Very enjoyable, and at times emotional.

Rating: 8/10 (12 January 2014)

A good chunk of "Saving Mr. Banks" tells of the efforts made by Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) to purchase the rights of the "Mary Poppins" children's books from author P. L. Travers (Emma Thompson). However, we also get a look at Travers' childhood with a series of flashbacks, in which we get a look at moments in her life which inspired scenes in her books. For example, Mr. Banks, the father of the children in "Mary Poppins" was inspired in part by her own father, a banker named Travers Goff (Colin Farrell). Part of the conflict between Travers and Disney revolves around the fact that she considers her stories personal, and the Disney Studio would simply sugarcoat everything.
We get to see the pre-production process of "Mary Poppins", from character sketches to music composure courtesy of Robert and Richard Sherman. These scenes are very delightful, and just might have one singing along to the iconic songs, from "A Spoonful of Sugar" to "Let's Go Fly a Kite". Despite these happy moments, the film is not without it's dramatic moments. The flashbacks depict Travers' father as an alcoholic, which takes a toll on his life, as well as hers. The interactions between Travers and Disney also have their moments.
As far as performances, Emma Thompson was great as Travers. She depicted the author as a snotty British woman who despises America and its people, especially Walt Disney. Tom Hanks does a good job at bringing out the personality of Walt, but his Missouri drawl was a little distracting. Paul Giamatti also appears as Travers' chauffeur Ralph, and he gives a lot of depth to what would normally be a side character.
The only real complaint I have about the movie is flashback transitions, or lack there of. They cut back and forth without any warning. Fading of some sort could have been handy, but that's still just a minor complaint in what is otherwise a flawless picture. I highly recommend "Saving Mr. Banks". You don't have to be a Disney fanatic to enjoy it, but it might not hurt.