Directed by: Benh Zeitl
Screenplay by: Benh Zeitlin and Eliza Zeitlin, based on “Peter Pan” by: J. M. Barrie
Starring: Devin France, Yashua Mack, Gage Naquin, Gavin Naquin, Ahmad Cage, Krzystof Meyn, Romyri Ross
Movies, entertainment in general, have been used by many as an escape from reality. In theory, a movie should allow us to expand our imagination, to experience an adventure that we wouldn’t normally explore, either because our own life experiences tell us we can’t or that we shouldn’t. There’s an ease with which we accept the latest physics-defying and calculating “Avengers” tale at the local multiplex; there are characters and intrigue which draw us in, and yet the stories are relatable; they ground us.
For “Wendy,” it isn’t that the story grounds us, but rather the characters’ spontaneity within that story that allows us to enjoy Benh Zeitlin’s (“Beasts of the Southern Wild”) sophomore film.
To get trapped in “Wendy’s” story would be to take the pure joy out of this raucous adventure. It is bright in its visual and audio style, bold in its assertions.
And yet, none of it works as well as it does without Devin France, the young actress who plays the titular character. Zeitlin correctly frames the story in a reality that far too many of us will recognize, but we take for granted because we accept the limitations of our own circumstances. As Wendy, France offers us an innocence in an ugly place.
Surprisingly, that “place” is a run-down restaurant in the middle of the Louisiana bayou. The restaurant, run by her mother, is always busy; people coming and going. There is a healthy respect for the love and the heart that drives the life blood of the restaurant even as Wendy and her two older brothers, Douglas and James, played by real-life brothers Gage and Gavin Naquin respectively, dream of a better life.
The reality comes crashing down somewhere in between as Mom callously reminds them of what awaits their adult lives: waitressing, bussing and running the restaurant; there is no choice.
Despite the callousness with which the story imparts this wisdom, there is a very strong bond between the siblings. That bond, whether for protection or for a shared experience is put to the test one night.
Interestingly, the building housing their restaurant and apartment adjoins a train track. Each night, the train passes aimlessly by. One night though, Wendy is whisked away by a phantom child her age, Peter (Yashua Mack). Wendy has a bold sense of adventure in her, which Peter and Douglas do not immediately share. The strong bond between the three is what ultimately causes them all to be whisked away to an island in the middle of nowhere.
The volcano island, which burps with life as it spews steam is a gentle reminder that life evolves; that change is inevitable. It also represents the dangers of uncontrolled imagination and a break in trust; the bond between the siblings is put in jeopardy as the older folks of the island are prohibited from co-mingling with the younger people.
Zeitlin drives resentment as a wedge between the two factions, but he also uses that as the story’s strength in finding a commonality between the two sides: the young and the young-at-heart. “Wendy” doesn’t purport to offer a fountain of youth. Just as in reality, lost time causes our dreams to fade away as responsibility takes its place, a reference to the reality of the restaurant.
The ecosystem in which “Wendy” is set doesn’t break the laws of physics like the “Avengers” movies do. In fact, the ecosystem is what fuels Wendy’s journey and makes its imagined reality that much more luscious and exciting. Just as in the restaurant, the characters that inhabit the ecosystem are the driving force, and it’s a legacy that, much like the reimagined “Peter Pan” reminds us that it is okay for our imaginations to run freely.
“Wendy’s” imagination is inventive, witty, bold. It reminds us of the ties that bind us to one another, not to a specific place. It is a fantastical adventure, well worth taking with the family.
3 out of 4
