Saving Mr Banks

Charting the story of the making of one of Walt Disney pictures most beloved classics, Mary Poppins, Saving Mr. Banks manages to construct one of the most touching and charming films of the past 12 months.

P.L. Travers (Thompson) is the author of Mary Poppins, a character she holds very dear to her heart. Yet one man is determined to take her from her grasp. That man is Walt Disney (Hanks). After years of trying to obtain the screen rights to her creation, Disney invites Travers out to California to act as a creative consultant on the picture in order to please her and finally nab the rights. But Travers is not going down without a fight, proving to be a difficult opponent for Disney, as she veto�s nearly every creative decision.

It soon becomes clear however, that Disney has in fact missed the entire point of Mary Poppins, which in turn evokes memories from Travers childhood growing up in Australia, concerning her relationship with her loving yet troubled alcoholic father (Colin Farrell). As these memories boil to the surface, Travers must learn to forgive not her father, but herself, while Walt attempts to find the true meaning of Mary Poppins.

As classically Hollywood as they come, Saving Mr. Banks is a highly competent, endearing, and finely written piece of cinema. The performances are spectacular across the board, but the film rides on the power of Emma Thompson�s affecting performance. This is beautifully simple film-making that has the ability to warm even the coldest of hearts.

Andrew Gaudion