Year: 2004
Tagline: "Unlock your imagination."
Reasons they need to see it: This movie has an undeniable sense of urgency to it — it forces you to believe in magic and what that means in regard to everyday life. Johnny Depp’s character, J.M. Barrie (the author of Peter Pan), is a hopeful creative who sees the world in a refreshing way, and the young boy he bases Peter Pan on goes through a transition throughout the film from a boy who doesn’t believe in magic to a boy who lets his imagination take control, which is a great thing for tweens and teens with less active imaginations to see and become inspired by.
What to look out for: Kate Winslet’s character gets sick in the middle of the movie, and her prospects remain bleak until the end of the film. Her sons are forced to adapt to this huge life-altering circumstance, but not without some frustrations and anger — it can get a bit sad to watch.
