Dad of Divas' Reviews: Movie Review - Saving Mr. Banks

Friday, December 20, 2013

Movie Review - Saving Mr. Banks

Saving Mr. Banks
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About the Movie
Two-time Academy Award®–winner Emma Thompson and fellow double Oscar®-winner Tom Hanks topline Disney’s “Saving Mr. Banks,” inspired by the extraordinary, untold backstory of how Disney’s classic “Mary Poppins” made it to the screen. When Walt Disney’s daughters begged him to make a movie of their favorite book, P.L. Travers’ “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. For those two short weeks in 1961, Walt Disney pulls out all the stops. Armed with imaginative storyboards and chirpy songs from the talented Sherman brothers, Walt launches an all-out onslaught on P.L. Travers, but the prickly author doesn’t budge. He soon begins to watch helplessly as Travers becomes increasingly immovable and the rights begin to move further away from his grasp. 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. (WALT DISNEY PICTURES) This film is rated PG-13.

My Take on the Movie
When I first heard they were making a movie about how the “Mary Poppins” film came to be made, I was skeptical of just how ‘entertaining’ this movie was going to be. Boy, was I wrong! Thanks to an amazing cast, a wonderful script, and some great cinematography, ‘Saving Mr. Banks’ is one of the best movies of 2013!

Tom Hanks IS Walt Disney in the movie and Emma Thompson does a remarkable job of playing the very opinionated P.L. Travers, the author of the Mary Poppins book. The supporting cast is equally impresive, with Bradley Whitford as the script writer, and Jason Schwartzman and B. J. Novak as the Sherman Brothers music composers who try to work with P. L. Travers to gain her approval and finally make this project a reality for Walt Disney. Paul Giamatti does an excellent job playing her limo driver, who is one of the few people that really connects with her.

During the film, there are many flashbacks to P. L. Travers young life in Australia which is where the basic idea of the book began. These flashbacks are beautifully done with very creative transitions between past and present and really help the audience understand how she became the woman she is.

It is refreshing to see a movie based on a great story, with a great cast, and that is so entertaining without the use of shootings, explosions or superheroes.

Anyone who has seen ‘Mary Poppins’ must see this movie… you will love it!


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