The Mary Poppins story

Rating: 7/10 (14 February 2014)

Saving Mr Banks wants to tell the real story behind the making of the film Mary Poppins.
What we have is a fictionalised tale. Something made more digestible for Disney and the general public.
The real Mrs Travers might had been a curmudgeon and when she cries at the premiere of the film, it was likely to be at disgust at the travesty they made of her book.
The film tries to go to the heart of Mary Poppins, the magical nanny and the effect she has on the Banks family. To this we have flashbacks to the Mrs Travers family life in Australia and that of her bank manager father and his drink problem.
We also have Walt Disney whose children loved the book Mary Poppins, trying to obtain film rights by using his charm and guile.
Maybe Tom Hanks is maybe a bit too winning and charming as Disney, a man who had a bit of a dark side. In real life Walt Disney had little time for Mrs Travers.
Emma Thompson nails Mrs Travers as the difficult to get on with author, desperately in need of money but reluctant to let go of her book.
The film also has good acting turns from Paul Giamatti and Jason Schwartzman. The film is at its best with the making of the film and when Disney is at his persuasive best.
The film does drag a little with the flashbacks and maybe a few too many scenes with Travers being bad tempered.