COME AWAY

UK, 2020, 93 minutes, Colour.

Keira Chansa, Jordan A.Nash, Reece Yates, David Oyelowo, Angelina Jolie, Jenny Galloway, Anna Chancellor, Michael Caine, David Gyasi, Clarke Peters, Derek Jacobi.

Directed by Brenda Chapman.

Come Away is quite a strange film, directed by American Brenda Chapman, who work in animation including such films as The Prince of Egypt. But, this is a British story. It is also a period story with elegant costumes and decor.

Audiences may be intrigued by the fantasy element of the screenplay. The focus is on a family, the parents played, unexpectedly, by David Oyelowo and Angelina Jolie. There is also an intrusive aunt, snobbish, played by Anna Chancellor. While the parents have a background, especially the father a wood craftsman who has left his family, an eccentric father, a vengeful brother, the focus is on three young children. And the focus is, initially, on their play, the make-believe world, especially imagining themselves as pirates with swordfights.

And the film visualises them as living out their fantasies as well is presenting them realistically.

As the fantasies emerge, the focus is on the story of Peter Pan, one of the young sons identifying with him, fantasising of meeting the Lost Boys, and, at the end, his father’s sinister brother becoming Captain Hook, his father’s watch and the image of the crocodile…

The young daughter, however, fantasises Alice in Wonderland stories which are also visualised, even with her mother and her aunt appearing as two of the Queen’s.

While this is attractively fanciful, there is very interesting cast which also includes guest appearances by Michael Caine and Derek Jacobi, it is something of a strange mixture, not always persuasive, perhaps bewildering to the potential young audience, perhaps irritating to the adult audience.

However, it opens up ways of imagining famous classics.

1. A British fantasy? The children? The family audiences? Drawing on archetypal British fictional characters?
2. The title, the adult Alice reading to her children, the poem, the invitation to imagination? The end, her looking out to the stars? The ever-presence of Peter?
3. The period, costumes and decor, the family home and interiors, the gardens, the workshop for Jack, the surrounding countryside, the woods, the river? The contrast with the town, the shops, gambling, Jack’s father’s home at the pawn shop? The musical score?
4. The reference to Dream Dust, children and their imagination, playing, creating, fantasy? Going beyond the real? The three children and their playing, the swordfights, the boat, the pirates? Peter and the details of Peter Pan, the lost boys, the pirates, James as Captain Hook, the watch, the crocodile? Alice, the references to Alice in Wonderland, falling down the hole, the tea party and the Mad Hatter, allusions to the Cheshire cat? Her mother as a queen, the cards? Her aunt as the red Queen?
5. Audience knowledge of Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland? Children’s knowledge?
6. The family situation, Rose and her having married beneath her, Jack and his background, father, alienation from his brother, his father’s gift of the watch, his carvings, making the boat, making ends meet? The parents and the relationship, love? Love for their children? David and his going to school? Peter not doing well at his studies? Alice bonding with her brothers? The game, the sword fight, the boat, David in the water, his death, Peter blaming himself? Rose’s grief, keeping to herself, drinking, eventually smacking Alice, her regrets?
7. Rose, relationship with Eleanor, Eleanor’s visits, Eleanor lecturing her, Eleanor wanting to take away Alice and educate her and refine her? Rose, the ambiguous relationship, apologising, then telling Eleanor to get out? The fact of slapping Alice, putting the drink away, bonding with Jack?
8. Jack, his grief at David’s death, finishing the boat, finally taking it to Mr Brown, Mr Brown and his making alternate arrangements? Jack, upset, smashing his workshop? Peter coming in, his apologising?
9. The money, Peter taking his father’s watch, their going to the pawn shop, the encounter with their uncle and their grandfather, not realising it, given the money, Peter giving it to his father, the gold fading? Their being tricked by their uncle?
10. Jack, his past, considered lower class, gambling, the money, his father and his brother, the separation? Going back, meeting Charlie, playing cards? The final confrontation with his brother, the angers, the bitterness of the past, James destroying Jack’s hand?
11. The family crisis, Peter and finding the lost boys, the decision to go away with them, the Dream Dust? The confrontation with Captain Hook, the fights? Sailing into the air, the Neverland? Yet his reappearing, leaving gifts, finally leaving the adult Alice with the eagle feather?
12. Alice, her decision to leave the stories in the past, grow up, marry, have children, read them the stories, yet always looking for Peter?