Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

"To Walt Disney, "Mary Poppins" was more than a book. To her, it was more than a movie."

Directed by John Lee Hancock
Produced by Alison Owen, Ian Collie, Philip Steuer
Screenplay by Kelly Marcel, Sue Smith
Starring: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Colin Farrell
Music by Thomas Newman
Cinematography: John Schwartzman
Edited by Mark Livolsi
Production company: Walt Disney Pictures, BBC Films, Essential Media Entertainment, Ruby Films, Hopscotch Features
Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release date: November 29, 2013 (UK & Ireland)
Running time: 125 minutes
Country: Australia, United Kingdom, United States

"Saving Mr. Banks" is a biopic comedy drama film directed by John Lee Hancock and written by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith. One day Walt Disney gave a promise to his daughter that he would make a film based on her favourite book - "Mary Poppins" by P.L. Travers. But he didn't even suppose that idea would take twenty years. Disney had been confronted by many difficulties with the screen version before in 1961 a hard-edged author arrived in Los Angeles from Great Britain. However, problems didn't end -  P.L. Travers inserted lots of amendments, the business magnate wasn't able to do anything. It seemed like that screen version would stay just a dream.

Cast

• Emma Thompson as Pamela "P. L." Travers
• Tom Hanks as Walt Disney
• Annie Rose Buckley as a young P. L. Travers
• Colin Farrell as Travers Robert Goff
• Ruth Wilson as Margaret Goff
• Paul Giamatti as Ralph, Pamela's chauffeur
• Bradley Whitford as Don DaGradi
• B. J. Novak as Robert B. Sherman
• Jason Schwartzman as Richard M. Sherman
• Kathy Baker as Tommie Wilck
• Melanie Paxson as Dolly (Dolores Vought)
• Rachel Griffiths as Aunt Ellie
• Ronan Vibert as Diarmuid Russell

John Lee Hancock, the producer of this film who has been earlier known by "The Blind Side", made the biographical picture. It turned out so kind, sad, affecting and... light. Tom Hanks wasn't the best candidacy for the role of Walt Disney. However, he coped with his character. As for Emma Thompson, I have no letters of claim. She was perfect in her part. Colin Farrell. Pamela's alcoholic but loving father - it's a pretty difficult role. To my mind, Colin had done a great deal because his performance made me feel sorry and angry at the same time.

Advantages

• Emma Thompson as Pamela "P. L." Travers
• Tom Hanks as Walt Disney
• Colin Farrell as Travers Robert Goff
• The story 

Disadvantages

• The film about the film plus a melodrama

"Strangenesses"

• Yes or no?

Clue Moments

• Writting the screenplay
• The release
• The real story

Recollections, memories, remembrances... Some of them are painful, others are afterglow. But the most important thing is not to become their hostage. I bear in mind that the past is able to hold and not let go. This way childhood offences and complexes may make a life miserable. They won't allow you to be free and fully happy. Therefore it's really significant to move on accepting the true reality and not imagining a perfect past. And enough of blaming yourself, enough!

Judging by appearance isn't really far-sighted. Often a shallow person hides behind a beautiful cover and vice versa. Moreover, a termagant may have a personal tragedy. Therefore you should give a chance to a difficult person and see what will happen. Who says that it's right to judge a book by its cover?

And, of course, - if you want something, if you truly do, spare no effort and no time to achieve it. Even if you spend twenty years for that. One day you'll get it. I think so.

Soundtracks

1. Colin Farrell - Chim Chim Cher-ee (East Wind)
2. Thomas Newman - Travers Goff
3. Thomas Newman - Walking Bus
4. Ray Charles - One Mint Julep
5. Thomas Newman - Uncle Albert
6. Thomas Newman - Jollification
7. Thomas Newman - The Mouse
8. Thomas Newman - Leisurely Stroll
9. Jason Schwartzman - Chim Chim Cher-ee (Responstible)
10. Thomas Newman - Mr. Disney
11. Thomas Newman - Celtic Soul
12. Thomas Newman - A Foul Fowl
13. Thomas Newman - Mrs. P. L. Travers
14. Thomas Newman - Laying Eggs
15. Thomas Newman - Worn to Tissue
16. The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Heigh-Ho
17. Thomas Newman - Whiskey
18. Thomas Newman - Impertinent Man
19. Thomas Newman - To My Mother
20. Thomas Newman - Westerly Weather
21. Jason Schwartzman - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
22. Thomas Newman - Spit Spot!
23. Thomas Newman - Beverly Hills Hotel
24. Thomas Newman - Penguins
25. Thomas Newman - Pears
26. Jason Schwartzman - Let's Go Fly a Kite
27. Thomas Newman - Maypole
28. Thomas Newman - Forgiveness
29. Thomas Newman - The Magic Kingdom
30. Thomas Newman - Ginty My Love
31. Thomas Newman - Saving Mr. Banks (End Title)
32. Richard M. Sherman - The Pearly Song (Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious) (Pre-Demo)
33. Richard M. Sherman - Chim Chim Cher-ee (Pre-Demo)
34. Richard M. Sherman - Tuppence a Bag [Feed the Birds (Tuppence a Bag)] (Pre-Demo)
35. Richard M. Sherman - Let's Go Fly a Kite (Pre-Demo)
36. Julie Andrews - A Spoonful of Sugar
37. Julie Andrews - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
38. Julie Andrews - Chim Chim Cher-ee
39. Julie Andrews - Feed the Birds (Tuppence a Bag)
40. David Tomlinson - Let's Go Fly a Kite

Quotations

* * *

Walt Disney: George Banks and all he stands for will be saved. Maybe not in life, but in imagination. Because that's what we storytellers do. We restore order with imagination. We instill hope again and again and again.

* * *

Walt Disney: It's all right, Mrs. Travers. It's alright. Mr. Banks is going to be all right. I promise.

P.L. Travers: No, no. It's just that - I can't, I can't abide cartoons!

* * *

Ralph: "Albert Einstein, Van Gogh, Roosevelt, Frida Kahlo" - What is this?

P.L. Travers: They all had difficulties. Jane can do anything that anyone else can do, do you understand?

P.L. Travers: Look on the back.

Ralph: [turns it over] "Walt Disney."

P.L. Travers: Deficiencies in concentration and hyperactive behavior. Explains everything!

* * *

Ralph: Welcome, Mrs. P.L. Travers, to the city of angels.

P.L. Travers: It smells... of...

Ralph: Jasmine?

P.L. Travers: Chlorine, and sweat.

* * *

Travers Goff: Don't you ever stop dreaming. You can be anyone you want to be.

* * *

P.L. Travers: It is blasphemy to drink tea from a paper cup.

* * *

Walt Disney: It's not the children she comes to save. It's their father. It's YOUR father, Travers Goff.

* * *

Don DaGradi: Boys, this is the one and only Mrs. P.L. Travers, the creator of our beloved Mary!

P.L. Travers: Poppins!

Don DaGradi: Who else?

P.L. Travers: Mary Poppins. Never ever just Mary.

* * *

Walt Disney: You know, you've never been to Disneyland, that's the happiest place on earth.

P.L. Travers: I cannot tell you how uninterested - no, positively sickened I am at the thought of going to see your dollar-printing machine.

Walt Disney: Well come on! When does anybody get to go to Disneyland with Walt Disney himself?

P.L. Travers: Disappointments are to the soul what the thunderstorm is to the sky.

* * *

Walt Disney: We can't make this film without the color red - it's set in London, for Pete's sake!

P.L. Travers: And?

Walt Disney: Well, there's buses, mailboxes, guard's uniforms, the English flag...

P.L. Travers: I understand your predicament, Mr. Disney. It's just that - I don't know what it is, I'm just suddenly very anti-red. I shan't be wearing it ever again.

* * *

Walt Disney: I've fought this battle from her side. Pat Powers, he wanted the mouse and I didn't have a bean back then. He was this big terrifying New York producer and I was just a kid from Missouri with a sketch of Mickey, but it would've killed me to give him up. Honest to God, killed me. That mouse, he's family.

* * *

Walt Disney: You look at me and you see some kind of Hollywood King Midas. You think I've built and empire and I want your Mary Poppins as just another brick in my kingdom.

P.L. Travers: And don't you?

Walt Disney: Now, if that's all it was, would I have suckered up to a stubborn, cranky dame like you for twenty years? No, I'd have saved myself an ulcer.

* * *

Walt Disney: I have my own Mr. Banks. Mine had a mustache.

P.L. Travers: [sarcastically] So it's not true that Disney created man in his own image?

Walt Disney: No, but it is true that you created yourself in someone else, yes?

* * *

Walt Disney: Don't you want to finish the story?

* * *
You may see the trailer here.

Plot: 7/10

Entertainment: 9/10

Acting: 8/10

Originality: 8/10

Music and Sound: 8/10

8/10