SAVING MR BANKS – Rated PG – 13
Saving Mr. Banks brings to life the real-life story between Walt Disney (played by Tom Hanks) and the writer of the novel, Mary Poppins, P.L. Travers (played by Emma Thompson).
For years Walt has schmoozed Mrs. Travers in an attempt to acquire the rights to her novel, Mary Poppins, as he wants to bring her to life on the Big Screen. Having promised his daughters for years that he would make a movie of their favorite novel growing up, he continues to court Mrs. Travers, in the hopes that she will sign over the rights to her novel once and for all. As Mrs. Travers has no desire to have her story made into one of Disney’s preposterous animated films, she has unrelentingly said NO for more years than Walt wants to count. When her finances become a little tighter than in years past, Mrs. Travers agrees to consider the making of her novel into a movie, but only under her watchful eye, as she does not want her story to be tarnished in any way.
Mrs. Travers makes her way to Hollywood, even though she is still not convinced that this is the right move for her beloved Mary Poppins. Even though she is quite unfriendly to everyone, her new Driver Ralph (Paul Giamatti), who has been assigned to her during her stay, is ignoring her rudeness and seems to be enjoying his new gig.
As she is introduced to Walt’s creative team, headed by Don DaGradi (Bradley Whitford) and Disney’s Masters of Music, brothers Robert Sherman (B.J. Novak) and Richard Sherman (Jason Schwartzman), she is still feeling quite uneasy about this project.
Under the stress of trying to maintain what may or may not happen to her novel, under Walt’s direction, she begins to have flashbacks of her life growing up in Australia, and her family trials and tribulations throughout her life. Remembering the love she had for her entire family, especially her father, Travers Goff (Colin Farrell), she is tormented by her past, and the present state of how Walt Disney wants to turn her story into his vision – not hers – as she is becoming even more apprehensive of the tycoon and his DISNEY MAGIC.
Will Walt finally convince Mrs. Travers to give him the rights to her novel, so he can fulfill the promise he made to his girls so many years ago? Will Mrs. Travers finally give in to Walt’s vision, and let her story be told on screen to the World? Will Walt and his creative team give into all of Mrs. Travers demands, keeping the story just as she has written it? And will Walt once and for all learn why Mrs. Travers has fought so hard for so long, as to not have Mary Poppins touched in any way?
I give SAVING MR.BANKS an A+ – This film is one of my BEST FILMS OF THE YEAR. Of course Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson are superb in their castings as Walt Disney and P.L Travers, but that is only the beginning. This film reaches out and touches your heart and soul, as you live through the lives of these two individuals, learning things that have never been shared with the outside world, until now. Another casting that caught me by surprise was the superb acting by Colin Farrell as P.L. Travers father. He is usually not one of my favorite actors, but he is absolutely incredible in the film – so kudos to him too!
Growing up watching Disney’s Mary Poppins– you know the film – but until you see SAVING MR BANKS, what you think you know, is just the tip of the iceberg. You will laugh, you will cheer, you will definitely cry – as I found myself so touched by the back story of this film – I shed many a tear and I know you will too! Make no mistake – hands down – this is a MUST SEE FOR YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY 😉
Kathy Kaiser
MATINEE CHAT with Kathy Kaiser 