Rants

Yes, this is an adult website. If you want to see me without the shorts, visit the XXX Pics page.

What's Wrong with Peter Pan?

Posted 23 April 2005

The other day my boyfried comes home with the DVD of the 2003 movie of Peter Pan.

Let me start by saying, the cast is fabulous. Jeremy Sumpter as Pan is a surprisingly expressive and capable actor, and is quite cute in the role. Jason Isaacs, who's amazing in everything (I fell in love with him in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets -- something about the wig) was fabulous as Hook.

Let me also say that the production design and visual effects are stunning. This is easily the most beautiful version of the story I've ever seen.

So why hadn't I seen it before? Well, for exactly the same reason as I'm now posting this rant: Peter Pan should not have sexual overtones!

Now, I know that's a strange thing for a guy who likes to wack off on the internet to say, but I've been a big fan of Peter Pan since I was a little kid. J.M. Barrie actually wrote several different versions of the story (my favorite is Peter in Kensington Gardens in which Peter is a baby dealing with a group of unruly fairies) but they all have one thing in common: Peter is a Kid.

In the play (and subsequently the novel) Peter doesn't even know what a "kiss" is -- there's nothing even remotely sexual about him, and if there ever was he'd quickly grow up (as we all did) and cease to be Peter Pan!

(Believe it or not, the best movie version of the play and novel is the Disney version which is surprisingly faithful to the play, right down to the music.)

I know people have accused J.M. Barrie of being less-than-innocent when writing the Pan stories. But if you read any of his work it should be very clear what it's about. In the earlier Pan stories he was writing light entertainment. If you really want to read into the later Pan stories, you can say he was looking at the sociopathic pattern of hope, idolization, and loss that Peter endlessly endures even though he thinks he's avoiding the pain of adulthood by not growing up. In fact, late in his life Barrie scribbled in one of his journals a note that read "Pan -- not unwilling to grow up -- unable" -- implying that he may have had yet another version of the story in store when he died. (It's a pity, because I would have loved to see where that one went.) But it was never about sex.

But of course, this is only my opinion. You should decide for yourself. I've provided you all the links you need. :)