In some ways this film is reminiscent of films such as "The Fisher King" and "They Might be Giants". In both of those films the central idea was that the mad have a separate reality. In this story, the main character, Zachary, is a psychiatrist attempting to understand the nature of his father's madness. He takes a position at a mental institution where his father had been hospitalized. There he meets and becomes friends with an old man, Gabriel, who knew his father while they were both inmates. He comes to realize that the old man's delusion was the basis for his father's inspiration as a children's fantasy writer. After his father is "cured" through the use of psychotropic drugs of his manic-depression, he loses his will to write. His son had been an integral part of the writing process and when that part of his father's life is over, he feels betrayed. Their relationship is destroyed and the boy, now the psychiatrist, is seeking to come to grips with his unresolved pain. Gabriel is convinced that Zachary has come to rescue him from his enemies and draws him back into the fantasy world. The climax comes when Zachary must either choose between the realities or try to integrate them. The ending is logical and works, but it's too easy. Zachary takes his stand and the world accommodates itself, no problem. The ending should have been edgier. They should have had to work at it more. It is unsatisfying but everything that has gone before is is quite good. There is some high-powered talent at work here among the supporting character actors and they alone make it worthwhile.
45 Reviews
Not so live from the Toronto International Film Festival
stimpil19 September 2005
This movie has lots of potential, directed by first-time (well, first feature film at least) director Joshua Stern, and starring big names like Jessica Lange, Nick Nolte, Aaron Eckhart, Brittany Murphy, Alan Cumming, Sir Ian McKellen, and last but DEFINITELY not least, super-awesome retired MTV VJ Bill Bellamy. Oh, and there was this other guy William Hurt that the organizers seemed to make a big deal of but nobody really clapped when they said his name so I'm guessing he's not that important.
The story is about a psychiatrist whose father committed suicide after writing a highly acclaimed and much beloved children's book, Neverwas. He returns to the asylum where his father was once treated to find a job, in hopes of really helping the patients. Once there, he learns some interesting things about his father's story.
The movie overall was good, but it has some significant flaws. There is a love story that is totally unnecessary and contributes nothing to the story uncomfortably wedged in, but that's Hollywood for you. There are also some pretty significant plot holes, and there are many things in the story that aren't really explained very well, and are sort of left to the audience to guess how exactly they happened. Overall, I'd recommend it, but you don't need me to tell you that, because it will more than likely do great at the box office this year. Plus, there's a good chance that Sir Ian McKellen will be nominated for an Oscar this year for his role as Crazy Guy #4, because everybody knows the quickest way to an Oscar nomination is to either gain 50 lbs for a role, play a retard, or play a crazy person.
Afterward, the director answered a few audience questions (which were mostly mundane and asinine), but the highlight was definitely when Nick Nolte (who looked like a Halloween costume and was quite possibly slightly drunk), stumbled up to the microphone to answer a question. He went on and on about what he had for breakfast that day and how when he was a kid he used to fight giants with magic laser beams and whatever the hell else Nick Nolte talks about, I really couldn't understand what he was saying.
All in all, more enjoyable than not.
The story is about a psychiatrist whose father committed suicide after writing a highly acclaimed and much beloved children's book, Neverwas. He returns to the asylum where his father was once treated to find a job, in hopes of really helping the patients. Once there, he learns some interesting things about his father's story.
The movie overall was good, but it has some significant flaws. There is a love story that is totally unnecessary and contributes nothing to the story uncomfortably wedged in, but that's Hollywood for you. There are also some pretty significant plot holes, and there are many things in the story that aren't really explained very well, and are sort of left to the audience to guess how exactly they happened. Overall, I'd recommend it, but you don't need me to tell you that, because it will more than likely do great at the box office this year. Plus, there's a good chance that Sir Ian McKellen will be nominated for an Oscar this year for his role as Crazy Guy #4, because everybody knows the quickest way to an Oscar nomination is to either gain 50 lbs for a role, play a retard, or play a crazy person.
Afterward, the director answered a few audience questions (which were mostly mundane and asinine), but the highlight was definitely when Nick Nolte (who looked like a Halloween costume and was quite possibly slightly drunk), stumbled up to the microphone to answer a question. He went on and on about what he had for breakfast that day and how when he was a kid he used to fight giants with magic laser beams and whatever the hell else Nick Nolte talks about, I really couldn't understand what he was saying.
All in all, more enjoyable than not.
Loved the score!
kennethd-14 August 2007
I thought one of the best things about this film was its score. Philip Glass is no second rate composer, that's for sure. And his score certainly adds richness to the film. I'd never heard of the film until I saw it offered on DVD. And after watching it I was amazed by some of the very negative reviews from film critics when it was originally released. The performances were all quite good, especially Sir Ian McKellan's. Looking at the cast list it seems like some of the characters were cut from the finished version. Wouldn't it be interesting to see a director's original cut of this? I really enjoyed the fantasy vs. real life theme of the film. I think we all could use a Neverwas to escape to once in awhile.
A Great Emotional Fairy Tale
MartinAyla17 November 2006
When I read some of the negative comments here I almost didn't watch the movie; Now I'm glad I did!
I love movies where you are drawn into the story and feel like you are actually there the whole time. I felt like that the whole duration of the movie and forgot everything else for a short period of time.
The whole fairy tale versus the real-life (sad) story is wonderfully written and works in every way.
Maybe it's because I experienced the same thing with my father, as Zach does, when I was young, but the emotions that Zach goes through are very real and really made me think. Missing someone so much, feeling guilty, problems sleeping, are all things I'm familiar with. And It's good to feel that you're not the only one with these kind of emotions.
The acting is fantastic, involved and emotional.
The whole "autumn feel" cinematography and melancholic music sets a great mood.
Neverwas touched me.
I suggest you watch it if you believe just a little bit in fairy tales and want to see something different than most productions coming out from major studios at the moment.
I love movies where you are drawn into the story and feel like you are actually there the whole time. I felt like that the whole duration of the movie and forgot everything else for a short period of time.
The whole fairy tale versus the real-life (sad) story is wonderfully written and works in every way.
Maybe it's because I experienced the same thing with my father, as Zach does, when I was young, but the emotions that Zach goes through are very real and really made me think. Missing someone so much, feeling guilty, problems sleeping, are all things I'm familiar with. And It's good to feel that you're not the only one with these kind of emotions.
The acting is fantastic, involved and emotional.
The whole "autumn feel" cinematography and melancholic music sets a great mood.
Neverwas touched me.
I suggest you watch it if you believe just a little bit in fairy tales and want to see something different than most productions coming out from major studios at the moment.
Great story, miscued in its execution.
FilmDevil18 December 2006
I just saw this on DVD. The story is excellent, with a message for all, although leaves lots of unanswered questions.
I thought the characters were well cast & well directed. Ian McKellen is superb in that role, obviously borrowing from Gandalf &, maybe, even from his Richard III (1995).
My enjoyment of the film was, however, marred by a very poor choice of background music. I feel that this film could've been a sight better without the twee, 'neo-classical' piano plinking which, in my opinion, turned this film into a TV movie.
A watchable, though obviously low budget film. Perhaps some money could have been better spent on effects, rather than background music.
I thought the characters were well cast & well directed. Ian McKellen is superb in that role, obviously borrowing from Gandalf &, maybe, even from his Richard III (1995).
My enjoyment of the film was, however, marred by a very poor choice of background music. I feel that this film could've been a sight better without the twee, 'neo-classical' piano plinking which, in my opinion, turned this film into a TV movie.
A watchable, though obviously low budget film. Perhaps some money could have been better spent on effects, rather than background music.
Wasted Ideas and Devices
samkan30 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Had the plot to NEVERWAS not been so contrived and stuffed with melodramatic subplots and themes, this film might have worked. Ever-so-slowly discovering that an author of a famous children's fantasy stole the creation from a mental patient and allowing the late thief's son to unwittingly become the detective is story enough. That there was an actual place underlying the mental patient's fantasy, that events gives son some closure and subtle messages like "we all create our own kingdoms", etc., can be interesting and accepted with cleverness and deft touch.
Instead NEVERWAS pounds themes, circumstances and profundity into our brains until we become weary. Why not have made son a wash-out who came to work at the institution out of desperation? Instead of making the heroine a clandestine reporter, why not just a local lass whose obsession with the famous kid tale parallel's the mental patient; i.e., how we all live in fantasy worlds, though to different degrees. Why not just toss mom's character along with the characterization given to the other mental patients or to the institute's chief?
The all star cast is simply inexplicable and, with the exception of McKellum, unnecessary. In the end, NEVERWAS is enjoyable, though its dinner at a four-star restaurant when all you needed was a slice of pizza.
Instead NEVERWAS pounds themes, circumstances and profundity into our brains until we become weary. Why not have made son a wash-out who came to work at the institution out of desperation? Instead of making the heroine a clandestine reporter, why not just a local lass whose obsession with the famous kid tale parallel's the mental patient; i.e., how we all live in fantasy worlds, though to different degrees. Why not just toss mom's character along with the characterization given to the other mental patients or to the institute's chief?
The all star cast is simply inexplicable and, with the exception of McKellum, unnecessary. In the end, NEVERWAS is enjoyable, though its dinner at a four-star restaurant when all you needed was a slice of pizza.
So Unreal but real
graceoverpressuretheoneANDonly25 September 2022
Interesting story of a son delving into the mental illness of his famous father's life yet as he tries to resolve his own, unreconciled issues with his father. His sensitive journey is marked in following a "friend" of his Dad's who also descended into mental illness if not the inability to cope with the world he lives in. This takes one's thought to truly thinking a bit "outside the box" of normal thought. The son's journey is most personal and yet fraught with a lot of truth's along the way that he clearly wrestles with. Acting was very good, sequencing of events and flashbacks helped move the story along. I was intrigued yet somewhat bothered by how "close" some of thinking in an imaginary way, I could relate to! -Which just goes to show how events can trigger real mental "upset" along the way of life you can't always reconcile immediately but must ponder and exercise circumspection in order to understand (if one ever does) Enjoyable movie and hit the target with me for entertainment...But provoked much thought along the way.
Hidden Gem
jammy829912 September 2005
This is one of those quiet little movies that you go to see one day because you have nothing better to do and the plot sounds OK but you really haven't heard much about. Then you come out of the theatre wondering why everyone else you know hasn't gone to see it yet. Ian McKellan and Aaron Eckhart both give strong performances easily pulling off the emotionalism needed for the movie, and throwing in enough humor to keep you interested. Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, William Hurt, and Brittany Murphy all pull off great supporting roles without overshadowing the main actors. Alan Cumming, although his role is small, really pulls at the heart strings with his portrayal of a patient of the institution.
Because this movie has had little (if any) publicity, I think this movie will do well based on word of mouth alone. Definitely a "hidden gem".
Because this movie has had little (if any) publicity, I think this movie will do well based on word of mouth alone. Definitely a "hidden gem".
Promising
letsroll12 April 2006
Zach Riley (Aaron Eckhart) is a talented, young psychologist/psychiatrist who returns to his hometown to work at the local mental institution. Dr. Reed, who runs the facility, is skeptical at why Dr. Riley would leave his prestigious position and join an institution that has barely a reputation. Dr. Riley visits his drunk mother and meets an old friend, a beautiful and well-played Brittany Murphy. Gabriel Finch, a reticent patient, surprisingly warms up to Dr. Riley and they begin therapy treatment, to the surprise of all. We soon learn, however, the everyone has an agenda and everyone has secrets. Dr. Riley's father was the tormented but brilliant author of a children's book, called Neverwas, with a character named after the youth Dr. Riley. The film is a dark, at times, fancy that wraps the stories of Dr. Riley, his father, and the mysterious patient Gabriel Finch together. The movie is well acted, and the bit parts are equally compelling. However, the ending isn't what you expect and I was left empty, wishing that the film had taken a different tact. Eckhart, as a vulnerable and tortured soul, is fantastic, a good turn from his egotistical / angry roles in previous films. Brittany Murphy is surprising elegant. Wait for the DVD.
A challenging movie that rewards the thoughtful viewer
michaeljcarroll10 August 2007
Warning: Spoilers
There is absolutely no way to discuss this movie without revealing some aspects of it. On the other hand, this is not a movie that relies on the ending, but one illuminated by it. Like "Sixth Sense", this is a movie that means more on the second viewing.
So, I will give away part of the basic structure of the movie. If you already plan on seeing the movie, there is no reason to continue. If not, you might as well read ahead; it might change your mind.
SPOILER WARNING! For us the viewers, the story starts in the middle. Zach, son of a the famous author of the children's book "Neverwas" quits a position as a psychiatrist at a prominent college to go to a nobody's-heard-of-it institution in the community where he grew up. Zach (we learn quickly) is tormented by the suicide of this father. Like most suicide relatives, he both blames his father and himself. He has divorced himself from the fantastical world of his father's book, from all fantasy at all, from all remuneration from his father's highly successful book. For Zachary, reality is survival.
He meets a delusional paranoid schizophrenic named Gabriel. What we don't get told about Gabriel until the end of the movie is his nightmarish existence as a little boy: being locked up, abused. Gabriel survived this by creating a world of his own, Neverwas. Neverwas is a world of hope and peace, a world inhabited by fairies and in which Gabriel is the benign king.
Gabriel and Zach's father meet in the mental institution. Gabriel is there for his delusions, Zach's father for his bipolar-ism. The father and Gabriel become friends. Zach's father offers his belief in Neverwas. In fact, he takes Gabriel's world and turns it into his story. As each go in and out of institutions, they maintain a correspond of affection and support.
Gabriel's Neverwas is on land that ultimately Zach's father purchases for him. Unfortunately, the father is not able to care for Gabriel or provide him long term security. His depressions win out and he commits suicide.
The conflict/question the movie initially presents - right up until the final revelations - is what is real. The viewer is led to believe there might actually be a Neverwas. This is necessary because we need to see the world from Gabriel's eyes; and to do this we must accept him with condescension. Were we to simply see him as schizophrenic, we might feel sympathy for him, but we would never empathize with him or truly understand his needs.
Unfortunately, this will lead many viewers to think this is another fantasy come true; and they will be disappointed by the "truth." However, the truths that do come out are beautiful and moving; and there is certainly the fantasy of a "happy ending", more than one has a right to expect from reality.
The true story here is how people change: How Zach comes to see the need for fantasy, to forgive his father and himself; how Gabriel out of desperation has his one moment of cold reality in which he can articulate his need for Neverwas.
And the movie has its moments of humor and insight and romance.
For anyone willing to think and be moved, I recommend this movie highly.
So, I will give away part of the basic structure of the movie. If you already plan on seeing the movie, there is no reason to continue. If not, you might as well read ahead; it might change your mind.
SPOILER WARNING! For us the viewers, the story starts in the middle. Zach, son of a the famous author of the children's book "Neverwas" quits a position as a psychiatrist at a prominent college to go to a nobody's-heard-of-it institution in the community where he grew up. Zach (we learn quickly) is tormented by the suicide of this father. Like most suicide relatives, he both blames his father and himself. He has divorced himself from the fantastical world of his father's book, from all fantasy at all, from all remuneration from his father's highly successful book. For Zachary, reality is survival.
He meets a delusional paranoid schizophrenic named Gabriel. What we don't get told about Gabriel until the end of the movie is his nightmarish existence as a little boy: being locked up, abused. Gabriel survived this by creating a world of his own, Neverwas. Neverwas is a world of hope and peace, a world inhabited by fairies and in which Gabriel is the benign king.
Gabriel and Zach's father meet in the mental institution. Gabriel is there for his delusions, Zach's father for his bipolar-ism. The father and Gabriel become friends. Zach's father offers his belief in Neverwas. In fact, he takes Gabriel's world and turns it into his story. As each go in and out of institutions, they maintain a correspond of affection and support.
Gabriel's Neverwas is on land that ultimately Zach's father purchases for him. Unfortunately, the father is not able to care for Gabriel or provide him long term security. His depressions win out and he commits suicide.
The conflict/question the movie initially presents - right up until the final revelations - is what is real. The viewer is led to believe there might actually be a Neverwas. This is necessary because we need to see the world from Gabriel's eyes; and to do this we must accept him with condescension. Were we to simply see him as schizophrenic, we might feel sympathy for him, but we would never empathize with him or truly understand his needs.
Unfortunately, this will lead many viewers to think this is another fantasy come true; and they will be disappointed by the "truth." However, the truths that do come out are beautiful and moving; and there is certainly the fantasy of a "happy ending", more than one has a right to expect from reality.
The true story here is how people change: How Zach comes to see the need for fantasy, to forgive his father and himself; how Gabriel out of desperation has his one moment of cold reality in which he can articulate his need for Neverwas.
And the movie has its moments of humor and insight and romance.
For anyone willing to think and be moved, I recommend this movie highly.
Good Performances but Slow
tarbosh2200012 May 2010
"Neverwas" was a good family drama.
The plot: Zach Riley (Eckhart) is working as a psychiatrist in the Millwood Insane Asylum. He meets Gabriel (McKellen) who only thinks about Riley's Father (Nolte) and the fantasy book he wrote years ago.
Zach realizes that the book may be true and Gabriel holds the key to it's existence.
The performances are first-rate. McKellen and Eckhart have a good chemistry together. Hurt is his usual self. Nolte and Lange don't have much to do but it's nice seeing them. One of the problems with the movie is that they criminally wasted Michael Moriarty's talent. He's in it for an actual second. Why cast him if he's gonna be a extra? This movie has been collecting dust for over three years now. I can definitely see why. The movie is slow and not much happens.
But overall, "Neverwas" is worth seeing for the performances and plot-line.
For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com
The plot: Zach Riley (Eckhart) is working as a psychiatrist in the Millwood Insane Asylum. He meets Gabriel (McKellen) who only thinks about Riley's Father (Nolte) and the fantasy book he wrote years ago.
Zach realizes that the book may be true and Gabriel holds the key to it's existence.
The performances are first-rate. McKellen and Eckhart have a good chemistry together. Hurt is his usual self. Nolte and Lange don't have much to do but it's nice seeing them. One of the problems with the movie is that they criminally wasted Michael Moriarty's talent. He's in it for an actual second. Why cast him if he's gonna be a extra? This movie has been collecting dust for over three years now. I can definitely see why. The movie is slow and not much happens.
But overall, "Neverwas" is worth seeing for the performances and plot-line.
For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com
Magical.
crazydark18 November 2006
I don't know where eabrownfield (reviewer) gets off telling people to "stay away" from Neverwas. This is a magical, and very touching story.
An excellent premise with a superb cast and stellar performances from all involved. The scenic settings were well shot and lit, often showing the differences between the dark and lighter sides of life.
I say dark, yes there are parts in this film that are hard hitting, poinient moments that really make you think and get you inside the characters being played, again i think this is down to the great acting.
The flip side is the fairy tale narrative that runs through the whole film, not that it turns in to a children's film at all, as its a story I'm sure many can relate to and will enjoy being told in this fashion. I will say it probably deserves its pg13 rating, its perhaps not for the very young, despite its fairy tale like appearance.
Overall go and see this film, you wont be disappointed, i had a great time.
An excellent premise with a superb cast and stellar performances from all involved. The scenic settings were well shot and lit, often showing the differences between the dark and lighter sides of life.
I say dark, yes there are parts in this film that are hard hitting, poinient moments that really make you think and get you inside the characters being played, again i think this is down to the great acting.
The flip side is the fairy tale narrative that runs through the whole film, not that it turns in to a children's film at all, as its a story I'm sure many can relate to and will enjoy being told in this fashion. I will say it probably deserves its pg13 rating, its perhaps not for the very young, despite its fairy tale like appearance.
Overall go and see this film, you wont be disappointed, i had a great time.
'Sometimes the story finds the story teller, not the other way around.'
TxMike27 February 2015
Warning: Spoilers
As the story unfolds we wondered if it was a modern day fairy tale. Found it on Netflix streaming movies. Quite a good drama and Brittany Murphy, who met with her untimely death just a few years later, really shines.
In the opening scene we see a flashback of a boy hearing sirens and as he runs down a wooded trail stops when he encounters a man's body, hanging from a tree. We don't see the whole body but as the movie unfolds we conclude it was the boy's father, an author of a famous children's book.
Maybe 25 years later this boy is the adult, Aaron Eckhart as Zach Riley, a psychiatrist. He has a stellar background and a good practice but applies for a job at an out-of-the-way sanitarium. He keeps his motives hidden, but he never came to grips with his father's death and hopes to find some answers there, as his father was a patient there before he wrote his book.
Other key cast members are Nick Nolte as the deceased father, T.L. Pierson. Ian McKellen (who steals the show most of the time) as inmate Gabriel Finch. Brittany Murphy as Maggie Paige, a younger childhood friend of Zach's and who says she is there to do research for her Botany thesis. Jessica Lange as Zack's mom, Katherine Pierson. And always understated and good William Hurt as Dr. Peter Reed, director of the sanitarium.
The title comes from the book the father wrote, a book about a modern kingdom, "Neverwas", right over the mountains that can be seen from the sanitarium. The hero in that children's book is Zachary who goes to free the king who is held in the dungeon. In an old interview Zach is viewing, his dad at one point says to the reporter, "Sometimes the story finds the story teller, not the other way around." And that is what this movie is all about.
SPOILERS: Upon digging Zach finds out that his dad in the early 1960s was in the sanitarium along with old Gabriel Finch who is still there. Gabriel claims he is the King of Neverwas, trapped in the dungeon (the sanitarium) and he knows Zach has come back to free him. Gabriel's story is pretty much identical to dad's book 'Neverwas' which was written in the late 1960s and was basically telling the old man's story. It turns out Maggie is not a Botanist but a reporter there to do a story, but in the end she lets it rest, she and Zach begin a romance. Gabriel does manage to escape to his "kingdom" which is a shelter he built on public lands, he faces eviction, but a court order just in time saves him. For now...
In the opening scene we see a flashback of a boy hearing sirens and as he runs down a wooded trail stops when he encounters a man's body, hanging from a tree. We don't see the whole body but as the movie unfolds we conclude it was the boy's father, an author of a famous children's book.
Maybe 25 years later this boy is the adult, Aaron Eckhart as Zach Riley, a psychiatrist. He has a stellar background and a good practice but applies for a job at an out-of-the-way sanitarium. He keeps his motives hidden, but he never came to grips with his father's death and hopes to find some answers there, as his father was a patient there before he wrote his book.
Other key cast members are Nick Nolte as the deceased father, T.L. Pierson. Ian McKellen (who steals the show most of the time) as inmate Gabriel Finch. Brittany Murphy as Maggie Paige, a younger childhood friend of Zach's and who says she is there to do research for her Botany thesis. Jessica Lange as Zack's mom, Katherine Pierson. And always understated and good William Hurt as Dr. Peter Reed, director of the sanitarium.
The title comes from the book the father wrote, a book about a modern kingdom, "Neverwas", right over the mountains that can be seen from the sanitarium. The hero in that children's book is Zachary who goes to free the king who is held in the dungeon. In an old interview Zach is viewing, his dad at one point says to the reporter, "Sometimes the story finds the story teller, not the other way around." And that is what this movie is all about.
SPOILERS: Upon digging Zach finds out that his dad in the early 1960s was in the sanitarium along with old Gabriel Finch who is still there. Gabriel claims he is the King of Neverwas, trapped in the dungeon (the sanitarium) and he knows Zach has come back to free him. Gabriel's story is pretty much identical to dad's book 'Neverwas' which was written in the late 1960s and was basically telling the old man's story. It turns out Maggie is not a Botanist but a reporter there to do a story, but in the end she lets it rest, she and Zach begin a romance. Gabriel does manage to escape to his "kingdom" which is a shelter he built on public lands, he faces eviction, but a court order just in time saves him. For now...
A meaningless film, save your time
dragomir_goranov7 January 2019
I don't write reviews very often, but this time I felt obliged to do so - this movie is meaningless, I wish I had used the last 2 hours of my life doing something else instead of watching this silly film. There is not much more that can be said about it!
Making the Ordinary and the 'Unordinary' Extraordinary
gradyharp1 October 2007
NEVERWAS, a little miracle of a movie written and directed by Joshua Michael Stern, is an allegory, a fairytale, a dissection of the impact of mental illness on parents and children, and story of compassion, believing, and blossoming of character that was created with a sterling ensemble of actors in 2005, failed to find a niche in theatrical distribution, and went straight to DVD - becoming one of those limited release films that is very elusive even in the megavideo stores. The reasons for this relative anonymity are not clear, but film lovers will do well searching out this little gem: the rewards are immediate gratification and long lasting satisfaction.
Narrated by Ian McKellan who plays a major role in the film, the story concerns the return of psychiatrist Zachary Riley/Small (Aaron Eckhart) to an obsolete mental institution named Millhouse, the hospital where his author father T.L. Pierson (Nick Nolte) ended his days in suicide, having suffered from bipolar syndrome. Zach wants to discover secrets about his father, why his father's book 'Neverwas' has been so disturbing to Zach, and to offer good medical treatment to those patients living in the obscure hospital run by the kindly but enigmatic Dr. Reed (William Hurt). Zach is buoyant, greets his new job with joy, and works with various patients in group and individual therapy (the group includes well developed characters portrayed by Alan Cumming, Vera Farmiga, and Michael Moriarty, among others) and encounters the apparently mute Gabriel Finch (Ian McKellan), a delusional man who believes Zach has returned to break the curse preventing his return to his imaginary kingdom of Neverwas.
Zach meets a 'grad student botantist'/reporter Ally (Brittany Murphy) who loves Zach's father's book and urges Zach to read the fairytale as a means to assuage Zach's new nightly nightmares and insomnia dealing with images of himself as a child, his father's suicide, and other strange forces. Ally's commitment to Zach's father's book, Zach's breakthrough to Gabriel Finch, together with Zach's re-evaluation of his agoraphobic mother (Jessica Lange) all intertwine to reestablish Zach's discovery of his relationship to a father whose mental illness prevented the close relationship Zach so desperately missed. In a tumbling set of events that incorporate the fairytale of the book Neverwas with the reality of Zach's father's relationship to Gabriel Finch brings the story to a heartwarming, well considered, touching conclusion. Being 'unordinary' is a goal, not a curse.
In addition to the above-mentioned stellar cast, small parts are also created by Bill Bellamy, Ken Roberts, Cynthia Stevenson among others. The cinematography by Michael Grady manages to keep the audience balanced between real and fantasy and the musical score by renowned composer Philip Glass fits the story like a glove. Ian McKellan gives a multifaceted performance of a man whose delusional life is far more real than his life as a mental patient, Aaron Eckhart finesses the transformation of the lost child seeking his roots with great skill, Nick Nolte gives one of his finer interpretations as the disturbed father/author, and Brittany Murphy manages to maintain a much needed lightness to the atmosphere of the mental institution story setting. The impact of the film, while absorbing from the first images, is the ending, a reinforcement of the importance of love and nurturing that too often is relegated to little books for children instead of the manner in which we live our lives. This is a fine film well worth ferreting out from the obscurity to which it so unjustly has been assigned. Grady Harp
Narrated by Ian McKellan who plays a major role in the film, the story concerns the return of psychiatrist Zachary Riley/Small (Aaron Eckhart) to an obsolete mental institution named Millhouse, the hospital where his author father T.L. Pierson (Nick Nolte) ended his days in suicide, having suffered from bipolar syndrome. Zach wants to discover secrets about his father, why his father's book 'Neverwas' has been so disturbing to Zach, and to offer good medical treatment to those patients living in the obscure hospital run by the kindly but enigmatic Dr. Reed (William Hurt). Zach is buoyant, greets his new job with joy, and works with various patients in group and individual therapy (the group includes well developed characters portrayed by Alan Cumming, Vera Farmiga, and Michael Moriarty, among others) and encounters the apparently mute Gabriel Finch (Ian McKellan), a delusional man who believes Zach has returned to break the curse preventing his return to his imaginary kingdom of Neverwas.
Zach meets a 'grad student botantist'/reporter Ally (Brittany Murphy) who loves Zach's father's book and urges Zach to read the fairytale as a means to assuage Zach's new nightly nightmares and insomnia dealing with images of himself as a child, his father's suicide, and other strange forces. Ally's commitment to Zach's father's book, Zach's breakthrough to Gabriel Finch, together with Zach's re-evaluation of his agoraphobic mother (Jessica Lange) all intertwine to reestablish Zach's discovery of his relationship to a father whose mental illness prevented the close relationship Zach so desperately missed. In a tumbling set of events that incorporate the fairytale of the book Neverwas with the reality of Zach's father's relationship to Gabriel Finch brings the story to a heartwarming, well considered, touching conclusion. Being 'unordinary' is a goal, not a curse.
In addition to the above-mentioned stellar cast, small parts are also created by Bill Bellamy, Ken Roberts, Cynthia Stevenson among others. The cinematography by Michael Grady manages to keep the audience balanced between real and fantasy and the musical score by renowned composer Philip Glass fits the story like a glove. Ian McKellan gives a multifaceted performance of a man whose delusional life is far more real than his life as a mental patient, Aaron Eckhart finesses the transformation of the lost child seeking his roots with great skill, Nick Nolte gives one of his finer interpretations as the disturbed father/author, and Brittany Murphy manages to maintain a much needed lightness to the atmosphere of the mental institution story setting. The impact of the film, while absorbing from the first images, is the ending, a reinforcement of the importance of love and nurturing that too often is relegated to little books for children instead of the manner in which we live our lives. This is a fine film well worth ferreting out from the obscurity to which it so unjustly has been assigned. Grady Harp
Sort of boring...
paul_haakonsen9 January 2016
I must say that with the rather good list of talents on the cast list, then I had my expectations up high for "Neverwas". But I was unfortunately somewhat disappointed with the story told in "Neverwas".
The storyline is about a psychiatrist who comes to a remote institution in his childhood area, where he grew up with his father - the author of a renowned children's book. With the help of a schizophrenic resident at the institution, the psychiatrist comes to unravel secrets of his father's book and his part in it.
While the story actually wasn't impressive or particularly exciting, then it was by the talent of Ian McKellen, Aaron Eckhart, Nick Nolte and William Hurt that the movie stayed afloat. These actors carried the movie, but had a poor script to work with.
This is hardly a movie that I will ever watch again, because it just had no appeal, and I lost concentration and focus on the screen a couple of times throughout the movie, and found myself paying attention to the phone instead.
If you enjoy fantasy or fairy tales then "Neverwas" is not the best of choices to satisfy your craving. In my opinion then this was a less than mediocre movie experience.
The storyline is about a psychiatrist who comes to a remote institution in his childhood area, where he grew up with his father - the author of a renowned children's book. With the help of a schizophrenic resident at the institution, the psychiatrist comes to unravel secrets of his father's book and his part in it.
While the story actually wasn't impressive or particularly exciting, then it was by the talent of Ian McKellen, Aaron Eckhart, Nick Nolte and William Hurt that the movie stayed afloat. These actors carried the movie, but had a poor script to work with.
This is hardly a movie that I will ever watch again, because it just had no appeal, and I lost concentration and focus on the screen a couple of times throughout the movie, and found myself paying attention to the phone instead.
If you enjoy fantasy or fairy tales then "Neverwas" is not the best of choices to satisfy your craving. In my opinion then this was a less than mediocre movie experience.
A fine film
ClayDeaver18 November 2006
I enjoyed it immensely, not being a critic, I simply can say, I identified with the human struggle which in this story wore the garb of mental illness, and the triumph of the soul, which as usual required faith and courage. I also thoroughly enjoyed the acting. Brittany Murphy was adorable opposite Aaron Echart. Ian McKellan was a wonderful depiction of a fairy tale king. This was not a low budget film and the money wan't wasted. It's curious that films like this one are released and there is no fanfare whatsoever. I am always hoping to find a sleeper and have the surprise of a great evenings entertainment. Neverwas delivered. Enough said. And I didn't even have to mention Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange or any of the other great talent in this film.
Watch this if you have the chance!
Gordon-116 November 2006
This film is a tale of a psychiatrist trying to find his father's past by working in the mental hospital where his father resided in.
Let me begin by saying that this film is very good! When the credits roll in the beginning, I was already shocked by the number of big names in the film. 7 really big names! This cast can only matched by super big budget films.
The initial scene of group therapy in the hospital is very impressive. It showcases the various actor's talents. I was particularly impressed by Ian McKellen and Vera Farmiga playing to be mental patients. Interestingly, they both acted as psychiatrists in other recent films, namely Asylum (for Ian McKellen) and The Departed (for Vera Farmiga).
Aaron Eckhart's role cannot be underestimated as well. He is mature enough to be a psychiatrist, and I was also impressed by the techniques he used to interview patients. He is very convincing as a psychiatrist! Towards the end of the film, when the focus changed Aaron Eckhart being a psychiatrist to him aligning with Ian McKellen to find the truth, is particularly gripping. It manages to get my full attention as to how the story will unfold. The plot twist is very surprising, and the finale is very emotional and visually appealing.
I am very surprised that good films like this one is not released. Do watch it if you have the chance!
Let me begin by saying that this film is very good! When the credits roll in the beginning, I was already shocked by the number of big names in the film. 7 really big names! This cast can only matched by super big budget films.
The initial scene of group therapy in the hospital is very impressive. It showcases the various actor's talents. I was particularly impressed by Ian McKellen and Vera Farmiga playing to be mental patients. Interestingly, they both acted as psychiatrists in other recent films, namely Asylum (for Ian McKellen) and The Departed (for Vera Farmiga).
Aaron Eckhart's role cannot be underestimated as well. He is mature enough to be a psychiatrist, and I was also impressed by the techniques he used to interview patients. He is very convincing as a psychiatrist! Towards the end of the film, when the focus changed Aaron Eckhart being a psychiatrist to him aligning with Ian McKellen to find the truth, is particularly gripping. It manages to get my full attention as to how the story will unfold. The plot twist is very surprising, and the finale is very emotional and visually appealing.
I am very surprised that good films like this one is not released. Do watch it if you have the chance!
Mental Illness Lite
AZINDN4 January 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Neverwas is a muddled film that reduces the heartbreak of the disease of schizophrenia to a fanciful lark of literary imagination and children's fanciful dreams. Gabriel (Ian McKellan) is a hospitalized mental patient whose terrors of childhood abuse has driven him away from society and into the forest where he has constructed a kingdom of Neverwas. Zack (Aaron Eckhardt) is a psychiatrist who leaves an academic career to take a position in a small mental hospital where his celebrated writer/father Tom was committed and where he encounters Gabriel, who recognizes Zack as the child of the Neverwas myth. Haunted by the mythic story of Zack Small, the boy hero of his father's best seller children's book, also titled "Neverwas," Zack attempts to bring peace to the troubled minds of the mental patients and understand the clues which Gabriel delights in leaving for him. Attempting to piece together in a non-linear route of discovery, despite night terrors, and maniacal enchantment Zack's task is to outwit the system of stifling bureaucratic medicine, legal blockades, and commercial exploitation of Neverwas through Gabriel's clues.
If this begins to sound like a pitch for a feel-good, warm and fuzzy commercial spot it abounds in the film. With a superb cast of Jessica Lange as Zack's bruised alcoholic mother who can't forget her dead husband, Brittany Murphy as a reporter, Alan Cummings, and William Hurt as the hospital's administrator, Neverwas rambles toward a showdown in which Gabriel escapes to lead Zack on a merry chase back to the primeval landscape to revive his spirit of freedom from responsibility in a never ending playtime. While the premise of father-son reconciliation, redemption, forgiveness, and fulfillment weaves through the film, it is never achieved as the reality of the disease of schizophrenia can never be overlooked, and is anything but a playful romp in the forest green. The brilliant McKellen simply re-enacts his Gandalf personality with too much reliance on the seven dwarfs to come to the rescue. As the police surround the trash-heap towers Gabriel has erected on privately owned forest lands, the notion of squatters rights, eco-terrorism, and forest service clear cutting looms over the delusional situation that threaten to stop Gabriel's fantasy life.
Nevertheless, this is Hollywood which requires an upbeat ending. The improbability of salvation for the kingdom, the king, and the crown prince from the scourge of mental illness is forgotten and they all live happily ever after is the ultimate absurdity.
If this begins to sound like a pitch for a feel-good, warm and fuzzy commercial spot it abounds in the film. With a superb cast of Jessica Lange as Zack's bruised alcoholic mother who can't forget her dead husband, Brittany Murphy as a reporter, Alan Cummings, and William Hurt as the hospital's administrator, Neverwas rambles toward a showdown in which Gabriel escapes to lead Zack on a merry chase back to the primeval landscape to revive his spirit of freedom from responsibility in a never ending playtime. While the premise of father-son reconciliation, redemption, forgiveness, and fulfillment weaves through the film, it is never achieved as the reality of the disease of schizophrenia can never be overlooked, and is anything but a playful romp in the forest green. The brilliant McKellen simply re-enacts his Gandalf personality with too much reliance on the seven dwarfs to come to the rescue. As the police surround the trash-heap towers Gabriel has erected on privately owned forest lands, the notion of squatters rights, eco-terrorism, and forest service clear cutting looms over the delusional situation that threaten to stop Gabriel's fantasy life.
Nevertheless, this is Hollywood which requires an upbeat ending. The improbability of salvation for the kingdom, the king, and the crown prince from the scourge of mental illness is forgotten and they all live happily ever after is the ultimate absurdity.
Great film!
WingDing7475 September 2009
Warning: Spoilers
The great things about films are that they are subjective, if I enjoy a film it doesn't mean that you will enjoy the film or vice versa. I loved Neverwas, the cinematography, the soundtrack, a director who believed and a cast that were wonderful.
Neverwas is about a young boy (Zachary) and his father (Nick Nolte, who by the way is excellent) and their loving but dysfunctional relationship. The father writes a book about an ordinary man who rules over a fantasy land called Neverwas. In Neverwas the young boy (Zachary Small) must battle the evil Ghastly and his evil minions. But shortly after writing the book the father falls in to a deep depression, a depression which ultimately deprives him of his life. Zach grows up.
A boy becomes a man and he forgets about the childhood stories his father told him, he forgets the good times and remembers the bad. The human psyche is a funny thing, it can easily grant us control of our destiny and with ease take it away. Zach takes a position at a local Mental institute, the very institute that held his father. Here he meets the eccentric schizophrenic Gabriel (played by an wonderful Ian McKellen), Gabriel tells the story of Neverwas and how he is the king of the land. He believes Zachary is there to free him from Ghastly and his minions and tells him that he has but five days before Ghastly will destroy the castle and make Neverwas a cold and harsh land. He also meets with childhood friend Maggie Blake (played by a very charming Brittany Murphy) and together they journey to find not only Neverwas, but Zachs true identity, the one left behind in his forgotten childhood memories. After some digging Zach finds out that Gabriel told about the land of Neverwas ten years before his father wrote the book. Could it be real? Should he believe? One mans dreams turns out to be one mans journey. A journey to find not only the truth, but himself.
What is Neverwas? To me? To me. Neverwas is about Hope.
Neverwas is about a young boy (Zachary) and his father (Nick Nolte, who by the way is excellent) and their loving but dysfunctional relationship. The father writes a book about an ordinary man who rules over a fantasy land called Neverwas. In Neverwas the young boy (Zachary Small) must battle the evil Ghastly and his evil minions. But shortly after writing the book the father falls in to a deep depression, a depression which ultimately deprives him of his life. Zach grows up.
A boy becomes a man and he forgets about the childhood stories his father told him, he forgets the good times and remembers the bad. The human psyche is a funny thing, it can easily grant us control of our destiny and with ease take it away. Zach takes a position at a local Mental institute, the very institute that held his father. Here he meets the eccentric schizophrenic Gabriel (played by an wonderful Ian McKellen), Gabriel tells the story of Neverwas and how he is the king of the land. He believes Zachary is there to free him from Ghastly and his minions and tells him that he has but five days before Ghastly will destroy the castle and make Neverwas a cold and harsh land. He also meets with childhood friend Maggie Blake (played by a very charming Brittany Murphy) and together they journey to find not only Neverwas, but Zachs true identity, the one left behind in his forgotten childhood memories. After some digging Zach finds out that Gabriel told about the land of Neverwas ten years before his father wrote the book. Could it be real? Should he believe? One mans dreams turns out to be one mans journey. A journey to find not only the truth, but himself.
What is Neverwas? To me? To me. Neverwas is about Hope.
Never will be any good
Rooster931 December 2006
I've seen a few movies about "magical reality" -- that fantasy zone where fairy tales and the real world cross, forcing jaded adults and child-like idealists to war over the relevance of imagination in a world full of disappointment. Most recently, "Big Fish," "Finding Neverland" and "Gods and Monsters" spring to mind. Then there's "Neverwas," a film so full of unnecessary flash and "magical reality" clichés that it shames the stories from which it pilfered its name... namely J.M. Barie's tales of Neverland and Neil Gaiman's "Neverwhere." And while "Neverwas" never will be remembered as fondly as those tales, it does manage to skim off the top of their inspiration and come up with a flimsy, smug movie that mimics much better movies.
"Neverwas" gives us the jaded adult, the insightful madman, the understanding girlfriend, flashes of light, rain storms of glitter and... nothing else. It's a hollow movie that has seen other, better movies and is trying, in vain, to ape them. And it's written by a writer who's read lots of fairy tales but can't seem to create a convincing one himself. It's a wonder that so many good actors were coaxed into this production. I can think of at least six good fantasy films starring Ian McKellen. And "Neverwas" is definitely not one of them.
"Neverwas" is a flashy shell of a movie... like a karaoke singer who knows the words but not the music.
"Neverwas" gives us the jaded adult, the insightful madman, the understanding girlfriend, flashes of light, rain storms of glitter and... nothing else. It's a hollow movie that has seen other, better movies and is trying, in vain, to ape them. And it's written by a writer who's read lots of fairy tales but can't seem to create a convincing one himself. It's a wonder that so many good actors were coaxed into this production. I can think of at least six good fantasy films starring Ian McKellen. And "Neverwas" is definitely not one of them.
"Neverwas" is a flashy shell of a movie... like a karaoke singer who knows the words but not the music.
Neverwas is more than simply excellent.
caedmonette6 February 2010
I could extol the effectiveness of the photography, or the superiority of the acting. I could cheer for a film that has so many talented and revered actors. Also, I could urge you to give "Neverwas" your complete attention so that you do not miss the subtle hints or twists in the plot, or encourage you not to reject this film too early in the narrative because some parts may be too dark or puzzling with a modern psychological scrutiny that would endear any viewer who loves Hitchcock. However, I won't.
This movie contains the absolute Truth about the purpose of human existence. I hope that (as a viewer) you have the insight to perceive it.
This movie contains the absolute Truth about the purpose of human existence. I hope that (as a viewer) you have the insight to perceive it.
Hollywood at it's worst.
herzogvon19 December 2006
Having watched a lot of really low budget movies in the last few weeks, it was quite a change to experience "Neverwas". Once again, I was reminded that big names - and presumably a big budget - do not necessarily add up to a good piece of film making. "Nerverwas" is an example of all that can go wrong when you are dealing with an implausible, ludicrous script.
Like many such films, it begins promisingly enough. A young Psychiatrist ( Aaron Eckhart ) returns to the mental institution where his father ( Nick Nolte ) was once a patient. Here, he encounters the crusty Head Shrinker ( William Hurt ) who is reluctant to take him on. Our hero persists, and soon he is introduced to the "group". This is where the first red flag goes up. Although it is supposed to be a group of patients, it quickly becomes apparent that the only one Dr. Zach Riley - as well as the movie - is interested in is a reclusive eccentric named Gabriel Finch ( Ian McKellan, doing his usual thing. ) We soon learn that Zach has his own problems, which center around his late father, a renown author of children's stories. There is a psychological story here dealing with the relationship between Zach and his father, but it is eventually subverted by a lot of fairy tale clap-trap. We are plunged into a typical Hollywood world of fantasy running head on into reality. As usual, it's reality and logic that suffer the most damage.
In a typical case of Third Act-itis, the film totally disintegrates into downright silliness. It seems that Gabriel's "Kingdom" of Neverwas is threatened by evil developers, and it is up to Zach to save the day. What transpires next will leave you scratching your head and wondering why in the world - real or imaginary - you wasted your time with this pretentious dreck. But of course, it's all right you see, because the last scenes simply drip with feel goodness. This is supposed to make the viewer forget that the the whole thing is poppycock.
I have not dwelt on the acting because, in the end, it's all pretty irrelevant. Eckhart is, by turns, suitably tortured and heroic as Zach; McKellen does his thing; Hurt is his usual semi-catatonic self and Nolte: Well, let's just say that Nolte seems to have a penchant for getting himself into movies like this. Oh, and then there's Alan Cumming as the only other patient with more than two lines as well as Brittany Murphy as a totally wasted love interest for Zach. At least Jessica Lange is good as Zach's loopy mother.
All in all, a heck of a lot of talent squandered on a preposterous script. The Philip Glass score adds little.
Like many such films, it begins promisingly enough. A young Psychiatrist ( Aaron Eckhart ) returns to the mental institution where his father ( Nick Nolte ) was once a patient. Here, he encounters the crusty Head Shrinker ( William Hurt ) who is reluctant to take him on. Our hero persists, and soon he is introduced to the "group". This is where the first red flag goes up. Although it is supposed to be a group of patients, it quickly becomes apparent that the only one Dr. Zach Riley - as well as the movie - is interested in is a reclusive eccentric named Gabriel Finch ( Ian McKellan, doing his usual thing. ) We soon learn that Zach has his own problems, which center around his late father, a renown author of children's stories. There is a psychological story here dealing with the relationship between Zach and his father, but it is eventually subverted by a lot of fairy tale clap-trap. We are plunged into a typical Hollywood world of fantasy running head on into reality. As usual, it's reality and logic that suffer the most damage.
In a typical case of Third Act-itis, the film totally disintegrates into downright silliness. It seems that Gabriel's "Kingdom" of Neverwas is threatened by evil developers, and it is up to Zach to save the day. What transpires next will leave you scratching your head and wondering why in the world - real or imaginary - you wasted your time with this pretentious dreck. But of course, it's all right you see, because the last scenes simply drip with feel goodness. This is supposed to make the viewer forget that the the whole thing is poppycock.
I have not dwelt on the acting because, in the end, it's all pretty irrelevant. Eckhart is, by turns, suitably tortured and heroic as Zach; McKellen does his thing; Hurt is his usual semi-catatonic self and Nolte: Well, let's just say that Nolte seems to have a penchant for getting himself into movies like this. Oh, and then there's Alan Cumming as the only other patient with more than two lines as well as Brittany Murphy as a totally wasted love interest for Zach. At least Jessica Lange is good as Zach's loopy mother.
All in all, a heck of a lot of talent squandered on a preposterous script. The Philip Glass score adds little.
Wrong character name on IMDb list!
silvercrystaletears19 December 2007
Just finished watching this and have to say that while we usually find IMDb to be spot on in regards to movie details, this one has a mistake on it. The character played by Brittany Murphy is not named Ally, but Maggie. At least thats the way it is in the Australian movie.
About the movie itself - I personally found it a bit slow and hard to stay involved in it. I was able to get up and leave the room several times and upon returning found that not only did I not need to go back to see what I missed, but that I was totally indifferent to what I missed.
It definitely didn't hold the kids interest either.
About the movie itself - I personally found it a bit slow and hard to stay involved in it. I was able to get up and leave the room several times and upon returning found that not only did I not need to go back to see what I missed, but that I was totally indifferent to what I missed.
It definitely didn't hold the kids interest either.
Stellar cast and a beautiful tale
movieduderino22 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
To be honest, I did not know anything about the film before I watched it. Because of the title and the DVD's cover I figured it would be a nice little "Princess Bride" meets "Stardust" feature. Well, I liked both and I really fancy the spirit of Sir Ian Mckellen. So I watched it. Since then I do not understand why critics and reviewers pan this film. I thought it had an incredible cast. Aaron Eckhart made me believe that he actually was this son who was looking for closure. Sir Ian McKellen was brilliant as a maybe traumatized and over-institutionalized old man who is very clever and creative, but somehow broken deep within. The very sexy Jessica Lange is an asset for every production - and again she pulled it off. She actually kind of reminded me of my own mother and her way to talk to me. For sure she creates a very distinct atmosphere and it seemed quite authentic how her character still mourned. William Hurt does not know how to disappoint, so he does not and gives a very subtle quiet performance which suits his role perfectly. Well, some people may find that Brittany Murphy is a bit over the top - I am SO partial and just thought that she was gorgeous. More importantly the story of the film was very intriguing to me. It almost seemed like a suspenseful thriller - I did not move, all my attention was drawn to the screen. Furthermore I thought that the idea was great that the therapist has his own issues and comes to that hospital to work on those very issues. And he cannot escape it. I liked the idea of the book - I always liked those kind of children's tales and there are so many of them and they are all beautiful! But in the end this film only works so well because of the great actors - not to forget Mr. Nolte - who create very vivid characters one can relate to. And as the story unfolds I felt for all those people because they did not seem like some fabrication but like people I know with their very same problems. If you cannot find anything about this film what you might like - just think about that: Beneath every great and honest piece of art you may find a little pain, a strong agony, a disturbing and unsolvable traumatic event hidden deep deep down. And that might be why this person does these great and beautiful things - if you like to get to know someone, you might take a look what is really going on....
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