Saving Mr. Banks
Directed by John Lee Hancock
Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Almost 50 years ago, Disney released the beloved classic Mary Poppins. What has been unknown to most audiences, however, is its origins.
Disney’s Saving Mr. Banks, directed by John Lee Hancock, focuses on the struggle between author P.L. Travers and Walt Disney himself in adapting the books into one feature length film. It focuses on their different ideas of what should be present in the film by paralleling the making of the movie and the inspiration for the books in Travers’ childhood.
Starring Tom Hanks (Disney) and Emma Thompson (Travers) the film provides intriguing insight into the beloved classic and successfully engages its audience.
The film juxtaposes Mary Poppins’ inspiration and creation. This allows fans to make intelligent connections between Travers’ childhood and the film.
In one superb scene, the musicians and screenplay writer are performing “Fidelity Fiduciary Bank” for Travers while the film cross-cuts between a childhood memory of Travers and her father. The scene consists of genius mixtures of dialogue and lyrics between the memory and current reality. This is one of many impressive scenes in the movie that connect Travers with her fiction.
Hanks and Thompson as the leading characters match the audience’s expectations, due to the duo’s success in Hollywood.
Hanks is delightful as Disney. He captures both Disney’s desire to entertain all audiences, not only youth and children, and his passion for the story that he strived to create for just under 20 years.
Thompson conveys a strict and dignified Travers. Her tones are harsh when need be and emotional at other times. She enhances Travers’ love of her father and the story that was created from her life. Both Hanks and Thompson give performances the audience have learned to expect given their success in previous years.
The surprising star is Colin Farrell. Farrell plays Goff, Travers’ father. Goff is a character trapped in his own diseased cage, who nonetheless has a deep love for his daughters.
Farrell, not having received as much praise as the film’s leading actors, delivers an unexpectedly exceptional performance, equal to the performances of Thompson and Hanks. He depicts a loving father who is incapable of saving himself from self-destruction.
The music in the film is marvelously done. With traces of the music from Mary Poppins as well as original music, Thomas Newman does an effective job of moving the story and connecting it between the juxtaposed stories and the beloved Disney classic.
The costuming and makeup in the film is also remarkable. Despite Hanks’ famous face being used to portray Disney’s memorable one, the makeup allowed the audience to look past Hanks’ physicality and see Disney.
Saving Mr. Banks is a film that has something for everyone. Audiences can appreciate its humour, message, connections between it and the original Mary Poppins, and the overall film. Equipped with a remarkable cast, music, and images this film will not disappoint. It’s an emotional picture for all to enjoy.
