History Misses An Opportunity With Interest

Rating: 8/10 (29 December 2014)

While this is the story of Mary Poppins, this movie pulls back the drapes on a real life drama behind it all in a 1960's Disney Studio that is at the top of the world then. It shows that even though the studio is at the top, some things were difficult to do.
It is a story not known to exist - the recordings the author of Mary Poppins insisted be made while she was negotiating what was going to happen to her own creation on movie film.
Tom Hanks takes on a difficult role in the same style he did when he has taken on other real life stories in his career like Apollo 13. The difference here is he is constrained by the over whelming memory of Walt Disney which prevents him from making a totally accurate account.
This story does explain how the movie turned out. Dick Van Dyke is near the height of his career when the movie is released but there has always been a side of this movie which is surreal. That is explained here nicely.
The movie is touchingly dedicated to one of Walt Disney's daughters who died in 2013. Very appropriate for this one. Disney and his children are members of the greatest generation of World War 2. His daughter represents a baby boomer that like Annette Funicello has now left us. This is a picture of a generation being left behind. It begs the question - would Mary Poppins be successful in the next generation?