Dreamchild (1985) (for Ian Holm)

There have been a spate of films about Alice and Peter Pan the two late Victorian , Edwardian icons of childhood and innocence. From straight forward presentations of the works in which they live, to semi biographical films considering the men who created them and the historical children who enchanted them. Both creators , imaginative , fanciful, loving children and unable to fully exist in adult company , make fascinating subjects in themselves. Both men had successful careers in the adult world, Dodgeson in Mathematics, and Barrie as a very successful playwright. Both were connected to great Victorians, Dodgeson to Henry Liddel, Dean Of Christ Church Oxford and the most notable Greek Scholar Of his time , still influential thanks to his dictionary of Ancient Greek in three versions, Liddell, Middle Liddell and Little Liddel. Barrie was much more socially active. His secretary was a daughter of HH Asquith , his friends included George Bernard Shaw, Kipling, Wodehouse. His most important relationships were with children. He befriended the young York princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, and his god son was Peter son of the antarctic explorer. But his closest family were the five sons of Sylvia Llewellyn Davies daughter of cartoonist and writer George DuMaurier and Sister of the actor Gerald Du Maurier.

Both Dodgeson and Barrie had problems with boundaries , especially with the children who were the models for their creations. The parents in both cases were uneasy with the relationships and took steps to limit them . Both men were interested in fantasy creatures, in swashbuckling adventure taking place in a parallel universe.