I loved the Disney animated Peter Pan movie when I was a child. I would set up a pallet on the floor of my grandparents’ living room and wear out the VHS. And though Tinkerbell was cute and had fairy wings, I didn’t want to be her. I wanted to be Peter Pan. Peter Pan was the leader, and he called the shots, while Tinkerbell was a hot-headed sidekick. And, though she communicated with emotion, she didn’t have a voice. But when I was a little older, I watched Hook. Julia Roberts’ Tinkerbell changed the character for me. She was clever, and funny, and took charge of Robin Williams’ Peter by hauling him back to Neverland.
As a kid, I didn’t think much about Tinkerbell’s costume in Hook. And now I see that was the point. She wasn’t wearing a little, slinky strapless dress. She wore a shirt and shorts set, similar to something I wore to run around the yard as a kid. The orange suede tunic ensemble looks like it was crafted in the Neverland Forest. It is stitched with contrasting green seams and laces at the front with small autumn leaves attached to the ends, possessing an almost watercolor quality. Its jagged trimmed hems lend to its handmade quality. This is what a fairy that wrangles a bunch of rowdy boys would wear. Though, I did appreciate that Spielberg didn’t pass up the opportunity to put the gorgeous Julia Roberts in a sparkling fairytale gown when she finally gets her kiss with Peter after becoming a full-grown woman.
This costume is unassuming, and I wasn’t thinking much of it when I absentmindedly opened its garment bag while cataloging. But seeing the handwritten “Julia” on the inside of the tunic stopped me in my tracks and jogged my memory. I love these little moments throughout my workdays that I continue to have, knowing there will always be something magical and exciting.
Tales from the Prop House – Every month, our Entertainment catalogers report some of the amazing things they’ve seen in our warehouse. This month, Paul Bisnette writes about a complete stormtrooper costume from The Mandalorian, Julio Leyva writes about Brad Pitt’s cowboy hat from Thelma and Louise, Bradley Harding talks about Barbara Streisand’s iconic hat from What’s Up Doc? Macy Shackleford writes about Julia Roberts’ Tinkerbell costume from Hook, and Colin Tait writes about Dennis Hopper’s bomb from Speed.