Like many others of this generation, I was very young when I first saw the movie Mary Poppins. Besides the catchy tunes that are now iconic to American culture, I did not really take much away from the movie being only four or five years old but it doesn't take a professional film critic to know that, regardless, Mary Poppins will reside forever in the heart of every child, however old he or she may be.
A mysteriously magical lady with charm and sternness that radiates from the second she enters the Banks' residence. That's what everyone knows and loves. The great thing about Saving Mr. Banks is that it goes beyond what's on page or even on the screen and looks at the reflection of this timeless tale in all of us.
Keeping your chin up, a smile on your face, a little pixy dust on your shoulders, and you've got Mr. Walt Disney standing in front of you. Much like Mary Poppins herself, the man behind all the magic, fun, endless smiles, and pure joy that can be found in Disneyland, has a few tricks up his sleeve. He soon finds that he needs to pull a little more than a show-stopping number to impress his latest [reluctant] business partner and author of Mary Poppins, P.L. Travers (Mrs. Travers, to you).
Saving Mr. Banks is everything more than the chronicled events of a film production. Not only was there magic in the book and movie at hand, there was also magic behind the scenes as well as in the lives of those involved. I cannot imagine meeting Walt Disney in the flesh (or even Tom Hanks for that matter) and not having the time of my life. Mrs. Travers sure can, though. Emma Thompson (Nanny McPhee) lives the life of a successful writer running into some troubles financially. Reluctant does not even begin to describe her manner as she journeys from London to Los Angeles in 1961 to discuss the possible production of her most famous book. Deep loathing is a more appropriate adjective for this situation. Memories of her painful childhood are relived as she simultaneously battles the composers and script supervisors of Disney Studios who are just trying to adapt her novel the best way they can.
Tom Hanks. What good things can't be said about him? He is a King Midas in the flesh and sheds a personality only Walt Disney can dream up. His presence onscreen is happy, upbeat, and magnetic. He draws you in as if he is leaning over and speaking directly to you.
Delightfully British with a fiercely wonderful snarl that will not sugar-coat whatever is on her mind (not even a spoonful), Emma Thompson is P.L. Travers as she butts heads with the brilliance at Disneyland and does so with charm and poise that could only be embodied by an actress fit to do so. Standing next to Hanks with pursed lips and squinted eyes must be a hard thing to do but she nails it and then some.
I guarantee Mr. Disney and Mrs. Travers are smiling from above at Saving Mr. Banks. Jason Schwartzman, B.J. Novak, Paul Giamatti, Bradley Whitford, and Colin Farrell add to the magic as well making up a supporting cast that is as entertaining as ever. This is a movie made by Disney Pictures about the making of a Disney movie and it stars Walt Disney, sounds like a dream come true, huh? Grade: 8.2/10
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