Wonderful and heartfelt drama

Rating: 8/10 (16 November 2013)

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this movie so much. I thought it couldn't possibly be that interesting to watch a book (Mary Poppins, by P.L. Travers) get transformed into a Disney movie. But I was wrong. Every one of the actors was superb, especially Colin Farrell as Travers' father (featured in flashbacks). The attention to detail was spot on. The story itself was fascinating. And there were many unexpected comedic moments to lighten the tension of the unfolding drama. You think that the screenwriters are exaggerating Travers' peculiarities and extreme demands (slight spoiler--at one point she says the picture must be made without the color red, or the whole thing is off!), but no, the writing sessions between Travers and Disney's team were recorded on tape, and one such tape is rolled during the credits. This is a movie I'll be recommending to all my friends and family.