“Finding Neverland”

Johnny Depp plays J.M. Barrie, author of “Peter Pan” (my Q&A following the film’s premiere at the Cinema Society of San Diego)

In December 2004, the Cinema Society of San Diego arranged a special preview of “Finding Neverland,” Miramax’s new film where Johnny Depp plays J.M. Barrie, the author of “Peter Pan.” Because I have written about Barrie, I was asked to respond to audience questions in the after-film discussion. This is an edited transcript of that discussion.

How did you like the film?

I am interested in why “Peter Pan” is the story that fascinates us these days and not some other story–say, “Tom Sawyer” or “Little Women.” If you’ll excuse the pun, “Peter Pan” is in the air. A year ago, Universal released their live-action film “Peter Pan” and a few years before that, Spielberg did his movie “Hook.” On stage, we’ve had Alan Knee’s “The Man Who Was Peter Pan” (upon which “Finding Neverland” is based), and for the month of November a 51-year-old Cathy Rigby went aerial again in a revival of the play at the Pantages Theater in…