Neverwas (2005)

A psychiatrist searches for insight into the life of his father, who was an acclaimed children's author. But he is shocked when his journey leads him to believe that the fantasy-land his father wrote about might actually exist.

Director:

Joshua Michael Stern

Writer:

Joshua Michael Stern

Stars:

Aaron Eckhart, Ian McKellen, Brittany Murphy

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Aaron Eckhart	...	Zach Riley
Ian McKellen	...	Gabriel Finch
Brittany Murphy	...	Maggie Paige
Nick Nolte	...	T.L. Pierson
Jessica Lange	...	Katherine Pierson
William Hurt	...	Dr. Peter Reed
Bill Bellamy	...	Martin Sands
Alan Cumming	...	Jake
Vera Farmiga	...	Eleanna
Michael Moriarty	...	Dick
Ken Roberts	...	Terrence
Cynthia Stevenson	...	Sally
Lorena Gale	...	Judy
Tabitha St. Germain	...	Receptionist
Tim Henry	...	Husky Sheriff

Storyline

A well-educated psychiatrist leaves an academic career to work at an institution where his father, a novelist, lived before writing a renowned children's book. Acclimating to his position, he encounters a schizophrenic who helps him to discover the book's secrets and his place in the story.

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Plot Keywords:

cabin in the woods | book | secret | novelist | psychiatrist | 

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Taglines:

Every fairy tale needs its hero.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic issues

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sir Ian McKellen and Alan Cumming appeared in X2: X-Men United (2003) and Eighteen (2005).

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Goofs

The dream sequence in the beginning shows the young Zachary with huge brown eyes - the adult Zachary has blue eyes.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Gabriel Finch: [narrating] For those of you who do not know, this is how it began. Zachary Small was an ordinary little boy. He lived with his ordinary father in an ordinary house in an ordinary town. What Zachary did not know - could not know - was just how unordinary he was. I had heard the stories of young Zachary and his fearlessness. I had seen with my own eyes his selfless acts of bravery and courage. And I knew deep in my heart that he would return to rescue me when I was imprisoned in the ...

User Reviews

Loved the score!

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.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 August 2006 (Bulgaria)

Also Known As:

Eikunagi

Filming Locations:

Nelson, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$11,246

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kingsgate Films, Legacy Filmworks, Neverwas Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1