Saving Mr. Banks

source: Saving Mr. Banks

The end of the movie shows Travers watching Mary Poppins with what appears to be acceptance and even enjoyment. That's not at all what happened. The truth is, she watched Mary Poppins and hated it. She never forgave herself for trusting Disney with her creation, and despite Disney's repeated efforts to gain her permission to film a sequel, she denied him at every turn and never forgave him. She went to her grave regretting having ever met the man. That's the real ending, but of course Disney Studios would never release a movie like that. One star and nothing more, for trying to change history.

Another 'inspired by a true story' movie surefiring its way to this years Academy Awards, tells the story of the odd cat-fight between P. L. Travers (Emma Thompson), author of the famed Mary Poppins books, and Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) en route to the production of the live action feature. After 20 years of constantly pressuring the author on selling her book to Disney, Travers finally reluctantly agrees given her financial plight. However, she stipulates the need for her to have control over the end product with script authority and veto power. This creates tension with the scriptwriter and the musicians (especially given Travers is reluctant to agree to any music at all). With this uneasy relationship slowly boiling over it seems like the picture is destined for failure. However, the experiences of the writer bring back painful memories of her youth, which give insight as to the origins of her beloved flying nanny. The movie juxtaposes the prickly P.L. Travers with the overbearing optimism of Disney and the Californian sunshine. Watching Disney especially, presented as a jovial and considerate person, as opposed to the troubled Travers, managed to arouse my inner grumpiness, cheering on the Australian-born children author in her endeavour of being an full-fledged pain in the buttocks to the animation studio and her employees. Ultimately somewhat let down that Travers lets herself be corrupted by the twinkle toes of Hollywood, especially with the externally honest, internally two-faced Disney in mind. Thus, I must admit I failed to catch on to the rampaging mirthfulness of the movie, instead finding myself irritated by the positive light being shone on the American way of being, as contrasted to the straight-faced jabbing sardonicism of the foreigner. Emma Thompson remains a shining light throughout, in thick or thin, in drama or comedy, delivering arguably the best and most complete performance of the year (regardless of sex). Beautifully layered thanks to her starkly English attitude as well as some very well intertwined flashbacks, much can be forgiven and forgotten. Nonetheless, when Disney slowly seems to be winning the fight for the heart, I found myself pulling back emotionally at the insincere American entirety of the movie. Especially given the presentation of Walt Disney in this movie is a far cry from reality, sugar-coating a man who deserves no such accolades. The internal conflict that drives the movie slowly irritates, with the only emotional impact owing to the sidelined back-story of P. L. Travers and exceptional acting by Thompson.

Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson...how can it miss? It did. Performances were first rate, especially Ms. Thompson. How CAN that woman play such a frumpy and unpleasant character and still be so beautiful and desirable? The woman is an artist. That wasn't the problem. Hanks was adequate and nothing more. The story spent WAY too much time on the deeply depressing relationship between Ms. Travers and her father and WAY too little time on the relationship between her, Disney, and Disney's team. The movie is frankly a downer, BIG time. I can't recommend it. Sensitive people and those prone to depression NEED to avoid it.

Emma Thompson is great fun to watch, always. Here, she plays Mrs Travers the one who dared to say no to Walt Disney. The movie, made by the Disney studios, would have us believe that Walt Disney was, well...Tom Hanks. No. Impossible, incredible, almost laughable but thanks to the power of the stars one can sit through it, thoroughly entertained by this work of fiction. The imperious character played by Emma Thompson as a theatrical rather than a cinematic experience is nonetheless engaging and moving. The flashbacks were, if you permit the impudence, a total miscalculation. They come back with annoying regularity and instead of adding, they detract from the central story. My favorite parts were the meeting between Mrs Travers and Saint Walt Disney in London and Mrs Travers inviting herself and sitting at the premiere of Mary Poppins.

My family and I had high hopes for this movie. It is, after all, based upon the incredibly family friendly Mary Poppins Author's (PL Travers) life. Our hopes were dashed in a very disturbing manner. **************************SPOILER ALERT******************************** It is almost impossible to write a review on just how awful this movie was without telling the TRUTH (i.e. a spoiler). The advertising and the trailers for this film were very deceptive. They painted a picture of a movie that was based upon hope, adventure and redemption. THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS MOVIE IS ABOUT. The story is told, in numerous flashbacks to PL Travers' childhood, which is as dark, distorted and depressing as it gets. At one point, Traver's dazed mother (stunned and shocked by her complete inability to pull her husband back from the brink of severe alcoholism, the flu and impending death), attempts suicide by almost drowning herself. PL Travers gets on the family horse and rides to the rescue, but the rescue is only a fleeting and pitiful flicker of hope for her tragic family. Travers' dad, who she apparently loved, dies a slow, painful, agonizing and incredibly undignified death. I kept waiting for a miracle, or SOME SEMBLANCE of redemptive hope to enter the movie. It never happened. At the end of the movie, PL Travers has relented to Walt Disney's persuasion and sold the Mary Poppins movie rights. Travers goes to the premier in Hollywood with all the stars and she cries during the touching scenes, but when Walt tries to comfort her she denies the true reason for her profuse tears. So Mary Poppins is finally turned into a movie after much hand wringing, manipulation and haughty, bitchy behavior from PL Travers. Everybody wins except PL Travers whose tragic childhood is never redeemed. She is the classic portrait of hopelessness. She is the poster child for a child who was hurt severely in her youth, internalized the pain, became a bitter person, and never recovered. The movie is disturbing and hopeless. Again, I kept waiting for some Disney or Mary Poppins magic. Isn't that what Disney and Mary Poppins are all about??? The magic never came. The real people in this movie, Travers and Disney, made a profit and the masses were blessed with the character of Mary Poppins on the silver screen. But the heart of Mary Poppins, PL Travers herself, lived on in isolation because no one could stand the bitter old lady. The movie does not depict it, but she died at 96 in London, after having lived a basically awful, lonely life. According to her grandchildren, "Travers died loving no one and with no one loving her." SAVE YOURSELF FROM THIS MOVIE! This is not a family friendly movie. The interactions with Travers and her dad are incredibly disturbing and I kept waiting for him to molest her. Thank God it never got that far. This is a dark tale and I find the fact that so many people apparently loved it equally disturbing. This is a story of NON REDEMPTION. I would have rather watched "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" than to have spent my family's time on this garbage. I rate this as one star, one of the most hopeless movies I've seen, ever.

The truth, a little of the truth, so far from the truth. I read the original novels, and they are indeed pretty far from the Disney Treatment (capitals are in order) they got; yet, I really love the movie (Mary Poppins, that is), but I can also see why Mrs. Travers loathed it. And I read about the real encounter between Walt Disney (a way more unpleasant person than pictured here) and Mrs. Travers, and once again, this is its Disney Treatment. Once again, I liked the movie, a lot; yet once again I see where someone could loathe it. The Disney Treatment is responsible of the popularization of many famous or obscure tales (as an Italian, I'm thinking of Pinocchio); and, at the very same time, it is responsible for their massacre in an orgy of sugary coating. That Pamela Travers had to suffer this twice, is way too cruel. Summing it up: 9 to the movie per se, 5 to the Disney Treatment of reality.

"Saving Mr. Banks" is an exquisite film. It draws you in with the delightful reality of Disney as well as the triumphantly stark reality (inasmuch as it is reality; I do lack her background) of Mrs. Travers. I purposely leave out parts of the film for the sake of the movie-goer, but let me say how delightful the songs are, the people are, the displays of emotion-- my part as well, as I nearly cried and fully laughed at certain points throughout. The film speaks to me and it feels complete in its currency-- tuppence, if you will-- in taking Mrs. Travers' story and embellishing it with the truth of the creators' (both Travers and Disney, for the part he has in the creation of the film) lives. The lives of the characters-- and I do mean most people seen on screen, in particular the driver and Mrs. Travers' mother-- are well-told and well-lived, and spark a certain comfort and warmth, even in the cold of their realities and harsher backstories. I believe the film has done its job beautifully, and I wouldn't change it for the world. Even the animated penguins, although for me there is still my deep and abiding love for their real counterparts.

This is a lengthy sanitised version of what actually happened when Walt Disney finally managed to get P.L.Travers to allow him to film Mary Poppins. Tom Hanks' avuncular "Walt Disney" is a long way from the reality of the chain smoking mogul (unsurprisingly). Emma Thompson, as usual, plays Emma Thompson (in the same way that Colin Firth always plays Colin Firth). Nothing wrong with that if your name is John Wayne, but this is supposed to be a character piece. Thompson neither looks or sounds like P.L.Travers and is far too young for the role (Travers was in her early sixties at the time and looked it). As the taped conversations featuring the real Travers over the end credits show, she was far less irascible than the Thompson portrayal. The boring and badly acted "Australian" segments (which look like the wild west complete with American train) are largely irrelevant. The period setting is realised without too many goofs, although the same '57 Ford is seen at least three times and why is Travers shown aboard a BOAC aircraft (correctly) but all reference at LAX (and on her ticket) is to a fictional "British Transatlantic Airways"? This might have made a good ninety minute TV movie, but as it is, unless you are a massive Mary Poppins fan, is not really worth two hours of your time.

"Saving Mr. Banks" is easily one of the best movies to come out this year. It tells the tale behind the making of Disney's beloved classic "Mary Poppins," but it is so much more than just a typical 'making of a movie' movie. While many of these types of films aren't as good as the movie they are about, this one is different. It feels like a companion piece to the beloved classic. It allows us to appreciate the trials and tribulations Disney had to go through to make his magnum opus. However, it is also more about P.L. Traverse and why she loves her character so much and why Mary Poppins holds such a special place in her heart. Director John Lee Hancock does a great job of making this film something truly special. He balances witty humor with emotional depth, but does so without being too sappy or melodramatic. The film is also well written by being more personal than just being a movie about making a movie. The themes of letting and moving on are handled well and really becomes relatable to anyone watching. The performances are top-notch. Tom Hanks makes a pretty good Disney and he isn't sugar coated either. The real standouts are Emma Thompson and Colin Farrell. They give strong dimensional performances that makes us truly care and sympathies with the characters. Overall "Saving Mr. Banks" is a truly great and beautifully told film. Its individual parts may not be the years best, but as a complete film it is the whole package. It's a movie that exemplifies why we go to the movies and what Disney stands for as an entertainment corporation. It is a movie that is equal parts heartfelt, witty, charming, entertaining, and emotionally satisfying. I give it 5/5