Neverwas

Don't let the cast of Neverwas fool you into renting this movie!

The casting of Aaron Eckhart, Ian McKellen, William Hurt, Brittany Murphy, Alan Cumming and Jessica Lang seems inspired; but, unfortunately, the line-up can do nothing to save this flick from being a total disaster.

It's premise starts out fine: The adult son (Eckhart) of a beloved children's book author (Nolte) becomes a psychiatrist, and returns to the institution that once treated his father for his mental illness. Nolte's character, depressed for most of his life, committed suicide several years earlier, and Echardt's character needs closure on the tragedy. Hanging out at the institution, he thinks, will provide him that opportunity to heal himself.

Instead, his decision throws him into a series of situations that entwine him within the fable of his father's most famous book.

Neverwas intends to make a statement about human dignity and self worth. It misses terribly. Instead, it's a ridiculous and melodramatic nightmare.