My family and I chose to watch this movie with no prior knowledge of it, we just thought we'd give it a try. And now, I have to say I'm appalled that I hadn't heard of Neverwas before then. It's a beautiful movie, with an incredible cast and a fabulous story, and not to mention visually stunning as well.

To briefly outline the beginning, a psychologist(Aaron Eckhart) returns to the town he grew up in, and starts working at an asylum of sorts where his father had spent time. His father was an exceptionally famous children's fantasy author, and soon it becomes unclear whether the story he wrote was merely a story or if somehow there's more to it. I'd say more, but part of the magic of this film is being surprised.

Neverwas is a happy movie without being insipid, and whimsical without being unbelievable or over done. It's perfect, in my opinion. You couldn't ask for a film with more imagination, and I think anyone would be delighted by it. I could not have enjoyed it more if I tried!

...I decided to give this movie a chance. The most common complaint I read about this movie is that it never sticks to one genre. I must be the odd woman out, because I thought this worked well for Neverwas. If it had only been a movie about mental illness, it would have been too depressing. If it had only been about the fairy tale, it wouldn't have been as meaningful. My advice is to let the movie be what it is. It is a mix of romance, father-son bonding, mental illness, mystery, and fantasy. The always superb Aaron Eckhart carries the movie very well, and he is supported with excellent performances by William Hurt, Brittany Murphy, and Ian McKellan. I am glad that I gave this movie a chance, and I feel that the $5 I paid for it was money well spent.

Farfetched isn't the word for it, but Brittany Murphy is farfetched to a T as an ace reporter from Aaron Eckhart's past who gets the old spark glowing again now that they aren't dipping each other's braids in the inkwells. Poor Brittany, reduced to this "girlfriend" part that suddenly morphs into the "crack journalist" part in which the journalist finds herself compromised by her relationship to the "victim." (See ABSENCE OF MALICE.)

The movie revels in big reveal scenes and Aaron Eckhart gets to sneak into Brittany Murphy's room and find out her secret, the way that hardened FBI investigators break down an attic door and exclaim "Oh my God" to each other merely because the tenant has plastered his walls from top to ceiling with newspaper clippings. If they could see my apartment, maybe they'd understand! Sometimes you just need another coat of something up on your walls to keep in the heat, and old clippings of heinous crimes are just as good as new paint.

In Aaron's case, he's cute as a button both as a boy and man. The cinematography literally gilds his blonde hair into a helmet of light that's scary to look at, like a Ken doll on fire. William Hurt as the head of the hospital looks at him in disgust, wondering what happened to his own good looks that were so well used in BODY HEAT and that one with Sigourney Weaver where he, Hurt, was an idiot savant janitor and she a crack journalist in the Brittany Murphy mode. The acting in the movie is wretched from top to bottom, but it would be entertaining anyhow, had the script been reined in a little. The coincidences of the plot are manifold, like the lilies of the field, and they don't stop even when the credits are unrolling. Jessica Lange plays her part as though she were trying out for Katharine Hepburn's old DELICATE BALANCE role, faded gentility parsed with attractive, withered madness. She just made a mistake, that's all.

The credits say Michael Moriarty's in the movie too. I didn't spot him. Anybody know who he plays?

A good way to spend a couple of hours (108 minutes to be exact). The cast is definitely a who's who of actors, but thankfully, they don't jump all over each other. I thought the acting was, for the most part, subtle and thoughtful. Ian McKellan was stunning in every scene, but I think you will find a lot of substance in Nick Nolte's performance as well!! The juxtaposition of reality, fiction, and delusion was fascinating and was displayed as well as could be in this medium.

While the movie has some similarities to others, they are small enough not to distract... The story leaves us with some positive ideas about uncomfortable subjects and just maybe stretches our own boundaries of acceptance.

If you like to challenge yourself while being entertained and see some great acting at the same time, I definitely recommend.

All the best,

Jay

Elizabeth Essenfeld this movie is the blend of fantasy and thriller. The tagline of "one man's insanity is another man's children's book' is accurate description of the story plit. With twists and turns and surpsring ending, the movie is satisfying until the very last moment. Brittney Murphy steps out of her usual 'cutesy' bubble and plays a somewhat more grounded adult role. All in all, an enjoyable movie.