Second to the right, and then straight on till morning.
The original directions Peter gives to Neverland, although it turns out there isn't really a 'direction' as such. He just gets there. He only gives these directions to sound clever to Wendy.
James M. Barrie was a prolific writer at the turn of the 20th century, but his most-beloved works are his play and novels about Peter Pan, the boy who refused to grow up and lives in Neverland, a
Magical Land. He has a feisty fairy
Sidekick in Tinkerbell.
One spring evening, Peter follows his wayward shadow into a young girl's bedroom. When Wendy Darling fastens his shadow back on, Peter invites her to come and look after his Lost Boys, similarly ageless kids who (like him) lack a mother.
Wendy and her brothers, John and Michael, fly away to Neverland, where the boys have many adventures while Wendy mothers them. Finally, after a climactic battle with Peter's
archenemy, the
pirate Captain Hook, Wendy decides she's had enough of Neverland. Peter agrees to let her go, and to let her take her brothers and the Lost Boys with her. Twenty years later, Peter Pan returns for Wendy's daughter Jane, and the adventures begin anew.
Peter Pan is a
trickster, only nominally human. In
Peter Pan in Kensignton Gardens, Peter is alluded to as being half bird; as all children in fact come from birds, but only Peter is close enough to his youth to remember
being a bird. In Neverland, he is more like a playful demigod, with aspects of Puck and Pan. The character has become something of a cultural symbol for youthful exuberance and innocence, especially if it persists into adulthood; it also evokes the poignant flip side - never becoming truly mature.
Michael Jackson identified with the character so much he named his estate (with an amusement park, et. al. on the grounds) "Neverland Ranch". The darker implications of eternal youth and perpetual irresponsibility is likely why a well-remembered 1987 film about teen vampires was called
The Lost Boys.
The well-remembered 1953 Disney animated movie presents a cosier version of Peter Pan. It kept most of the incidents, but virtually none of the original dialogue. Also in the 1950s, a successful Broadway musical version of the story was launched; live TV broadcasts of it with Mary Martin as Peter were ratings winners, and this version is frequently staged in theaters great and small to this day. An unusual quirk of most stagings of the play and musical, going back to its original productions, is that Peter is traditionally played by a young woman instead of a preteen male actor.
Both Disney and the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital claim to own the Peter Pan copyright, and have authorised clashing Sequel and
Prequel books and films. On the non-Disney side, there was a 41 episode Anime adaption as part of the
World Masterpiece Theater series in 1989, the 1990 animated series on the first season of
Fox Kids, and a 2003 live-action adaptation, but probably the best-known take on the material from other hands is Steven Spielberg's
Hook (1991), a sequel that posits what would have happened had Peter eventually decided to grow up. (A key moment in his
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial has a
Shout Out to the
Clap Your Hands If You Believe scene.)
Robin Williams plays the adult Peter Banning, who has long forgotten his past, and has to go back to Neverland to defeat the Captain once and for all when he kidnaps his children. One of the screenwriters, James V. Hart, subsequently wrote
Capt. Hook, a children's novel that explores the early years of the villain. See also
Finding Neverland (2004), a
Very Loosely Based On A True Story drama about Barrie's conception and initial production of the play.
Disney made a theatrically-released sequel to this story,
Return to Neverland, in 2002, but it is not part of the
Disney Animated Canon. Their publishing arm has released a series of prequel novels written by
Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. Finally, their take on Tinkerbell has long been something of a mascot character for the company and in the new millennium the
Spinoff Disney Fairies line of books, merchandise, and a made-for-DVD film was launched focusing on her and other (original) pixies (similar in concept to the
Disney Princess line).
Tropes:
Tropes from all or most adaptations:
- Alternate Character Interpretation - one of the rare cases in which it hits on something, since most of the people who consider Pan evil have no idea that early drafts of the story had him as the villain, taking children away from their parents.
- Acting For Two - Traditionally in the stage play and musical, and in the 2003 movie, Captain Hook and Mr. Darling are played by the same actor (if you watch the Disney version, they still bear a resemblance, and are voiced by the same actor. Interestingly, J. M. Barrie wanted Captain Hook to be played by Mrs. Darling's actress, but was evidently overruled.
- JMB didn't really intend a message from the dual roles; it was mostly to get more use out of a single (rather good) actor, who'd otherwise be sitting around for half the performance.
- Actually, it may be intended to make a point as Hook is, in the book, described as being somewhat feminine, as Barrie envisions all pirates to be. It is something to do with Hooks intuitiveness at times.
- From the first book, chapter eight: "In his dark nature there was a touch of the feminine, as in all the great pirates, and it sometimes gave him intuitions."
- Angst What Angst - in everyone who goes to Neverland; in Peter himself so much it's scary.
- Big Bad - Captain Hook.
- Broken Masquerade (Neverland, pirates, fairies).
- Compressed Adaptation: While the novel has the children in Neverland for weeks, if not months, most adaptations cut the duration of their stay in Neverland down to a single night and day.
- Crosscast Role - In just about any theatrical or film version, Peter is played by a woman.
- The Edwardian Era - if only by default.
- Fairy Tale
- Fate Worse Than Death - Hook to Tiger Lily "there is no path through water [drowning] to [[Heaven the Happy Hunting Ground]]."
- Grokking The Horrorshow / Newer Than They Think: The name 'Wendy' was not commonly recognized as a viable name for a girl before this book.
- Growing Up Sucks - The Lost Boys.
- Heroic Sociopath - Peter Pan.
- Hook Hand - Take a wild guess.
- Impossibly Cool Clothes: Hook is always seen to be decked out in his finest in all the adaptations.
- Living Shadow - Peter's shadow is alive and tries to escape. Wendy sews it back on.
- Lost In Imitation: The Lost Boys were perfectly capable of flying in the novel. Disney's adaptation has them ground-bound, and so do most subsequent adaptations.
- In the book, Slightly, not Tootles, was the pudgy Lost Boy. Disney chose to make Tootles the fat one, and just about every adaptation since then has done the same.
- Minion With An F In Evil: Mr Smee. So. Very. Much. The original book goes into great detail about how pathetic-but-loveable he is.
- Never Grew Up - Trope Namer
- Pajama Clad Hero - The Darling children wear their P Js throughout their adventures.
- Pirate - Every one of the pirates, and particularly Captain Hook.
- Team Mom - Wendy, so much.
- The Only One Allowed To Defeat You: Hook towards Pan. This wasn't as much so in the beginning (Hook saw Pan as another annoying child), but after his hand was fed to the crocodile it became personal.
- The Pirates Who Dont Do Anything: Well, they do quite a few things within the story, but no actual piracy.
- Toy Ship - Peter and Wendy. Also Wendy and Hook, depending on the handling of the adaptation.
- Especially in the 2003 version. This troper was squicked by Hook's creeptasticness in the book, but seeing it played out (however well) with Wendy on film was very, very uncomfortable to watch. Jason Isaacs had mentioned in an interview that it was quite uncomfortable to play, too.
- The 2003 version also has some incredibly strong Foe Yay undertones between Hook and Pan, creating what is probably the most bizarre love triangle ever seen in a mainstream film.
Tropes mainly from the novel or play:
- Adaptation Displacement - It's often forgotten that it began life as a play, before being adapted into a novel (both by JM Barrie).
- Ambiguous Innocence - The defining characteristic of children, according to the novel — and of Peter Pan in particular — is that they are "innocent and heartless". Peter Pan laughs as Wendy's siblings nearly fall to their deaths and in general lives up to his last name. He even attempts to convince Wendy that her mother abandoned her.
- Audience Participation - The clapping to save Tinkerbell in the stage version.
- Clap Your Hands If You Believe - The Trope Namer, used to revive Tinkerbell of Captain Hook's poison.
- Fisher King - Peter is this to Neverland. The land wakes up when he arrives, and reflects his mood. The 2003 movie adaptation showcases it prominently.
- Heroic Sociopath - See Ambiguous Innocence. During the climactic fight against Hook and his crew, Peter actually attacks both sides in order to keep things "interesting".
- Honor Before Reason: The Piccaninnies' codes of honor prevented them from taking strategic moves that would have saved a fair number of them from being slaughtered by the pirates.
- Killed Off For Real - In the original book, Hook is eaten by the Crocodile at the end.
- In fact, all the other pirates died except Smee and Starkey, who ironically is implied to have drowned in the film.
- Multiple Choice Past - Due to Neverland's nature, the book states that Peter's Freudian Excuse of Parental Abandonment may not have really happened how he remembers it, if at all.
- Name And Name - The book was originally published as Peter and Wendy.
- Oblivious To Love: Wendy, Tiger Lily, and Tinkerbell all have a crush on Peter, but Peter is so immature he can't see a female as anything other than a mother figure.
- Our Fairies Are Different: Tinkerbell
- Proud Warrior Race: The Piccaninnies.
- Public Domain Character
- The Fair Folk - Fairies in the books are notoriously fickle and love playing tricks on people. Peter Pan is the only one they don't mess with.
- Trickster - Peter Pan.
- Vague Age: Probably intentional. The book states that Peter has all of his baby teeth, yet all of the female characters have (or develop) a crush on him. Even so, Peter is too immature to notice.
- Villain Song: The pirates, espescially Hook, have a habit of bursting into song:
Avast, belay, when I appear By fear they're overtook
Nought's left upon your bones when you Have shaken claws with Hook
- We Are As Mayflies: Inverted in the novel - fairies have short lifespans, short enough that at the beginning of the book Tinkerbell hasn't yet reached adulthood, but a year later she's most likely reached the end of her natural life.
- You No Take Candle: The Piccaninnies talk this way.
Tropes mainly from the Disney film:
- Adaptation Decay - the characters of Peter Pan and Captain Hook in the Disney movie are nothing like their counterparts in the book.
- Disney's movie calls the fairies "pixies" for no apparent reason.
- Award Bait Song: The sequel's "I'll Try."
- Better Living Through Evil: The pirate song.
- Conspicuous CG: The pirate ship flying through London in Return to Neverland.
- Cut Song: "Never Smile at a Crocodile," "Neverland" and a few songs for the pirates.
- Hakuna Matata: "So To Be One Of Us" from the sequel.
- Honor Before Reason - In the Disney movie, having given his word of honor to not fly in his final duel with Captain Hook, Peter doggedly refuses to do so even when Hook proves to be the superior swordsman, having forced him to the corner of a mast leading to a fall that can kill him.
- I Gave My Word
- Newer Than They Think: Specifically, the line "second star to the right." The line in the novel read "second to the right."
- Opening Chorus
- Somewhere Song: "The Second Star to the Right."
- Triumphant Reprise: "Now That You're One Of Us" from the sequel.
- Villain Song: "A Pirate's Life" and "The Elegant Captain Hook."
- The Villain Sucks Song: "Here We Go, Another Plan" from the sequel.
- You Fail Physics Forever: In Return to Neverland, Jane tries to leave on a raft which sinks from springing a leak. Rafts are designed so they can have holes and still float.
Tropes mainly from other adaptations:
- Action Girl: The '03 film has Wendy wielding a sword against pirates.
- Adaptation Distillation - The 1990 cartoon television show Peter Pan and the Pirates was surprisingly accurate to the source material, and often improved upon the original story by adding new bits and pieces to Neverland lore. Sadly, it's all but completely forgotten now. (And it will likely stay that way; in an ironic twist of fate, this show is now owned by Disney. To be fair, though, Disney does show it on one of their networks in Eastern Europe...for some reason.)
- Adaptation Expansion: The '03 film puts far more emphasis on Wendy's crush on Peter.
- Hannibal Lecture: In the '03 adaptation, Hook pulls this on Peter to fill him with unhappy thoughts of Wendy's departure and cause him to be unable to fly.
- Hey Its That Guy: The '03 Hook? Why, it's Lucius Malfoy!
- Nightmare Fuel: This is seen in the '03 adaptation, with the more monstrous portrayal of the mermaids and the only one to date to actually show the stump of Hook's severed arm.
- Oblivious To Love: The '03 film plays slightly differently than in the novel; Peter can feel love; he's just too immature to allow himself to or admit it if/when he does.
- Ret Canon - newer adaptations often include elements invented in older ones. The '03 film has a peg-legged parrot, which first appeared in Peter Pan and the Pirates.
- Teenage Wasteland - The Lost Boys. Even when someone is brought in to take care of them, it's another (somewhat older) kid.
- Translation Yes - The 2003 movie version when Smee is helping the Captain "interview" Tiger Lily, her (untitled) invective goes on forever. Smee's translation, much less.
- Also counts as Tactful Translation, since it's obvious that Tigerlily is not being nearly as polite as Smee's translation. Her actress gives a more accurate translation in one of the DVD extras: she says "You are the life-stealer. You are evil. You smell bad. You smell of bear-poop. You are many moons old and ugly" in Iroquois.
