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The Finding Neverland Family Had Miserable, Often Short Lives
Finding Neverland is the story of J.M. Barrie (played by Johnny Depp), and his relationship with the Davies family, who inspired him to write Peter Pan. The Davies mother dies near the end of the film, but Barrie becomes the legal guardian of her five sons, meaning they're all set for a magical life together full of imagination and awesome birthday presents. Right? ... Right?
Herbert Rose BarraudWell, at least he had the emotional stability to care for childr- wait no, of course he didn't.
All of the boys went on to find their connection with Peter Pan to be a bit more torturous than magical. Many had uneasy relationships with the controlling Barrie, and they were mercilessly hounded by the press, who would report their every move and, annoyingly, call all of them "Peter Pan" -- even though one of them really was named Peter.
And the headlines weren't always terribly positive. Two of the boys died young, and under devastating circumstances. George died in World War I at age 21, and Michael drowned at age 20 while swimming with a friend in their university's pool. It's widely believed that this was a suicide, since he couldn't even swim.
Unsurprisingly, Peter was the most heavily tormented by his association with Peter Pan. It continued to haunt him into old age, and he eventually threw himself in front of a train in London. Naturally, the headlines read "Peter Pan Commits Suicide."
4
Elliot Ness' Life Fell Apart Post-Untouchables (Thanks To Booze)
The Untouchables is a crime drama about Elliot Ness (Kevin Costner) and his team of super-cops who take on Al Capone during Prohibition. At the end of the film, a journalist asks Ness what he'll do when Prohibition ends. His response: "I think I'll have a drink."
Well, Ness was definitely a man of his word. Within years of defeating the bootleggers, he became a hardcore alcoholic. It wasn't unusual for him to have 20 (or more!) drinks on a night out. After one such evening, he was involved in a hit-and-run incident which damaged his reputation and cost him his cushy job as a public safety director. Not surprising, as he'd clearly become a danger to it.
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