The Worse...The Better...

Bart and I have finished the BBC special The Lost Boys by Andrew Birkin. (More on it here and here.)
All of the praise for it is not unfounded. It’s a damn fine piece of work. For those of you who don’t know, the story of J.M. Barrie and the Llewellyn Davies does not end happily. They are besieged with internal discontents and external tragedies. If your knowledge comes from Finding Neverland, then perhaps you’re not aware of what truly befell them. The boys pretty much wind up resenting the whole idea of Peter Pan, as it is a stigma and association they cannot avoid. “Oh! You’re the real Peter Pan!” Imagine hearing that all your life! Furthermore, unrest settles in the house as egos flair, leading Mary Hodgson (the boys’ nursemaid) to leave, dejected. George is killed in World War I, Michael seems to have committed suicide, Jack never quite liked the notion of “Uncle Jim” and although the program did not show it, Peter jumped in front of train at age 63.

As the drama increased, the performances elevated. Ian Holm does indeed do a wonderful job at displaying the joys and upsets of Barrie’s life. A bittersweetness that boils into just plain bitterness. Not to paint an unflattering picture of Barrie. The guy had to deal with more than his share of horror. The series ends with him playing with another child, showing that he still had hope and whimsy within him. There is much to be found in the power of the performances.

Bravo to Birkin, as well, for the script. For instance, he never had to tell you that George had been killed in the war. No words to that effect are ever spoken. Instead it can be inferred in a touching bemoaning session and a telegram in Barrie’s hand. Nicely played. Heartbreaking.

When I think of the Barrie/Llewellyn Davies story, I prefer the earlier happier times. Rambunctious boys out playing in the woods by a lake. The sadness, fears, rejections and abandoment are best left to the dark side of the Neverland.

I highly recommend this series for anyone who is interested in the real story of “J.M. Barrie and the Lost Boys” instead of the glamorized Hollywood version.

*The picture is the Region 2 DVD cover.

It's like being there...

I watched the first part (of three) of Andrew Birkin's The Lost Boys. It's a BBC mini-series from 1978 chronicling the friendship between J. M. Barrie and the Llewelyn Davies family. Think Finding Neverland but accurate, less showy and more complete. Since Birkin is the authority on Barrie and from the amount of praise given this program, I expected it to be great. It has not disappointed.

From the moment it began, I knew I would love it. For those of you who know what this means, it even showed the balloon lady outside the Gardens. For the rest of you, it mirrored the feel of the Arthur Rackham drawings beautifully. It included little touches that made the past (and now fantasy of it) come alive. In a way that Finding Neverland did not quite achieve. From the costumes to the overall visual quality. And free of the 'must glamorize' mentality of Hollywood.

Another treasure-filled scene for a Barrie scholar is the re-creation of The Boy Castaways of Black Lake Island. This portion is not unlike having a time machine. Barrie's actual photographs are inserted every so often. They're placed amid history unfolding. We now see the Llewelyn Davies boys tromping along on their adventure, eventually striking the poses in the photos that have come to be known. (Only two copies of The Boy Castaways existed, one for the boys. One for Barrie.)

Thanks to Birkin, we have audio and video of Barrie. Ian Holm does a great job in picking up his speech patterns. Needless to say, his Scottish accent and acting are excellent. Also excellent is Paul Holmes, who plays George. (From the date of birth I assume it to be Holmes, for two boys have played him.) He doesn't seem to be acting at all - natural, convincing.

I enjoy it immensely. It's a delight to hear Barrie's most famous lines (of real life/notes, not from his literature) spoken and deftly inserted into conversations. Though not fast paced, it's compelling. It truly allows for the mundane moments to shine while they build to a lovely protrayal of how matters developed. Looking forward to the rest. (Even though it will be a sad story to come.)

Bravo Birkin! Bravo to Holm! And bravo to everyone who made this possible.

I've been waiting a long time to see this mini-series. It's been worth it.

Learn more about The Boy Castaways and see more of the pictures at Birkin's site.

The link is on the left.

The Lost Boys "Found"

I'm ecstatic! I just ordered from Amazon!

No, not my own book.

Andrew Birkin's The Lost Boys that aired on the BBC in 1978.

Imagine Finding Neverland, but accurate and more in-depth.

Premier Barrie scholar Birkin wrote this acclaimed work.

Here's a link of praise for it.

Ian Holm stars as Barrie and it is said to be one of his best performances.

I've known about it "forever." But alas, it had not been available on DVD in the US region codes. I obsessively checked for it for quite some time. I even have a TiVo Wish List in case BBC America decided to air it. I wound up shelving it in the back of my mind.

But Hosah!

After waiting fifteen years or so...on this red letter day, I stumbled across it!

What a delight! Can't wait for it to come! It will be on my shelf instead.