The film Finding Neverland explores the wonders of using one’s imagination to see the world in a new light. The main character Sir James Matthew Barrie lives in another world in his head which is full of his imagination, hopes, and dreams and is the manner in which he interprets the world. This world manifests itself in his play ‘Peter Pan’ and the make-believe world of Neverland. The film does a great job of illustrating how Barrie sees the world through his imagination. The film makers demonstrate his minds eye through the manner in which they shoot and present the film. For example, the filmmakers introduce Barrie’s unique take on interpreting the world in his minds eye at the being of the film. When Barrie’s film is not being received well by the audience he glances out through a curtain into the theatre and imagines a thunderstorm erupting upon the audience. In this visualization the audience realizes that Barrie sees his play as a failure and that he has washed out.
As the film continues we see an example of Barrie inviting others into his imagination. This occurs when Barrie encounters a young family of four boys and their widowed mother. When he meets them they are busy having grand adventures with the great prince George. Well, all the boys but young Peter. However, when Barrie joins in on the game by presenting his fantastical tricks with a great bear (Barrie's dog Porthos) little Peter, points out that Porthos is "just a dog" and that the whole thing is "Absurd!". Barrie turns around and has this exchange with young Peter:
Barrie: Just a dog! Just! Porthos, don’t listen to him. Porthos dreams of being a bear and you want to dash those dreams by saying he’s just a dog. Tisk. Tisk. Tisk. What a horrible candle snuffing word. That’s like saying he can’t climb that mountain; he’s just a man. Or that’s not a diamond; its juts a rock. Just.
Peter: Fine then. Turn him into a bear if you can.
At which point Barrie turns and beings to dance with Porthos. At this point the camera dances around Barrie and cuts back and forth from the physical view of Barrie dancing with his dog and the minds eye view of him dancing with a great bear. We see here that Barrie is inviting this young family into his mind, into his world, and into his imagination.
Watch the scene here:
In this scene, key principles of imagination of Barrie's are introduced and embraced by the little boys except for Peter. Peter is more resistant to the typical young child's world of imagination and it is this resistant which Barrie breaks down over the course of the film. Barrie comes to brings Peter into a world of hope, light, and imagination. And particularly in this scene he outlines the importance which dreams have on the world because they give people hope to have goals (to climb a mountain) and see the world as more beautiful (diamond). It is here that Barrie begins teaching Peter that imagination is a tool which is not just for the young and fool-hardy but for those you aspire to live in a beautiful world of hope.
And this world is really what his land of Neverland embraces. Neverland is drawn upon the world or reality around Barrie which is seen through the cross cutting of the real world and Neverland. And Neverland is the real world infused with Barrie's unique hopefulness. The world of Neverland falters though when people do not hope in it or 'believe' in it. And the sorrows of the world breaks down peoples' hope. 
This breaking of hope is seen primarily in Peter who pulls himself from the world of Neverland when his mother becomes deathly ill. When this happens Peter feels obligated to return to 'reality' because he feels dreams can't come true. However, Barrie tries to invite him and the rest of his family back into the world of hope by bringing Neverland and belief into their home with his play 'Peter Pan'. And through the character of TinkerBell who's life is the embodiment of belief and hope.
However, for Peter, Tinkerbell's pleas are not enough to keep him dreaming and believing when his mother passes. At the funeral Barrie teaches Peter that his mother still remains with him as long as he keeps hope and belief in his heart.
Therefore, the Neverland is the embodiment of belief and hope which helps one dream and imagine a greater world. It is through imagination that allows us to dream of a world greater than we know and thus helps us make this world a reality. And hopes and dreams are generally associated with the young because they have not been crushed from the realities of the world. However, this film teaches that if you believe through the sorrow and heartache you can maintain a childlike outlook on life and be able to imagine a fantastical world around you.
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