Neverwas - La favola che non c'è

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".

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.

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

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!

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.