Movie Review: "Saving Mr. Banks" Contains Standard Disney Magic, But Is Also A Moving Drama.

Saving Mr. Banks

Director: John Lee Hancock
Cast: Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, and Colin Farrell.
Rated PG-13 for thematic elements including some unsettling images.

I was completely unaware of the story behind the making of Disney's classic film, Mary Poppins. Now, being in the hands of Disney Studios there is bound to be some bias on how this story is to be treated and how Mr. Walt Disney himself is to be portrayed. That being said, what is presented on screen is pure Disney magic at its best with some great characterizations by Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks.


This is the story of Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) keeping a 20 year old promise he made to his daughters that he would bring the beloved literary character Mary Poppins to the big screen. Author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) has been avoiding Disney's incessant attempts to buy the rights to her books until she is faced with financial burdens and must, at least, entertain the notion of selling her book rights to the creative juggernaut Disney. Upon her arrival in Los Angeles, Disney and his creative team must win over the extremely reluctant and unimpressed Travers and learn the real story behind the fantasy.

This is a film with very little action or tension, yet I was invested throughout its entirety. Director John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) cuts back and forth seamlessly between Travers troubled childhood involving her father (a never better Colin Farrell) and the creative process to bring Mary Poppins to life. It is great fun to watch the behind-the-scenes action of Disney Studios at the pinnacle of Walt's career. Emma Thompson is perfect at portraying Travers as an uptight prude who is hiding some buried issues with her father. Tom Hanks is a pure delight as Walt Disney. He does not necessarily resemble or impersonate Disney, but rather Hanks captures the determined and magic spirit that Disney possessed. There is a touching scene in which Disney tells Travers of his own childhood and what his father expected of him. Hanks eases through the scene with the effortless touch of a legendary actor. I couldn't help but think that Hollywood will feel a great fault when Hanks has left us.

Whatever faults are present in the film are greatly overshadowed by two phenomenal actors and a surprisingly touching and haunted performance by Colin Farrell. I will admit that I am a sucker for anything Disney, so there may be some bias on my end as well, but I ended up loving this movie much more than I originally anticipated. If you are looking for the feel good movie of this holiday season then there is no need to look any further.

RATING: A