Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

Kinda like a really long Mad Men episode with a more recognizable cast, a peppier soundtrack, worse flashbacks and less historical accuracy. Well done? Yeah. Entertaining? Meh.

(Flash Review)Mary Poppins a movie I still have yet to see (!!!!) and this movie is about the creator of the Mary Poppins character, Mrs. Travers, as Walt Disney attempts to persuade her to give up animation rights so they can make the historic classic. As there is no surprise spoiler at the end, this film is about how they get the movie produced. Travers is portrayed as a stereotypical uptight and overly proper British lady, in contrast to Hanks, who plays Mr. Disney. There were some amusing moments and tidbits of musical numbers with Travers and Disney and his creative team on how they don't see eye to eye. But a big side story was Travers's backstory, told through many flashbacks, about her alcoholic father and him never being proud of her. This tale brought to focus Travers's buried emotional issues and how it interfered with the movie's production. Overall it was more drab emotions versus humor and not much was told about why Mary Poppins is so universally loved yet it was professionally scripted and produced without enough creativity or charm.

What a lovely and well made movie this is.Has Tom Hanks ever been bad in any film? I don't think he has, even in not so good movies he is always brilliant.This movie was really made and Tom is perfect as Walt Disney as is Emma Thompson as P.L. Travers.But what makes this so special is the way the story is told. The flashbacks to her early life helps explain her eccentric actions and it is almost like two movies in one.Annie Rose Buckley is brilliant as young Pl Travers or Ginty as her parents call her. Colin Farrel does a great job as her troubled Father who has such a big impact on her life.The movie is filled with just about every emotion and is a delight to watch.

I use to watch Mary Poppins when i was quite young and it was such a darling movie. Although it does have a meaning that poor PL Travers died of alcohol and when her family were in trouble, they got a nanny. It was so sad to think PL Travers childhood was unstable but of course, it was understandable that she didn't want Walt Disney to take Mary Poppins away from her. I was astonished that it took 20 years for Mary Poppins to be developed, I mean, PL Travers probably needed time to go through it but it made things difficult for her when Disney pushed her to make Mary Poppins a film. Although she did state clearly that she didn't want animation in the film but since Disney is the lovable businessman we know, he did it anyway. It was unfair really like, she had the rights as the writer to not have animation on her adaption. Maybe it would've been better off if she went to Universal Studios rather than Disney, she could get away with not having animation or songs in her film.Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks were absolutely brilliant as Walt Disney and PL Travers. Honestly, the pair of them looked so similar to the real Walt Disney and PL Travers. Great job John Lee Hancock and the rest of the film crew to remember an inspiring icon who was behind in creating the flying nanny we all know today!