The Lost Boys  (1979)

Theatrical Release Information:
The Lost Boys

Ian Holm starred in this three-part British miniseries as James M. Barrie, the author of such whimsical works as The Admirable Crichton, A Kiss for Cinderella, and, of course, Peter Pan. The dramatic focus in this series was on the latter work, which according to screenwriter Andrew Birkin, drew its inspiration from the friendship between Barrie and the Llewellyn-Davies family. As fond as he was of "progressive" parents Arthur and Sylvia Llewelyn-Davies (Tim Piggott-Smith and Anna Cropper), Barrie was enchanted by the couple's sons: George, Jack, Peter, Michael, and Nico (played by different actors at various stages of the kids' lives). It was George in fact who described death as "an awfully big adventure," a line which Barrie would ultimately immortalize in his novel and play about Peter Pan, the little boy who never grew up. Upon the deaths of both Arthur and Sylvia from cancer, Barrie became the legal guardian of the Llewelyn-Davies boys, a responsibility that yielded equal shares of happiness and heartbreak. The Lost Boys originally aired over the BBC in 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide