed. These are people searching for purpose and meaning, wondering who they are and what it means to be themselves. In Pan, this pressure has been placed inside the youthful heart of Peter, who wants to be someone – someone loved, respected, and related. It’s the cry of his heart, and one that many of us, orphaned or not, can relate to.

Over and over in the Bible, we are reminded that human beings were created in the image of God (imago dei, Genesis 1:27), adopted by God (Ephesians 1:5), called the children of God (John 1:12), and given new names (Revelations 2:17). Peter’s search of self-discovery isn’t really to discover himself but to connect and understand the bigger picture and the greater context. That is our quest as well, is it not?

The Blu-ray/DVD combo pack sports several in-depth looks at the film, from the way that Fuchs’ expanded on J.M. Barrie’s classic world of Neverland, the search that resulted in Miller’s being chosen to play Peter, Jackman’s work to ‘flesh out’ Blackbeard, and trip through the world of Neverland itself.