The story of Peter Pan has been around since 1902. Scottish writer J. M. Barrie first included the character in his novel The Little White Bird before it was expanded as a West End play in 1904. The play premiered in December under the title Peter Pan; or, The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up, and in most cases, the titular boy was played by a young woman due to laws about minors working after 9 P.M. and the speculation that an adult male actor would not have suited the role. It has since become a tradition for the role to be played by a woman on stage. Barrie expanded on the play with a novel titled Peter and Wendy in 1911.
Another casting tradition was having the same actor play both the roles of Captain Hook and Mr. Darling — partly to save money on hiring actors, and partly to show the similar antagonistic qualities in the two grown-up characters. The first film adaptation came in 1924 and kept the stage play tradition of Peter being played by a woman with Betty Bronson in the role, although the roles of Hook and Mr. Darling were played by Ernest Torrence and Cyril Chadwick respectively. Walt Disney himself was a fan of both the play and the 1924 movie, and he was determined to produce an animated feature based on Barrie’s story. This became a reality in 1953 with the Disney classic Peter Pan. Bobby Driscoll was the voice of Peter. The Disney movie remains highly regarded and beloved by many, but in 2003, the first live-action adaptation of Barrie’s play/novel was released.
'Peter Pan's Visuals and Characters Improve Upon the 1953 Classic
The 2003 Peter Pan was co-written and directed by P. J. Hogan, and although it bombed at the box office, critics were generally praiseful of it, as were fans of Barrie’s works. Each performer brilliantly handles the pressure of taking on such iconic roles, including Jeremy Sumpter as Peter, Jason Isaacs as Hook and Mr. Darling, Olivia Williams as Mrs. Darling, Rachel Hurd-Wood as Wendy, Richard Briers as Mr. Smee, Ludivine Sagnier as Tinker Bell, and Saffron Burrows provides narration from the perspective of an adult Wendy. Lynn Redgrave plays Aunt Millicent, a new character written for the film. On the whole, Peter Pan stuck close to the source material, and managed to capture its magic and its despair, but also added its own unique visual style. The setting of Neverland is wonderfully designed to look like it belongs in a storybook. The storybook style of the visuals does not detract from the occasional gloom as the tone of the movie darkens. There are several examples of this; including the sequence with the mermaids which, while similar to the scene in the 1953 film, shows the mermaids to be monstrous creatures who bear their fangs at the sight of Wendy before attempting to drag her down to the ocean’s depths. The bright colors of Neverland frequently fade and reemerge, and Hogan does a fine job in executing pathetic fallacy. The weather plays a big part in the movie, and reflects the events which unfold – clouds cover the sun and the rain beats down when the pirates have the upper hand, and when Peter is triumphing everything brightens up.
There is never a sense that Hogan’s version of Peter Pan is a cash grab — which is how a lot of live-action Disney remakes have felt. Compared to Disney’s original Peter Pan, the 2003 version hugely improves on the characters making them much less one-note, it ditches the musical numbers to keep the story focused, and it does not just merely imitate the fantastical aesthetics of the animation. It respects the story’s author as well as the audiences in equal measure. That is not to say that Disney’s version of Peter Pan did anything inherently wrong, but the fact that both films can be separated in several ways – character interpretations and development, visual style, themes and plot points – is pleasing to see, and something which live-action Disney remakes have failed to grasp.
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2003's 'Peter Pan' Captures the Darkness of Barrie's Original Story
The 1953 Peter Pan film is often noted for its purity and innocence, and how it does not include any of the darker elements of Barrie’s story. Despite its PG-rating, Hogan’s version is a particularly mature interpretation on the character. The concept of never growing up, always being a boy having fun is challenged, and Hogan touches upon the tragic elements of Peter. In the final scene, he tearfully watches the emotional reunion of the Darling family. He looks longingly at the delight of the family as the narrator (Wendy) describes how the sight is “the one joy from which he must be forever barred” – a line taken directly from Barrie’s novel. Other adaptations of Peter Pan – both before and after the 2003 film – have failed to capture this bittersweet conclusion as well as this. Even the famous final battle between Peter and Hook consists mostly of back-and-forth dialogue rather than swashbuckling violence. Hook torments Peter about how Wendy will likely forget him as she inevitably grows up, how he will be replaced by her future husband, and in one of the most affecting dialogue exchanges, he spitefully spits that the nursery window which he enters will one day close and never reopen.
There was an alternate ending in which Peter returns to the Darling residence to find Wendy has grown up and has a daughter named Jane (Sophie Wyburd). Peter reacts angrily before breaking down in tears. When Jane is awakened by his crying, she tells him she has been waiting for him and begs Wendy to let her go on an adventure with Peter, just as she did. Wendy eventually agrees, and Jane flies off to Neverland holding Peter’s hand. This scene was based on the epilogue in Barrie’s novel. The ending which was used is perfectly fitting, and significantly more powerful in the way it addresses the pain Peter is forced to endure, but this deleted sequence showing Peter’s direct reaction to Wendy and her brothers growing up is still interesting to see. A narration from an adult Wendy saying she was never to see Peter again evokes more emotion, and Peter’s final line in the film shows his sadness, but also demonstrates a hint of acceptance as he flies away with a smile on his face.
Although this version of Peter Pan is not considered a direct remake of the 1953 Disney film, the current trend of live-action Disney remakes could learn a lot from this adaptation. It develops and deepens the themes, respects its younger audience while still being entertaining for all ages, and it sticks close to its adored source material. A key difference between this film and the live-action Disney remakes of recent years is the way it clearly does not rely on nostalgia. It has its own vision for its story, a vision which has captured imaginations all over the world, and brings it to life in its own charming way. Not only does Peter Pan respect Barrie’s story, it also respects the tradition of the play as Isaacs has a dual role as Hook and Mr. Darling.
Disney has hopefully learned from its past mistakes in producing subpar live-action remakes for the upcoming Peter Pan & Wendy, premiering on Disney+ later this year, in which Alexander Molony is set to make his film debut as Peter.
