Now that that's out there, let's chat about Disney's take on Peter Pan.
This was a rather exciting week for me, because it had easily been ten years since I last saw this gem in its entirety. I attempted to watch it a few years ago when I was at Disney World, but after a 14+ hour day of park going, who could blame me for falling asleep? In any case, I was so thrilled to know that this movie was coming up on my list that I went out and bought it a month ago. Yeah, I splurged for the Blu-Ray/DVD combo. Who do you think I am?
Oddly enough, with all the delays in my schedule, it so happened that I watched this movie the week after my 23rd birthday, the very same week that Boston, my current home, was attacked by the marathon bombers. These events made my viewing feel a little deeper than it probably would have been otherwise, because it's hard not to wish for a life of eternal youthful bliss when everything around you is completely out of control. So, for a time I was able to escape reality and that was nice and needed.
It's easy to see why Peter Pan is among Disney's most popular films, because it really has a lot going for it. It has fully-realized characters, a compelling plot, and the magic of Disney animation. The older I get, the more intrigued I am with the characters of Peter and Hook. There's something so interesting about their rivalry, because they share a decent number of similarities. They're the leaders of their respective groups, they invest a serious amount of time in trying to outdo the other, and they ultimately want to control the small island where they reside. Another thing they share, more so in the book is the desire for a mother figure. Ultimately, two such similar beings cannot coexist, because otherwise the rivalry wouldn't exist and, fittingly, this is where the plot comes in. Wendy, to Peter's mind, fits the bill of a motherly figure. She's old enough to understand the traditional duties of a mother, but not so old that she can't sense a great adventure. Hence, he invites her to Neverland and allows her two young brothers passage. As for the magic of Disney animation, there are plenty of memorable moments. I will always remember Peter, Wendy, John, and Michael flying around the nursery and over London to the tune of "You Can Fly." In that vein, who doesn't cry a little for Nana as she waves goodbye to the children?
I will say, however, that one area where the film comes up short (for me) is in its ability to really capture the voice Barrie gives to the story. I don't know whether the insertion of a narrative voice throughout the whole film could have aided this shortcoming or not, but it's something that immediately came to my mind. The narrator only provides the opening introductions. On the other hand, I have seen a few film adaptations of Peter Pan and I don't think I'm biased in saying that this one comes the closest of them all. It may also be the most faithful of them all, too. But my concern is more for capturing Barrie's tone than it is for replicating his plot. That aside, I do love this movie and have since my childhood. Remember the story of how my mom went on to hide our copy of Peter Pan? Yep.
Above I mentioned one of my favorite moments from the film, when the children fly for the first time, and I wanted to talk about a couple of others that I've also enjoyed all these years. As a kid, I always wanted to fly in the clouds based on the scene where Peter and the children arrive in Neverland only to be attacked by Hook and his men with a canon. That always seemed like it had the potential to be a great game, albeit dangerous. Then there's Smee accidentally shaving the seagull. Who thought to add that scene? It's so ridiculous and perfect. I love it as much today as I ever have. And how cool is the animation in the scene where Tinkerbell hides behind a leaf as Peter scolds her for not helping Wendy? Lastly, I have a fondness for Wendy's bedtime story that she tells as she cleans off Michael's cheeks and talks to him about their mother. I will say that in the book (I'm that person, ugh), she, too, starts to forget their mother and it's a very interesting turn for her character that Disney might have been able to bring out.
Before I wrap up, let me take a moment to share some interesting facts about this movie. First of all, three cast members from Alice in Wonderland were brought back for this film to voice Wendy, Smee, and Mrs. Darling, they previously played Alice, the White Rabbit, and Alice's sister, respectively. Initially, Disney wanted to make this as his second animated film, which, I know, sounds like a repeated fact, because I said it about Bambi, too. But here's how it really went, Walt Disney wanted to make Peter Pan his follow up to Snow White, but couldn't get the rights, so he turned his attention to Bambi, which got held up and ultimately became the fifth Disney animated release. Disney did, obviously, earn the rights to Peter Pan, but sat on them through the 1940's as he attempted to find a version of the story that he wanted to tell. Finally, this was the last film to be worked on by all nine of "Disney's Nine Old Men," a crew that had started work together on Snow White. Some, of course, stayed on and worked on future released, but this was their last collective work. Lastly, Disney considered having the opening of the film be about Peter's backstory, but decided against it. Good thing, because there's no way he could have compared to Peter and the Starcatcher. Oh... which reminds me, though no film has aptly captured Barrie's voice, Peter and the Starcatcher, a play, certainly has. Ah, yes, the magic of theatre.
Though I've always appreciated Peter Pan, I've grown to enjoy it more and more with time, especially after reading the book and seeing some of the characters pop up on Once Upon a Time. I even dressed as Captain Hook from Once Upon a Time for Halloween this year. Plus, there's also that part about never having to grow up and I've never wished that more than when I had to actually start supporting myself. Overrated.
Next week: Lady and the Tramp.
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