Saving Mr. Banks

Fun to watch Disney do its thing, always nice to watch a heart change from a tough personality to one who starts to enjoy the simple things in life.

Beautiful. Powerful. I'm watching mary poppins tomorrow, and it's story will never be the same ♥️

I almost didn't watch this, thinking ‘why do I want to see a film about the making of Mary Poppins' (not my kind of film at all). By the end of the film, I had forgotten Tom Hanks was playing a part, and was totally convinced I was watching Walt Disney. Completely engrossed from start to finish, and am now even tempted to see the Mary Poppins film itself!

Maybe The Best Movie I've Seen All Year As a child, one of my favorite movies was always "Mary Poppins". Being young, I obviously couldn't articulate exactly WHY I liked it so much (I'm sure the catchy music had a lot to do with it), but I wore a tract in the VCR with it, that is for sure. After seeing "Saving Mr. Banks", however, I was astounding to realize perhaps part of the reason why "Mary Poppins" stands the test of time: because the message behind it is one born out of real-life issues. For a basic plot summary, "Saving Mr. Banks" focuses on P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson), writer of the "Mary Poppins" children's novel. For 20 years, Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) has been pursuing the rights to make the book into a movie, finally culminating in him flying Travers to Los Angeles to begin work on the project. When Travers wants full creative control and clashes monumentally with Disney's version of the film, it is revealed (via flashbacks) how personal the Poppins story truly is to Travers. The reason why this movie is so touching and genuine is because it works on two different levels: On one hand, it brings back incredible nostalgia for fans of Disney's "Mary Poppins". Just hearing the iconic music again and seeing how key plot/character points came together is exciting. On the other hand, those (though probably few and far between) who haven't seen the movie will still be intrigued by the fascinating backstory of P.L. Travers. More specifically, the role her father (played by Colin Farrell) played in her life and how that relationship shaped her persona even into adulthood. Some fascinating human dynamics that prove out the old "truth is stranger than fiction" maxim. The hallmark of "Saving Mr. Banks", though, is its ability to have audiences laughing, crying, singing, and feeling all in the span of two hours. The complex characters, catchy tunes, and use of flashbacks prove a potent mixture of drama and fun. This is truly a film for the entire family. Until recently, "Prisoners" had been cemented atop my "Best Movie of 2013" list. "Saving Mr. Banks", however, is just as good, if only in a completely different way. I'm sure I'll enjoy some more genre Hollywood fare this holiday season ("Hobbit 2", "Anchorman 2", "Grudge Match", etc.), but I have a feeling that when all is said and done

Great movie and very moving in many parts of the film!

Two stellar performances by the leads. Some very solid performances by the supporting cast. I'll end up watching this one once a year, because it's that good.

A really interesting film that shows how Walt Disney brought the beloved classic to life.

I'm so torn about this one... I absolutely love the Disney version of Mary Poppins. It used to be my favorite movie as a kid. I also enjoyed this film. It's well-made and charming, and it filled me with nostalgic joy. Emma Thompson is fabulous, as always. But knowing how P. L. Travers was treated by Disney and how much she disliked what they did with her novels, this movie leaves a bad taste in my mouth and the portrayal of Disney (the person) just seems too squeaky-clean.

We’re never too far from our past.

I don't care for the beginning of the movie, and Mrs Travers starts out very unlikable, but then it comes into this beautiful work of art and it was the first Disney movie I cried from. It was very entertaining, the characters have depth to them, and the flashbacks really are a great addition, and get to understand both the story and people more (like why she doesn't like pears). I would recommend this to anyone, and I wish I could forget my memory of this movie and keep watching it over and over, just because of how amazingly amazing it was. At points, you forgot it was a documentary, and it felt like a drama, and sometimes a comedy, and it was just so... amazing. Please watch it if you haven't.