Neverwas

Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Sir Ian McKellen, William Hurt, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, and Brittany Murphy

Produced by: Joseph Drake, Marina Graces, and Nathan Kahane

Directed by: Joshua Michael Stern

Miramax Films

Rated PG-13

Can fairy tales be real? This is the basic premise for the movie Neverwas. To be honest, I had never heard of this movie until I sat down to watch the DVD. I find this odd because with its all star cast which happens to include a few Oscar winners; you would think this film would have been heavily promoted. All I can say now is, I am happy to have found it, and even happier to have seen it.

Neverwas is a tale of man's journey to discover who his father really was. When Dr. Zach Riley (Eckhart) an up and coming psychiatrist decides to take a staff position at the same institution his father spent time in, he comes face to face with his past. After being haunted for years by his father's suicide, Dr. Riley finally discovers the truth.

His father, played brilliantly by Nick Nolte was a famous children's author whose novel Neverwas created a huge following similar to the Harry Potter novels. He was a severely mentally ill man who was in and out of an institution repeatedly during Dr. Riley childhood before taking his own life. Dr. Riley who blamed himself never really recovered from his father's death.

While working at the institution, Dr. Riley meets Gabriel (McKellen) whose delusions are incredibly close to the story of Neverwas. After doing some research Dr. Riley discovers Gabriel and his father were friends and the novel his father wrote came from the tortured mind of Gabriel. After spending time counseling Gabriel, Dr. Riley begins to discover the man's delusions may be based more in reality than fantasy. While doing everything he can to help Gabriel, Dr. Riley is able to learn the truth about his father, the land of Neverwas, and also come to grips with his own past.

The cast for this film is remarkable. With Oscar winners, William Hurt, Jessica Lange, and multiple Oscar nominee Sir Ian McKellen how could you really go wrong? McKellen is absolutely brilliant as Gabriel. He is captivating and really makes you believe in the story. Aaron Eckhart is equally as good as Dr. Riley. Brittany Murphy does a decent job as Maggie a childhood friend of Dr. Riley's. A special mention needs to go out to Nick Nolte who we really see very little of, but he is perfectly cast in this role.

The DVD offers nothing in the way of special features. This is really a shame as I would have loved to have learned more about how writer and director Joshua Michael Stern came up with the concept for the film, and how he was able to get such an A-list cast to sign on. It would have also been nice to see a few cast interviews as well. As it stands however, other than the technical set up, there are no extras.

Neverwas is a movie that begs us to believe in the impossible. It is a tale of one man's journey for redemption. With a magnificent cast, writer and director Joshua Michael Stern was able to bring this fairy tale to life. Though the DVD does not include any special features, I would still recommend it. Those who do give it a try will not be disappointed.

Special Features:

5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound

Subtitles in French, English, and Spanish

Widescreen format

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