Peter Pan | Film
On J. M. Barrie | & His Peter Pan
#onhisbirthdaytoday #mothersday
9th May 2025
In honour of Mother’s Day this Sunday (11th May 2025), today, we’ve got for us all a slice of life from J. M, Barrie, and his lovely creation - Peter Pan and his Neverland.
It’s such a sweet coincidence that J. M. Barrie’s birthday and Mother’s Day come so close to each other.
Well, Peter Pan has made such a lasting impact on the entire landscape of children’s literature. In Peter Pan, Barrie moves beyond the moralistic and didactic to weave an engaging story that embraces the worlds of fantasy, imagination and adventure.
There is a distinctive element of magical realism as well, that’s the hallmark of Peter Pan – something that makes the extraordinary feel believable, and the mundane magical!
I am sure we all musta sure watched Barrie’s Peter Pan (that was made into a movie - the good ol’ 1953 Disney’d version) who dances and flies around delightfully not only in the movie, but also in our little hearts as well, ain’t he?
Well, Wendy, the eldest girl of the Darling family, who lives in a quiet street, in Bloomsbury, London, gets so excited and delighted when Peter Pan appears at the window of her house one fine night!
And in the course of their animated conversations, when Peter asks her who’s a ‘mother’, she gives him, her delightful definition of a ‘mother’ –
Here goes the conversation between Wendy and Pan, Peter Pan -
PETER PAN: Wendy’s enough.
Wendy: What were you doing there?
PETER PAN: I came to listen to the stories.
Wendy: My stories? But they’re all about you.
PETER PAN: Of course. That’s why I like ‘em. I tell ‘em to the Lost Boys.
Wendy: I'm so glad you came back tonight. I might never have seen you.
PETER PAN: Why?
Wendy: Because I have to grow up tomorrow.
PETER PAN: Grow up?
Wendy: Tonight’s my last night in the nursery.
PETER PAN: But that means no more stories.
Wendy: (SNIFFLING) Mm-Hmm
PETER PAN: No! I won’t have it! Come on.
Wendy: But where are we going?
PETER PAN: To Never Land.
Wendy: Never Land!
PETER PAN: You’ll never grow up there.
Wendy: Oh, Peter, it would be so wonderful. But wait! What would mother say?
PETER PAN: Mother? What’s a mother?
Wendy: Why, Peter, a mother’s someone… who loves and cares for you and tells you stories –
PETER PAN: Good! You can be our mother. Come on.
And towards the end of their wondrous adventures in Neverland, Wendy yet again bespeaks to the grandeur of a mother!
When Wendy tells them all that they’ve to get back home to London, the boys are quite unhappy!
Wendy then gives them a beautiful discourse on a ‘mother’, to everyone who’s eagerly gathered around her, a sweet little discourse that’s iced with a wonderful song too!
[And when Wendy sings them all the song, even the inimical Pirate captain and his men who are eavesdropping on their conversation, are so moved to sobs and tears as she sings the song!]
Giving y’all the conversation sequence that leads up to the song -
Here goes -
Wendy: Oh for goodness sake. Please, boys. Do you want to stay here and grow up like - like savages?
Michael: Of course.
Wendy: But you can’t. you need a mother. We all do.
Michael: Aren’t you our mother, Wendy?
Wendy: Why, Michael, of course, not! Surely you haven’t forgotten our real mother.
Michael: Did she have silky ears and wear a fur coat?
Wendy: Oh no, Michael. That was Nana.
Lost Boys: I think I had a mother once. What was she like? What was she like? I forget. I had a white rat. That’s no mother!
Wendy: No, no, boys. Please. I’ll tell you what a mother is.
Lost Boys: Yeah tell us. Tell us. Please Wendy.
Wendy: Well, a mother, a real mother is the most wonderful person in the world. She’s the angel voice... that bids you good night, kisses you cheek, whispers ’sleep tight’.
Your mother and mine
your mother and mine
the helping hand that
guides you along
whether you're right
whether you're wrong!
Your mother and mine
your mother and mine
what makes mothers
all that they are
might as well ask what
makes a star!
Ask your heart
to tell you her worth
your heart will say
Heaven on Earth
another word for divine
your mother and mine!
John: I propose we leave for home at once.
Lost Boys: Could I go too, Wendy? Me too, Wendy! I wanna go!
Wendy: All right boys. All right. I’m sure mother would be glad to have you. Uh, that is, if Peter doesn’t mind.
Happy Mother’s Day folks!