Saving Mr. Banks is a new Disney movie about a Disney movie. I swear, the most obvious product placement since Man of Steel.
In all seriousness, the film is "based" on the true events of how Mary Poppins was made and what it took Disney to acquire the rights to the popular children's book.
There is a subcategory of dramas that are movies about movies. Being the cinephile that I am, I adore these types of films. I just find them to be so fascinating even if they aren't great of if some of the information is more fiction than fact. Luckily, Saving Mr. Banks is a great movie.
Emma Thompson plays P. L. Travers, the author of Mary Poppins. You know how they say that first impressions can tell you everything about someone. That has never been more evident than with P. L. Travers. She is one uptight, crotchety old bird and Thompson carries her brilliantly. But what is interesting is how the author of one of the most famous children's book became like this? We luckily see this transformation because half of the film is flashbacks to her childhood. These give us a look at her relationship with her father Travers Goff, played by Colin Farrell. I'm not the biggest Colin Farrell fan, but he was so good in this movie. The struggle his character faced and the emotions he felt were evident on screen. And I'm actually kind of surprised he isn't getting more award recognition for this role.
Tom Hanks plays Walt Disney and he is great as well. Not only does he look the part of Mr. Disney to a tee, but he also sounded less like Tom Hanks. What I really mean is that like in The Polar Express, I could clearly tell it was Tom Hanks playing each role because his voice is so recognizable. In this film he tones down his regular Tom Hanks-y vocals and sounded more like Disney. One scene that I must mention is a discussion he has with Emma Thompson's character that just about brought me to tears. The words he said to her not only hit home to P. L. Travers but also to us the viewers. We were able to empathize with her because after learning her backstory we learned why she was the way she was. It was a very touching scene that I enjoyed very much so.
The supporting cast is just as strong as the three leads. B. J. Novak and Jason Schwartzman have some really great scenes together as songwriting brothers Robert and Richard Sherman. I really like the scenes when they were presenting their songs to P. L. Travers and then hearing all of the various issues she had with it. Not only were those scenes very comical, but also insightful into the mind of P. L. Travers.
The film also has a very nice and clean look to it. That's a bit of a strange compliment but nonetheless true. The cinematography looks great and Thomas Newman's gentle score compliments the film very nicely. The film just had a pleasant feel to it.
My only issue with this movie is that it switches from present day to her childhood very often and most of the time they seemed rather unrelated until that event comes into play later on. The transitions occur more randomly than in Man of Steel.
Wow, two Man of Steel comparisons in one review. I'll have to beat that record.
What can I say? I'm a sucker for going to see a family movie during the winter. Probably because I remember going to see movies like this in the theater around this time of year when I was a kid. It just brought out emotions in me that few theater experiences can now.
Final Report: Saving Mr. Banks is a tender emotional tale that delves into the making of one of our favorite childhood films. No other movie this year made me so close to showing physical signs of emotion in public. It's a nostalgic treat sure to make you feel like a kid again.
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