Review 287: Saving Mr. Banks
When Walt Disney’s (Tom Hanks) daughters begged him to make a movie of their favorite book, P.L. Travers’ (Emma Thompson) Mary Poppins, he made them a promise—one that he didn’t realize would take 20 years to keep. In his quest to obtain the rights, Walt comes up against a curmudgeonly, uncompromising writer who has absolutely no intention of letting her beloved magical nanny get mauled by the Hollywood machine. But, as the books stop selling and money grows short, Travers reluctantly agrees to go to Los Angeles to hear Disney's plans for the adaptation. Armed with imaginative storyboards and chirpy songs from the talented Sherman brothers (Jason Schwartzman and B. J. Novak), Walt launches an all-out onslaught on P.L. Travers, but the prickly author doesn't budge.
It is only when he reaches into his own childhood that Walt discovers the truth about the ghosts that haunt her, and together they set Mary Poppins free to ultimately make one of the most endearing films in cinematic history.
The plot is incredible, as much as it is an in-depth look at the making of Mary Poppins, it's also a story about what it is to grow up and be effected by the relationship with your parents.
As the film goes on we realise that P. L. Travers inspiration for Mary Poppins came from a very personal place.
Watching this film, you really get an idea of how tense but fascinating and touching the conflict between P. L. Travers and Walt Disney was at the time and what lengths they would go to to get what they wanted. Up until the making of Mary Poppins, Walt Disney had never come across someone who wasn't thanking their lucky stars that they'd gotten the chance to work with
Up until that point, he was someone who had never been said no to.
Walt Disney wanted to keep his promise to his daughters that he would adapt Mary Poppins to the big screen, but P. L. Travers believing that Mr Disney couldn't do justice to her creation, refused - and all because she couldn't bare to face the past.
The entire film is told from a development standpoint.
Ultimately, Saving Mr. Banks is P. L. Travers' story and it's a very touching and tear felt movie of conquering ones fears. Walt Disney was determined to secure the Mary Poppins film rights but she couldn't bring herself to sell the rights because she was scared to face her childhood.
The film reveals (in flashbacks) that the Mary Poppins book series were actually inspired by her own personal experiences (as a lot of great stories) are
These flashbacks give deeper meaning behind P. L. Travers' reluctance to sell the Mary Poppins film rights to Walt Disney, how deeply her upbringing effected her and how she really didn't want to revisit that point in her life.
In the end, P.L. Travers trip to the U.S. is like a therapy season in her coming to America to oversee the development of Mary Poppins all the while having memories of her childhood in Australia.
Director John Lee Hancock's direction is sensitive and precise, the cinematography is gorgeous and captures the beauty of L.A. and London in the early 60's, the score by Thomas Newman is beautiful, the production design (recreating the early 60's) is excellent, the costumes are fantastic, the make up is rich, the scenery is breathtaking, the props are well crafted, the locations are wonderful and the ending was heartbreaking.
The acting is superb, particularly from Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson, both of them bring reason and depth to these film Icons. Both of them are depicted as very stubborn and
Looking at Hanks as Walt Disney, it's clear this is a fictionalised version of him. Hanks very much plays him as upbeat, jovial, charming, charismatic as well as driven and determined. It's clear that he has patience but only for the people and ideas that deserve it.
Ultimately, he just wants to keep a promise to his daughters as well as honour Travers original work.
To do that he has understand her on an emotional level and a human level.
Thompson expertly plays Travers as multi-faciet person. Someone who is outwardly strict, stubborn, no nonsense and uptight but she's also troubled and scared and those are the levels that unravel as the film goes on. A complicated person full of contradictions but it's for a reason you can understand and relate to.
Travers was clearly and understandably very suspicious of Disney but she was also an intellectual snob. She clearly enjoyed the idea of him kiss the hem of her garment and offering her everything to get the film made.
Another actor who I also thought was terrific in the film was Colin Farrell as Travers' father, Robert Goff. He basically portrays a man who loves his daughter but has his flaws with being an alcoholic, ill tempered and not being able to hold down a job for very long and gets ill. He is so mesmirising, I was almost moved to tears by his performance, thats how good he is.
Paul Giamatti is also very good in the film playing, Ralph, Travers's chauffeur. He's just really likeable and very loyal to Travers' and wants to make things comfortable for her and his loyalty is equal parts charming and poignant. He just was a great source of comic relief in a tragicom.
Jason Schwartzman and B. J. Novak are really funny as the Sherman brothers, their cheerful and upbeat persona is really charming and they uplift the films sad tone.
Bradley Whitford is also very strong in this film playing Don DaGradi, one of the screenwriters of Mary Poppins.
Rachel Griffiths and Ruth Wilson round out the cast in vital roles as Travers mother, Margaret Goff, and real life nanny, Ellie respectively.
Saving Mr. Banks is a beautiful bio pic, a wonderful in depth look at the making of Mary Poppins and a really sad and moving story about conquering ones fears, 5/5.
The Anonymous Critic.
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