Andrew Birkin Interview for 2003 Peter Pan

[Dani1923]

Andrew,

I read an old post on this forum that you did an interview for a special for the 2003 Peter Pan movie but you never saw it.
Well I found the special on YouTube and Nico’s daughter Laura is interviewed in it too!

Here’s the video!


https://youtu.be/bc1RIHu8fn8

[Brutus]

Thanks for posting the link! I had seen this many years ago but had forgotten about it - and forgotten also who the awful interviewer was! Still, it's good to hear Andrew and Laura Duguid, and share their memories.

[Dani1923]

No problem Brutus! 😀

[Hannah Grippo]

Oh, that takes me back! I wasn't a fan of that 2003 movie, but was deep in the original book at the time. I remember being 14 or 15, seeing Andrew Birkin on some DVD feature, and then telling my mom I wanted her to order a book by "the JM Barrie expert in that interview". Got "JM Barrie and The Lost Boys" and the book for a birthday present or something. I read and re-read it and wrote all over it as if Barrie was a friend. The book was life-changing for me. And yet, I don't have it anymore. I buried my copy in one of those time capsule things, and it's somewhere in Connecticut in the woods under a tree. Maybe the fairies (or maggots) found it by now.

Sorry, got off topic!

Anyway, thank you so much, Dani1923, for posting. That meant a lot to me. You're good at finding Peter Pan related stuff. Nice to see! 

[Dani1923]

No problem Hannah! And thank you so much for the compliment!

And yeah I actually just re-watched the 2003 Peter Pan on Dec. 27th (as my own little Peter Pan Day celebration) after not watching it for over a decade, and swearing that I remembered this being the best Peter Pan movie, but BOY was I disappointed!!!
It felt like I was about get a great present, but then I open it to find garbage inside!

I’m not going to go into all the things I didn’t like about it because that would probably take hours!
I have to admit that they did include SOME things from the book that the other movie adaptations didn’t, and Jason Isaacs was a good Hook, but aside from that nothing special, and the movie was REALLY frustrating to watch! Several times while watching it, I literally said out loud (I watched the movie alone) “What is this?” and “What are you doing movie?”

I watched that movie, the 1924 silent film (which I’ve now seen a few times already), and the Disney version on the 27th, and can now say that my favorite Peter Pan movie is the silent film version since it’s the most accurate to the Peter Pan story. Even though I have a soft spot for the Disney version since I’ve been watching that since I was about 5 or 6, maybe even younger. I now think of that version as like a Little Golden Book version of Peter Pan, it’s an introductory course to the Peter Pan story aimed at little kids so you can’t be really mad at it! As for the 2003 Peter Pan, forget it!!

I probably thought the 2003 movie was the better one before because I was an early teen when I last saw it, and also it was before I read the book!

But now since I have read the book, I have become sort of a Peter Pan purist now!

And wow! I was about 15 or 16 when I started becoming interested in “the story behind the story” of Peter Pan!
I have the The Lost Boys book and movie in my room and I’ve had them for like 5 or 6 years now, and like you I have written in the book and dog-eared many pages in the book that I really liked, though the whole book is great, and I underlined my favorite parts some of the dog-eared pages!

You might think I’m crazy for saying this, but even though Barrie died decades before I was born, I feel like I’ve met him!
I also like to believe dead people can visit us in dreams, and maybe I’ve hung out with Barrie, and maybe even the boys, in dreams. Though I have no memory of having any Barrie dreams, but so many times I’ve felt like I had a marvelous adventure in my dreams, but then when I wake up, I have forgotten all about them! I felt that way last night in fact! 

I’m sorry you don’t have your copy of Andrew’s book anymore! Did you ever buy another one and write new thoughts in it?

If you read all this without falling asleep, I thank you very much and congratulate you! I tend to go on and on when I write about things I care about!

[Hannah Grippo]

Hello Again,

I don't think that's crazy at all!

I was a very odd girl, growing up, and was bullied constantly by other teens and the adults in my life. When I read Peter Pan and later JM Barrie and The Lost Boys, I felt like I found a friend in Mr. Barrie. Sometimes I even called him Uncle Jim and wrote letters to his ghost. We had a lot in common (still do). For awhile, all I did was somehow Barrie related (I liked to write and read, so it wasn't hard to connect my activities to him). One of my teachers even started scolding me to read some other author (I didn't, I buried myself deeper in the story). Eventually, I found a real friend (but, interestingly enough, through JM Barrie) who opened my world to so many various subjects that I slowly stopped escaping to Neverland. Instead, I found a way to escape into life in all its diversity and non-locality. Still I hold the place dear to my heart. And I share it with the children I teach (even though "children know such a lot now, soon they don't believe in fairies").

As for the book. I had one that I wrote in a lot, but lost it in a hospital somewhere in South Korea. I recently got another copy, but it's clean. I think it's time I revisit the book again. I'm sure as an adult (though I'm not quite sure I'll ever be fully grownup), I'll find all kinds of things it. I recently experienced something very similar to Barrie's own life, and could use his friendship again. Andrew Birkin's book and trilogy have so much heart. Thanks for reminding me.

I'm quite glad you have have a connection to Barrie and the lost boys too, and that you keep leaving all these treasures (your links and thoughts) in the fairy cave. And I've had such dreams too.

[Dani1923]

Thank you for thinking I’m sane! 😂

I’m sorry you were bullied in your past! I was bullied too at various points in my school years or at least teased. But not because of my love of Barrie and Peter Pan. My love of that started in high school and I kept it to myself, and I still mostly do! I think if my family members ever found out how much I watch the same scenes from The Lost Boys over and over again, they’d think I was nuts!

That’s crazy that your teacher told you to stop reading Peter Pan because you were reading it too much! Usually teachers are glad when children read at all!

I actually did write to a dead famous person once, but then years later I threw it away so no one would ever find it and read it!

I wish I had a friend that shared my love of Barrie and PP, but the closest I’ve come to that are the people in this forum, and I’m very glad and appreciative of that!

I like to write too! After having that Peter Pan movie marathon, especially after watching the 2003 movie, I’ve been wishing I could write and direct a Peter Pan movie myself! I used to want to be a filmmaker, mostly a screenwriter and hopefully I can still become one someday, but not for Hollywood, for a small film production company! But for now I’m focusing more on writing books and plays (I’ve actually self-published a children’s poetry book already.) and putting Peter Pan elements in the original stories I come up with. I’m actually kind of working on writing a play right now doing exactly that! Hopefully I’ll finish it someday!

So great that you’re sharing Peter Pan stories to today’s children!

I hope you write in your new Lost Boys book! I don’t think you can ever be done exploring Neverland, as long as you believe in it!

You seem have been exploring the world! I hope to travel the world one day! Especially to England, Scotland (partly because of Peter Pan and Barrie) and Japan!

[Hannah Grippo]

Hello. I apologize for not writing back as I've been a bit under the weather. Anyway, I sent you a PM via this forum, so if you get a chance check your inbox. That's awesome you're a writer, btw. I hope you get to make your film and story!

[Dani1923]

That’s okay! I understand! Hope you’re feeling better!

Thank you for your support about my writing!

And I will check my inbox!