Second Star To The Right And Straight On 'Til Morning

Steven Spielberg’s Hook is, for the most part, a really uninteresting sort of Hollywood version of Peter Pan. But it has one great moment: Wendy Darling, grown old and gray, stands at the landing of her stairs, looks down from the darkness at Peter Pan — grown up and forgetful of who he really is — and she says, in a sad and wistful voice, “Hello, boy.”

In that one moment is everything about growing up and growing old, about the loss of childhood and the loss of innocence, and the heartbreak of losing what one once had.

And I can’t see it without tearing up for Wendy, and for Peter Pan, and for myself.