Hook is a 1991 American fantasy adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by James V. Hart and Malia Scotch Marmo. It stars Robin Williams as Peter Banning/Peter Pan, Dustin Hoffman as Captain Hook, Julia Roberts as Tinker Bell, Bob Hoskins as Smee, Maggie Smith as Granny Wendy, Caroline Goodall as Moira Banning, and Charlie Korsmo as Jack Banning. The film acts as a sequel to J. M. Barrie's 1911 novel Peter and Wendy and poses the question "What if Peter Pan grew up?", focusing on an adult Peter Pan who has forgotten his childhood. In his new life, Peter Pan is known as Peter Banning, a successful corporate lawyer with a wife (Wendy's granddaughter) and two children. However, when the enemy of his past, Hook, kidnaps his children, Peter once again returns to Neverland in order to save his children and along the journey unknowingly reclaims his youthful spirit.
Spielberg began developing the film in the early 1980s with Walt Disney Productions and Paramount Pictures, which would have followed the storyline seen in the 1924 silent film and 1953 animated film. Peter Pan entered pre-production in 1985, but Spielberg abandoned the project. James V. Hart developed the script with director, Nick Castle and TriStar Pictures before Spielberg decided to direct in 1989. Hook was shot almost entirely on sound stages at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California. The film received generally negative reviews from critics, and while it was a commercial success, its box office intake was lower than expected. Hook was nominated in five categories at the 64th Academy Awards. It also spawned merchandise, including video games, action figures, and comic book adaptations.
Plot[]
Peter Banning (Robin Williams) is a successful, middle-aged corporate lawyer living in San Francisco but spends more time at work in the office with his coworkers than at home with his wife Moira (Caroline Goodall) and two young children Jack (Charlie Korsmo) and Maggie (Amber Scott). Although Peter is able to see Maggie's school play production of Peter Pan, he breaks his promise to attend Jack's baseball game, to Jack's dismay. The Bannings fly to London to visit Moira's grandmother, Wendy Darling (Maggie Smith), to celebrate her charity work for orphans, which once included Peter. During the visit, Peter is distracted by phone calls from his business partner. On one occasion, he shouts at his children when they interrupt him and in frustration, Moira throws his cellphone out a window.
Later, while Peter, Moira, and Wendy attend a banquet ceremony hosted by Great Ormond Street Hospital, a strange, almost paranormal presence abducts Jack and Maggie from their beds in the nursery. The senile Tootles (Arthur Malet), another one of Wendy's orphans who lives at her house, insists that Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) has kidnapped the children as revenge and has taken them to summon Peter back to Neverland. Peter dismisses Tootles' warning and calls the police instead. Late that night Wendy tells Peter that the stories about Neverland are all true and he is actually the real Peter Pan but has lost all his childhood memories when he decided to stay in London with her several decades ago. In a state of denial, Peter gets drunk in the nursery where Tinker Bell (Julia Roberts) arrives. After failing to convince Peter about Neverland, she knocks him unconscious and carries him into the night sky and towards the second star to the right: the gateway to Neverland.
Confused and disoriented, Peter wakes up with a hangover in Neverland where he encounters Captain Hook and his pirates, who are holding his children hostage. Hook is disgusted by Peter's adult self and becomes disillusioned by his foe who is no longer capable of providing a good fight. Tinker Bell and Hook make a deal to give Peter three days to be trained to his former self for a climactic battle. After accidentally being knocked from Hook's ship into the sea below, Peter has a brief encounter with a group of mermaids (Stephanie Furst, Shannon Marie Kies and Regina Russell Banali) in the lagoon, and then stumbles upon the new generation of Lost Boys (Jasen Fisher, Isaiah Robinson, James Madio, Thomas Tulak, Alex Zuckerman and Ahmad Stoner), led by a new leader Rufio (Dante Basco), who possesses Pan's legendary sword. Tinker Bell persuades the boys to give Peter a chance and they agree to help and train him. During this process Peter begins to rediscover his inner child and sense of imagination. Meanwhile, Mr. Smee (Bob Hoskins) suggests to Hook that he manipulate Jack and Maggie into loving him in order to break Peter's spirit. While Maggie continues to despise Hook, Jack, still heartbroken over his father's repeated broken promises, begins to see Hook as a father figure.
In disguise, Peter sadly witnesses Jack playing baseball with Hook, the two of whom have developed a father-son-like relationship. Knowing that he must learn how to fly again to prove himself and retrieve his children, Peter unsuccessfully tries to remember how until he encounters his own shadow, which leads him to the old tree home of the original Lost Boys. He reunites with Tinker Bell who helps him remember his past, recalling how he came to Neverland as an infant, how he met Wendy and how he fell in love with Wendy's granddaughter Moira, the event that made him decide to grow up. Realizing being a father is his new happy thought, Peter rises up in the sky and dons his childhood outfit. He regains leadership of the Lost Boys, earns Pan's sword back from Rufio and, along with the Lost Boys, launch an attack on Hook and the pirates on the third day. During the battle, Peter rescues Maggie and promises to be a better father to Jack who, after witnessing his father's newfound prowess, begins to bond again with him.
Amidst the battle, Rufio is challenged by Hook. Though confident, Rufio is eventually slain by Hook, much to Peter's anger. With his final words, Rufio tells Peter that he wishes that he had a father like him. Peter and Hook face off in a final duel, ending in Peter's victory. Refusing to leave honorably, Hook attempts to attack Peter while his back is turned, but the stuffed crocodile that once tormented him comes back to life when Hook attempts a final blow on Peter, stabbing the crocodile instead. The crocodile then collapses on Hook and consumes him. Peter gives his sword to Thud Butt (Raushan Hammond), a Lost Boy that he had befriended, knighting him as the boys' official new leader before departing from Neverland with his children. Peter finds himself in Kensington Gardens, where he says a final goodbye to Tinker Bell, who confesses her unrequited love for him. Returning to Wendy's house, Peter reunites with his family and hands Tootles his bag of marbles, which he left in Neverland. He discovers that the bag also contains pixie dust, and uses it to fly out the window to return to Neverland. Wendy suggest that Peter's adventures are over, but Peter replies, "To live would be an awfully big adventure."
Cast[]
- Robin Williams as Peter Banning / Peter Pan
- Ryan Francis as teenage Peter Pan
- Max Hoffman as baby Peter Pan
- Dustin Hoffman as Captain James T. Hook
- Julia Roberts as Tinker Bell
- Lisa Wilhoit as young Tinker Bell
- Bob Hoskins as Mr. Smee / Sweeper in Kensington Gardens
- Charlie Korsmo as Jack Banning
- Amber Scott as Maggie Banning
- Maggie Smith as Wendy Darling
- Gwyneth Paltrow as young Wendy Darling
- Caroline Goodall as Moira Banning
- Dante Basco as Rufio
- Jasen Fisher as Ace
- Raushan Hammond as Thud Butt
- Isaiah Robinson as Pockets
- James Madio as Don't Ask
- Arthur Malet as Tootles
- Laurel Cronin as Liza, Wendy's housekeeper
- Phil Collins as Inspector Good, the British police detective
- Thomas Tulak as Too Small
- Alex Zuckerman as Latchboy
- Ahmad Stoner as No Nap
- Kelly Rowan as Peter Pan's mother
- David Crosby as Tickles, a member of Hook's pirate crew
- Stephanie Furst, Shannon Marie Kies and Regina Russell Banali as the Mermaids
- Tony Burton and Nick Tate as Bill Jukes and Noodler, members of Hook's pirate crew who serve as his security entourage
- Glenn Close as Gutless, a male pirate who is punished by Hook
- Jimmy Buffett (uncredited) as the pirate who attempts to steal Peter's shoes
- George Lucas and Carrie Fisher (both uncredited) as the kissing couple on the bridge who are sprinkled with fairy dust as Tinker Bell carries Peter to Neverland
Trivia[]
- This is the first TriStar Pictures film to be produced by Amblin Entertainment, making it the first Sony Pictures film to be produced by the company.
- During the flight to London, Dustin Hoffman (the actor of Captain Hook) voices the pilot "This is your captain speaking..."
- Robin Williams, became best friends with Spielberg after making this film. Reportedly, after Williams passed away, Spielberg decided to watch this film in remembrance, but unable to finish it, because he couldn't stop crying for hours.