Worth a Look

Rating: 10/10 (11 August 2014)

I didn't see Saving Mr. Banks until it came out on Cable TV. I thought it might be a children's movie but it was not. It's the tale of a woman dealing with her past ghosts and how Walt Disney through his determination and perseverance made Mary Poppins come alive in film. The story is touching, seen through the flashbacks of the author life as a child, as she works with Disney's Hollywood team to create a version of the movie she would approve of. We see her first as a cantankerous woman, living a solitary lonely life in need of money to save her house. Through the movie we see her mellow through the process of reconciling her relationship with her loving father by learning to forgive his weaknesses and herself for not being able to save him. We also get a glimpse of the erasable Walt Disney who through his own deficits in his childhood made a world full of fantasy to brighten the lives of children and adults. Through his team and his process he breaks down Mrs. Travers's objections to his creating a musical fantasy out of her book and thus the wonderful movie of Mary Poppins came to life for us all.
The team of scriptwriters that put together this tale did a wonderful job. I was truly touched by the story. I also want to give credit to the wonderful acting. I especially loved the little girl who played Ginty (Annie Rose Buckley) she had a wonderful dramatic range, and really took you into her heart. Emma Thompson's skills really get you to like and understand the woman inside PL Travers. Tom Hanks brought a life of wonder to his portrayal of Walt Disney. The twinkle inside of Travers Goff and the tragedy of his inability to deal with the reality of living was played excellently by Colin Farrell. I really liked Paul Giamatti portrayal of Ralph; I only wish they had included his daughter in the day Walt Disney took Pamela to Disney Land as she was the link that allowed Pamela to open up to Ralph. All the acting was great and I know I've left out many of the others actors and actresses that contributed to making this a fine movie just for the sake of space here, they all did a great job. If you didn't catch Saving Mr. Banks in the theater like me, definitely worth seeing it on Cable or Netflix.