Review: Saving Mr Banks

Saving Mr Banks is one of those films that when it came out at the cinema, I was desperate to see it, but never had the chance. Now that I’ve watched it on DVD, I really wish I’d made more of an effort to experience it in the cinema. It’s directed by John Lee Hancock, who directed The Blind Side, another amazing film. It’s a film about how Walt Disney obtained the rights of Mary Poppins from author, P.L Travers. It’s heartwarming, emotional, and really very funny. 

Mrs Travers is an impossible women, and holds on to her beloved Mary Poppins with a tight grip. As the story unfolds we learn more about Mrs Travers and why she is the way she is. The story takes place during 1961, and then flashbacks to Travers’ past in 1901. It’s interesting to watch her childhood and make the connections with how Mary Poppins was formed as a story and a character from her point of view.  

As an avid Disney fan I knew I was going to like it, and I loved Tom Hanks’ portrayal of Walt Disney. It was pretty much perfect, from what I’ve seen in documentaries and learnt from Uni. The film completely dedicated itself to its era (the 1960s and 1900’s) in both America, Australia and England. The sets were flawless and Disneyland in the 60s looked amazing! Emma Thompson’s portrayal of P.L Travers was also highly entertaining, her englishness leaps off the screen and her attention to correct grammar and English language made for some very funny scenes. 

Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and Emma Thompson and P.L Travers

Another character I couldn’t help but fall in love with was Ralph, Mrs Travers’ driver. His ‘americanisisms’ bounce off the ‘Englishness’ of Travers and he is a genuinely heartwarming character that I grew to love every time he came on screen. The friendship that grows between the two characters is a strange, but lovely one.  

It was also interesting to see how they incorporated the pre-production element of Mary Poppins into the film, with the script writers developing ideas and writing the musical pieces. It was fun to recognize the songs that I knew so well from my childhood be written for the ‘first time’, the demonstration of ‘Let’s Go Fly a Kite’ was particularly enjoyable.

It definitely made me want to dig Mary Poppins out of my video collection again! The film also went further than that, and combined elements from Mary Poppins, to the life of Travers which at times was very moving. It linked everything together perfectly and made for a highly satisfying conclusion. 

It’s one of those films that if you either love anything Disney or Mary Poppins related, you’ll love it. Or, if you love Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks, then you’ll love it too, because their performances are flawless. It made me laugh, cry and remember my childhood fondly. What more could you want in a film?