Over the past few years, Hollywood has released several films that focus on the act of filmmaking in some respect. In 2012, there was Ben Affleck’s “Argo,” and although filmmaking wasn't the main focus, it still played a significant part, and in 2011, there were two beautifully fascinating tributes to old-fashioned cinema in Martin Scorsese's “Hugo” and Michel Hazanavicius' “The Artist.”
Now, director John Lee Hancock brings us the infectiously entertaining “Saving Mr. Banks,” a film that chronicles the making of the Disney classic, “Mary Poppins,” and has the same amount of screen magic as the movie it’s about.
In 1961, author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) is facing financial troubles. Her agent convinces her to travel to Los Angeles and meet with Walt Disney (Tom Hanks), who has been wanting to adapt “Mary Poppins” for the big screen. Travers reluctantly agrees, and meets with a creative team that will help her bring her cherished characters to life. As the adaptation process gets underway, increasing objections from Travers on her story’s interpretation threatens to derail the project.
What Emma Thompson does with her character, through distinct mannerisms, is bring you a person who is difficult to be in the same room with, but has you steadily begin to like and understand her as the film progresses. Thompson expertly demonstrates a highly standoffish attitude at first, making Travers the type of person you would be intimidated to look at in the eye and an artist who’s difficult to work with.
As the film goes on, however, we learn a considerable amount of her character’s past. The scene in the end where Travers is at the premiere of “Mary Poppins” is seen as a cathartic experience for her after keeping a hold on her uptight demeanor and memories of her troubled family. In this sequence, Thompson does a tremendous job with pulling off this significant change in her character, and is one of the finest moments in the film.
Tom Hanks, in what was a fantastic 2013 for him with this and “Captain Phillips,” is a joy to behold as the welcoming presence of Disney. He displays the warmth and kindness of a man who’s open to collaboration and who wants to extend the magic of “Mary Poppins” from books to movie theaters.
The screenplay by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith easily transitions between Travers’ past and present throughout the film. While this happens, the viewer is able to pick out symbolism and parallels between the two time periods. We’re able to get a deeper appreciation and express a greater sympathy for Thompson’s character, who at first makes the adaptation process for “Mary Poppins” an arduous experience for those around her. This all enriches the story considerably and has you become more invested in Travers’ life.
There’s a scene near the end where Disney comes to visit Travers at her home in London. After we have learned some of Travers’ family history during the film, Disney shares a bit of his own with her. It’s a scene that fully delivers in its emotional impact because this is what we’ve been waiting for, for these two storytellers to, finally, understand each other and strengthen their artistic bond with which to create something memorable.
As detailed as the story is, my only wish was that it had shown a little more of what went into the casting process for the film. At one point in the story, Travers is adamant about not wanting Dick Van Dyke to be in the film, so I was hoping they would expand on that. Also, how amazing would it have been to see an actor and actress portray Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews?
Director John Lee Hancock is known for making uplifting movies that are based on true stories, such as “The Blind Side” and “The Rookie,” and, as is the tradition in his style, there certainty isn’t a deficiency of his feel-good sensibilities in “Saving Mr. Banks.” One such scene that wonderfully encapsulates this is when the two composers for “Mary Poppins” (Jason Schwartzman and B.J. Novak), Disney’s secretary (Melanie Paxson) and one of the “Mary Poppins” screenwriters (Bradley Whitford) sing and dance to the song “Let’s Go Fly a Kite,” a scene that finally convinces Travers to have music in the film. It’s an affecting change in her character, and the way in which Hancock stages this scene makes it one of the most fun of 2013. As for the whole movie, it’ll have you leaving the theater in a state of pure bliss.
Final grade: A-
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