by Abe Fried-Tanzer
Eight years ago, director Benh Zeitlin, just twenty-nine at the time, brought his debut feature Beasts of the Southern Wild to Sundance, where it took home the Grand Jury Dramatic Prize. It went on to score four Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture and a bid for directing for Zeitlin. Since then, he has produced a few projects, but now marks the much-anticipated release of his second effort behind the camera.
Wendy is a creative retelling of the Peter Pan story, with Wendy (Devin France) and her twin brothers (Gage and Gavin Naquin) helping their single mother at the diner where she works and watching excitedly as trains go by their windows every night...
When they see a boy on the train one night, they hop aboard and follow Peter (Yashua Mack) to a mysterious island with a giant fish its inhabitants refer to as Mother. Wendy quickly learns that a lack of hope and imagination can lead to growing old, something the band of lost boys she meets vows never to do.
For those who believe that there’s nothing new to glean from the story of Peter Pan will likely be impressed by the unconventional reframing done here by Zeitlin and his co-writer and sister Eliza. There’s a magic to what they experience, yet it’s marvelously tethered to contemporary real life, which makes it all the more wondrous. Zeitlin has a clear gift for finding and working with child actors, with France serving as an extraordinary discovery, a mix of Quvenzhané Wallis and Millie Bobby Brown with wide, curious eyes that make her a formidable protagonist. All the children, many of whom were present at the premiere screening, are terrific. The cinematography, sets, and music all combine fantastically to make a joyful, energizing journey, one that shows true imagination and affirms that Zeitlin has an extraordinary cinematic vision.
Fox Searchlight will release Wendy on February 28th.