“Saving Mr. Banks” showcases how Mickey’s creator was able to convince “Mary Poppins” author P.L. Travers to bring her character to life. (Poster property of Walt Disney Pictures & BBC Films)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
Mary Poppins remains one of my all-time favorite films!
I have the fondest memories of watching the film with my brother and my family multiple times a week between Pre-K and 2nd Grade.
Saving Mr. Banks brilliantly tells the story on how after 20 years, Mickey’s creator was able to convince Australian author P.L. Travers to sign off on bringing her beloved creation to the Silver Screen.
While Tom Hanks was a great Walt Disney, the true star of the film was Emma Thompson, who portrayed Mary’s cranky creator. Thompson’s performance of P.L. Travers would make audiences either hate her (watch the scenes where she is working with both Mary Poppins’ co-writer Don DaGradi and the films’ composers: the Sherman Brothers) or sympathize with her (flashbacks of her childhood).
Also rounding out the casting ensemble with terrific performances were Paul Giamatti (P.L. Travers’ chauffuer Ralph), Jason Schwartzman and B.J. Novak (the Sherman brothers) and Colin Farrell, who delivered one of his best performances in his career as Travers’ alcoholic father: Travers Goff.
In addition to the amazing performances from the casting ensemble, Saving Mr. Banks’ screenplay also makes this film a contender for several big awards in the upcoming months.
Screenwriters Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith exceptionally transported audiences from Travers’ childhood in Queensland, Australia in the early 1900s to the early 1960s with her negotiations with Disney. Marcel and Smith beautifully showcase why Travers became the woman she was and how her personal connection to the fictional character, Mr. Banks, almost caused the production to halt.
One final important piece to Saving Mr. Banks’ success was the music. The film’s composer, Thomas Newman, marvelously weaved his own original music with the Sherman Brothers’ classic tunes. Audiences would be tempted to sing along during “Chim Chim Cher-ee” and “Let’s Go Fly a Kite.”
Final thoughts & grade: With the combination of superb acting, an excellent screenplay and outstanding orchestrations, Saving Mr. Banks is one of Walt Disney Pictures’ best live-action films in the 2000s and could be a force to be reckoned with during awards season. A
