Saving Mr. Banks and Disney’s Quest For Mary Poppins

Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and Emma Thompson as P.L. Travers in Saving Mr. Banks

I must admit I was intrigued by the film’s premise, the apparently true story about the arduous negotiations and disagreements of author , P.L. Travers with mogul, Walt Disney over the making of the iconic film, Mary Poppins.

The film is a great story about the creative process, the struggle between art and commercialism , and the painful journey to self-forgiveness.

Emma Thompson gives a wonderful performance as the terse and rigid author. The audience is able to see beyond Traver‘s hard exterior , mainly because of Thompson’s ability to give a layered and believable performance. Tom Hanks also delivers as the idealistic but profit centered Walt Disney. A surprisingly great performance from Colin Farrell who really showcases his acting chops as Travers’ father.

Annie Rose Buckley as the young P.L. Travers and Colin Farrell as her father in Saving Mr. Banks

The plot portrays the chaotic, creative process in the development of the screenplay that would become the movie. Travers aversion to the Disney brand is portrayed with such painful clarity that you are surprised the movie was made at all. Travers’ conservative personality with absolute loyalty to her vision of the characters of her Mary Poppins stories clashes with the Disney sugar coated culture.

She challenges Disney, who invested 20 years just to get her into his office. If it were not for her dire financial situation, Travers would probably have been a hold out to the end.

She is won over bit by bit but she also influences changes that we recognize in the film.

Interspersed in the plot are flashbacks to her childhood which tie into why she is the person she was as an adult. It also reflects the influence it had on her stories of Mary Poppins.

I liked the movie. There is definitely a Disney touch to it. However, because of the high quality acting and a nice flowing plot, I was entertained and also given a piece of history I never knew existed.