Saving Mr. Banks 2013
I don’t remember hearing much about this movie when it came out, but I recorded it and finally got around to watching it. It is a little hard to warm up to for me since it is about the making of Mary Poppins, which I don’t think I’ve ever seen all the way through and I wasn’t that crazy about the parts I have seen. I certainly have not read the original books by P. L. Travers. And the way the movie is set up (not at all far from real life), the author, Mrs. Travers (who was never married and whose name was not Travers), is incredibly protective of her work and completely dismissive of everything Disney, including songs, animation, and even the color red. It is an okay story and with incredible salesmanship she is eventually brought around somewhat, enough anyway because we certainly have the movie. It is fun to see the Disney writers at work on what will be a true classic, and Walt himself as portrayed by Tom Hanks, which doesn’t work out quite as well as it sounds like it should. There is also a fairly dark backstory of P. L. Travers’ life growing up in Australia that adds a pretty heavy weight and is still essential just so we don’t get tired of the ever crabby adult Mrs. Travers. Emotionally it still grabs you, but the story is actually kind of weak and Mrs. Travers is just not likable. She isn’t a villain, but she isn’t the protagonist either, maybe not surprising in a movie made by Disney. This movie is probably still worth watching, especially if you love Mary Poppins, and especially if you have a frame of reference for the differences between the original books and the movie.
Written: 30 Oct 2016