Neverwas | 
 enlarge | Director: Joshua Michael Stern
Actors: Aaron Eckhart, Ian Mckellen, William Hurt, Bill Bellamy, Michael Moriarty
Studio: Miramax
Category: DVD
List Price: $29.99
Buy Used: $3.98
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Avg. Customer Rating:  19 reviews
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 108
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: DISD54540D
UPC: 786936737110
EAN: 0786936737110
Theatrical Release Date: 2005
Release Date: July 3, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Disc has a few faint scratches.DVD has been TESTED & PLAYS FINE.100% guaranteed against defects.Contact us within 7 days if there is any defect, and we will gladly refund your purchase.Our standard shipping method is USPS Media Mail.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The tale of a man who discovers that his childhood fantasy world the world of his fathers renowned childrens book neverwas may actually exist. Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 07/03/2007 Starring: Ian Mckellen Brittany Murphy Run time: 108 minutes Rating: Pg13
Amazon.com
A stellar cast buoys Neverwas, a 2005 feature written and directed by Joshua Michael Stern. And what a lineup it is. Aaron Eckhart stars as Zach, a psychiatrist who abandons his cushy gig at Cornell in order to work at a funky, underfunded New England institution run by Dr. Peter Reed (an underused William Hurt), where his own father (Nick Nolte, seen in various flashbacks), who wrote the wildly popular children's book named in the title but was also a manic depressive, was briefly ensconced before killing himself, leaving his young son burdened with the grim memory of finding the body. Ian McKellen is Gabriel, a patient at the nuthouse in question who knows a good deal more about Zach's dad than Zach does; Jessica Lange is his boozy, annoying mother; Brittany Murphy is his love interest; and other patients include Michael Moriarty, The Departed's Vera Farmiga, and Bill Bellamy. Their respective agents must have had a field day determining the billing order, but Neverwas, which bears a passing resemblance to Finding Neverland and The Fisher King, doesn't seem to know what kind of picture it wants to be. It's not family fare, as themes like suicide and mental illness are too dark and complex for kids. It's not a romance, nor is it a fantasy, a father-son drama, or an adventure. Not that it doesn't have its strong points: McKellen lights up the screen every time he appears on it, the cinematography is often quite lovely, and the overall notion of life and art as a circular form, as in Zach's having to figure out how he fit into both his dad's book (the hero is a boy named Zachary) and his real life, is intriguing. On balance, however, Neverwas is a whole that is disappointingly less than the sum of its parts. --Sam Graham
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| Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...
 Perfect December 14, 2008
My family and I chose to watch this movie with no prior knowledge of it, we just thought we'd give it a try. And now, I have to say I'm appalled that I hadn't heard of Neverwas before then. It's a beautiful movie, with an incredible cast and a fabulous story, and not to mention visually stunning as well.
To briefly outline the beginning, a psychologist(Aaron Eckhart) returns to the town he grew up in, and starts working at an asylum of sorts where his father had spent time. His father was an exceptionally famous children's fantasy author, and soon it becomes unclear whether the story he wrote was merely a story or if somehow there's more to it. I'd say more, but part of the magic of this film is being surprised.
Neverwas is a happy movie without being insipid, and whimsical without being unbelievable or over done. It's perfect, in my opinion. You couldn't ask for a film with more imagination, and I think anyone would be delighted by it. I could not have enjoyed it more if I tried!
Despite mixed reviews... August 6, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
...I decided to give this movie a chance. The most common complaint I read about this movie is that it never sticks to one genre. I must be the odd woman out, because I thought this worked well for Neverwas. If it had only been a movie about mental illness, it would have been too depressing. If it had only been about the fairy tale, it wouldn't have been as meaningful. My advice is to let the movie be what it is. It is a mix of romance, father-son bonding, mental illness, mystery, and fantasy. The always superb Aaron Eckhart carries the movie very well, and he is supported with excellent performances by William Hurt, Brittany Murphy, and Ian McKellan. I am glad that I gave this movie a chance, and I feel that the $5 I paid for it was money well spent.
 Murphy's Romance July 31, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Farfetched isn't the word for it, but Brittany Murphy is farfetched to a T as an ace reporter from Aaron Eckhart's past who gets the old spark glowing again now that they aren't dipping each other's braids in the inkwells. Poor Brittany, reduced to this "girlfriend" part that suddenly morphs into the "crack journalist" part in which the journalist finds herself compromised by her relationship to the "victim." (See ABSENCE OF MALICE.)
The movie revels in big reveal scenes and Aaron Eckhart gets to sneak into Brittany Murphy's room and find out her secret, the way that hardened FBI investigators break down an attic door and exclaim "Oh my God" to each other merely because the tenant has plastered his walls from top to ceiling with newspaper clippings. If they could see my apartment, maybe they'd understand! Sometimes you just need another coat of something up on your walls to keep in the heat, and old clippings of heinous crimes are just as good as new paint.
In Aaron's case, he's cute as a button both as a boy and man. The cinematography literally gilds his blonde hair into a helmet of light that's scary to look at, like a Ken doll on fire. William Hurt as the head of the hospital looks at him in disgust, wondering what happened to his own good looks that were so well used in BODY HEAT and that one with Sigourney Weaver where he, Hurt, was an idiot savant janitor and she a crack journalist in the Brittany Murphy mode. The acting in the movie is wretched from top to bottom, but it would be entertaining anyhow, had the script been reined in a little. The coincidences of the plot are manifold, like the lilies of the field, and they don't stop even when the credits are unrolling. Jessica Lange plays her part as though she were trying out for Katharine Hepburn's old DELICATE BALANCE role, faded gentility parsed with attractive, withered madness. She just made a mistake, that's all.
The credits say Michael Moriarty's in the movie too. I didn't spot him. Anybody know who he plays?
Definitely worth watching June 2, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
A good way to spend a couple of hours (108 minutes to be exact). The cast is definitely a who's who of actors, but thankfully, they don't jump all over each other. I thought the acting was, for the most part, subtle and thoughtful. Ian McKellan was stunning in every scene, but I think you will find a lot of substance in Nick Nolte's performance as well!! The juxtaposition of reality, fiction, and delusion was fascinating and was displayed as well as could be in this medium.
While the movie has some similarities to others, they are small enough not to distract... The story leaves us with some positive ideas about uncomfortable subjects and just maybe stretches our own boundaries of acceptance.
If you like to challenge yourself while being entertained and see some great acting at the same time, I definitely recommend.
All the best,
Jay
Elizabeth Essenfeld Says March 17, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Elizabeth Essenfeld this movie is the blend of fantasy and thriller. The tagline of "one man's insanity is another man's children's book' is accurate description of the story plit. With twists and turns and surpsring ending, the movie is satisfying until the very last moment. Brittney Murphy steps out of her usual 'cutesy' bubble and plays a somewhat more grounded adult role. All in all, an enjoyable movie.
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