So wait: Michael Jackson's a monster but this guy gets a family movie?

***Warning! This Review Contains Spoilers***

"Finding Neverland" bit. Hard. Let me start with the script, with it's starchy, Disney Channel meets Infomercial-like dialogue. The film centers around flailing playwright JM Barrie (played by the usually brilliant Johnny Depp), who is stuck in a loveless marriage. The poor 'ol boy has no inspiration. He's got no muse. A muse, by the way, is usually a beautiful woman who inspires love and passion. But then, Barrie does find his muse, and he begins to write great plays again, and all is well in the kingdom. Oh yeah, did I mention that his muse is a group of 4 ten year-old-boys? They meet in the park, and Barrie soon befriends the band of fatherless scamps who live with their mother (stiffly played by Ms. I'll-never-let-go-Jack herself, Kate Winslet). Throughout the film, it is never clear exactly what relationship Barrie has with the kids, though the director and character assure us at every turn that nothing of "that sort" could ever be done by him. But there's a measure of doubt about the entire film, which seems too undure of itself for us to have any confidence in it. They never explain the relationship between he Ms. Winslet, either. They are shown speaking for probably a minute and a half accumatively, yet by the time of her death (proved to be inevitable from the first scene in the film, shown only by a deep, throaty, periodic cough.) Then there's the pseudo-fantasy that the film resides in. Let me tell you something: unless you're Charlie Kauffman, don't try it. You'll end up making a fool of yourself. And your movie. And for the love of God, Johnny Depp. Why can't you remain the one hollywood actor with any ability to pick your movies, dammit? My grade: C.

What now, Nate?