PETER AND WENDY
UK, 2015, 97 minutes, Colour.
Stanley Tucci, Laura Fraser, Hazel Doupe, Bjarne Henriksen, Zak Sutcliffe, Paloma Faith, Rasmus Hardiker.
Directed by Diarmuid Lawrence.
J.M.Barrie was sympathetic to children because of the death of his brother and its effect on his mother. In writing the story of Peter Pan and its popular appearance on stage, he determined that all the royalties would go to Great Ormonde Children’s Hospital. This film indicates this bequest as well as how much it has benefited the hospital and the children.
On the one hand, this is a story about Great Ormonde Hospital, children patients, with their parents, the nursing staff, the doctors and the surgeons. The focus is on Lucy Rose (Hazel Doupe) and her mother (Laura Fraser). Lucy’s illness is explained – by herself to the doctor trainees. Her mother is exceedingly anxious. A Polish worker at the hospital introduces Lucy to the Barrie Museum but she resists reading Peter Pan because it is for children. The worker persuades her to read to a group of ill children.
Before the opening credits we have had a glimpse of Captain Hook and his pirates. As Lucy reads, the action comes to life, in the Darling Household, on Captain Hook’s ship. All the familiar ingredients are there, Peter and his shadow, Tinker Bell and her jealousy, the children flying to Neverland, the Indians, the pirates, the Lost Boys, Wendy having to walk the plank, the crocodile and the ticking clock, Peter and his duel with Hook.
While the action is often in the fantasy world, it is often also superimposed on the hospital rooms and corridors, Lucy’s dreams as she is coming back from unconsciousness and the anaesthetic.
While there is happy ending, there is a sad footnote with one of the children dying.
Stanley Tucci is obviously enjoying himself as a very British Mr Darling, as the roguish Captain Hook as well is the American surgeon in London.
The director, Diarmuid Lawrence, is noted for being a television director often of classic novels.
1. The popularity of Peter Pan? J. M. Barrie’s story? The various film versions, Disney images, live-action features, Peter Pan, Pan…?
2. The connection with Great Ormonde Children’s Hospital? Barrie leaving the rights and income to the hospital? The focus on children, illness, doctors, surgery? Children’s stories?
3. The device of the film to link the Peter Pan story with the hospital and patients? The scenes from the story? Lucy and her mother, the illness, interviews with the doctors, the role of the nurses, the surgery? Lucy reading the story to the other children? Everybody becoming characters in the Peter Penn story? The action on the ship, in the Darling household, and the action taking place in the hospital?
4. Audiences enjoying the familiar episodes, the introduction of Captain Hook, pirate, his personality, the hook, the man hanging and Hook not able to remember why? The capturing of the Lost Boys, imprisoning them? The Darling house, Mr and Mrs Darling (and Stanley Tucci and Laura Fraser acting the roles), Nana the dog, the children? Peter Pan, losing his shadow, Wendy sewing it back? The introduction of Tinker Bell, the touch of the vamp, the subtitles for her dialogue on screen? Small, shiny, jealousy of Peter and Wendy? Her collapse, people not believing in fairies, the children asserting their faith and her recovery?
5. Neverland, Peter flying straight on till morning, the children and their belief in him, falling, flying, arriving in Neverland? The pirates, the Indians? Life on board the ship, Captain Hook, treatment of his men? Their squabbling amongst themselves? Smee and the children? The clock, the crocodile, the attack on the ship, Wendy having to walk the plank, Peter’s arrival, the sword fight with Captain Hook, losing his hook, his defeat?
6. Lucy and her mother, the absent father, her illness, her knowledge of her illness, explaining it to the trainees? The sympathetic doctor (again played by Stanley Tucci)? Laura’s mother, the anxiety, Lucy trying to reassure her?
7. Jerzey, from Poland, working at the hospital, friendly, taking Lucy to the museum, the offer of the book, suggesting she read to the children, the range of children, the bespectacled brothers fighting, the very sick Asian boy, the little boy? Their identifying with the story? The interspersing of the reading of the story throughout the film? The children and their taking their place in the story, the Lost Boys?
8. Lucy, the surgery, the difficulties, the staff, the doctor, her breathing again, recovery? Her urging her mother to make a date with the doctor? His referring to protocols against it? The sympathetic nurses? Jerzey and the farewell?
9. The sadness of the little boy dying and his mother’s grief? Lucy supporting her?
10. A contemporary story about illness in hospital, sick children? And the interlinking with the well-known Peter Pan story?
