SAVING MR. BANKS

US, 2013, 125 minutes, Colour.
Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Colin Farrell, Annie Rose Buckley, Kathy Baker, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Rachel Griffiths, Ruth Wilson, B.J. Novak, .
Directed by John Lee Hancock.

Everyone probably has a view on Mary Poppins, how much they like were – for, perhaps, have some reservations. A personal response: when I saw Mary problems in 1965, I felt somewhat bad for having some caution about this most famous nanny. She seemed far too severe in her manner and in her speeches. so, while I enjoyed the film, Mary Poppins was not a heroine for me in the same way as Maria von trap in The Sound of Music really was! And then came in Jungian psychology could Julian with a perspective on the criteria one used for making decisions, whether they were clear, logical and objective or whether they were more personalised. Mary Poppins was certainly clear logical and objective, not exactly my cup of tea.

Back to the review of Saving Mr.Banks. so, being a bit wary of Mary Poppins, I wondered whether I would enjoy this film. I definitely did and would heartily recommended to most audiences, especially the older audiences who remember seeing Mary Poppins half a century ago and to those who’ve seen the film and watched it on television in the succeeding decades. it brings Mary Poppins to life in the persona of her creator, P.L.Travers.

This is a film about the making of Mary Poppins. Walt Disney had been asking the.L.Travers for the rights to make the film since the 1940s when his daughters read and enjoyed the stories. she had resisted but, in the early 1960s, running short of funds, she was persuaded to go to Hollywood, make Disney and discuss the screenplay for the film. She had many reservations, certainly did not want any animation, was wary of it being a musical, and she didn’t want Dick Van Dyke. In fact, when she went to the meetings with the screenwriter and the Sherman brothers who are composing the songs, she stipulated that all the meeting should be tape-recorded.

It is wonderful to see Emma Thompson as P.L.Travers. She was a difficult personality, not immediately blessed with personal communication skills. We see this in her dealings with her agent, on the plane with the flight attendant, with all the staff at the Disney officers, even with Walt Disney himself. She disliked a lot of the screenplay, took umbrage at some of the songs, especially when the Sherman Brothers invented the word responsibility which she urged him to make. And there is a humorous moment when the brothers conceal the music page which starts super…

And Disney himself is played by Tom Hanks, bringing dignity to the role as well as an affable approach to his difficult author. There are many scenes in the Disney officers, interesting and entertaining, but very helpful in terms of dialogue, descriptions of characters, especially Mr Banks and his must –, and the composing of the songs. Mrs Travers also has a visit, with Disney himself, to Disneyland.

There is a very good supporting cast including Paul Giamatti as her Los Angeles chauffeur, Bradley Whitford as the screenwriter, Jason Schwartzman and be.J.godly as the Sherman brothers.

But, this is only half the film. In fact, it opens in Maryborough, Queensland, in 1906, with the author herself as a little girl whose nickname from her father was Ginty. The family was poor, the father working in a bank, but having a drinking problem. he was devoted to his daughter, sharing her love of stories and poems. Later, the family is transferred to south-western Queensland where her father works in the bank, almost getting fired because of his drinking.

The sequences of Queensland are intercut all the way through the film with the scenes in Hollywood. What happens is that the adult Mrs Travers is understood through her childhood and her relationship with her father, and Mary Poppins is understood from the childhood, especially with the aunt (Rachel Griffiths) who looks and sounds like Mary Poppins when she comes to look after the family during the father’s illness. It is quite surprising to find Colin Lehiff playing the father, strongly and sympathetically, despite his drinking and his failings.

There is plenty to interest and enjoy in this behind-the-scenes story of the difficulties and joys in making Mary Poppins classic movie.


1. An entertaining film? Critical acclaim?

2. Mary Poppins, the audience for this film, 50 years after the release of the film? Older audiences, younger audiences who have seen the film on television? Its appeal?

3. Background, Hollywood and the making of films, the Disney Studios, the processes and difficulties? The writers, the producer, the crew?

4. The popularity of Mary Poppins, the books, widely read? The film, Oscar for Julie Andrews, for the Sherman Bros score? The strong cast? The music, the animation?

5. The structure for this film: Queensland, 1906, the transition to London in the early 1960s, the transition to Hollywood? The intercutting of these stories? The effect as each commented on the other? The novels and the screenplay for offering a child’s understanding of her father, through the memories evoked? The film offering an understanding of P.L.Travers through her past and her life?

6. The introduction to Ginty, her age, place in the family, relationship with her mother, the mother and the baby, her bond with her father? Maryborough and the bank, the house, his being fired, his drinking, walking through the town to the station, moving, his optimism, his imagination and games with Gintyy, the horse ride, going to the end of the line? The new house, the isolation, the chickens? The town and the bank?

7. Ginty, her life at home, the stories, writing poems, sharing them with her father, her busy mother, seeing her father drinking, seeing him at the bank, his not being fired because of her, going to the fair, his speech about the awards, his drinking, his collapse? Tending her father at home, his illness, the doctor, taking him the drink, her mother and her walking into the river to drown herself? Her rescuing her mother?

8. Ginty’s aunt, her arrival, the silhouette, Mary Poppins, her words, look, in action, Ginty disappointed with her for not saving her father?

9. The father, his life and work, his drinking, loving his wife and family, loving Ginty, disappointed in himself? His death? Ginty watching him dead? The realisation for Walt Disney that it was Mr Banks and Ginty’s father who needed rescuing? His daughter’s devotion to him, even taking his name as her married name?

10. London, the agent, her insistence on being called Mrs Travers, her madi and her abruptness, Disney and his 20 years requests to make the film, her lack of income, the contract, deciding to go to Hollywood?

11. Emma Thompson and her performance, very British (though later named as an Aussie)? The language, proper, not wanting to be touched, brittle, caustic and correcting people?

12. Going to the United States, carrying her own bag, the clash with the flight attendant and the later re-meeting? Wanting to crash? Perfectly capable of doing everything for herself?

13. Her chauffeur, his character, pleasant, commenting on Los Angeles and her disdain of California? The scenery? Sun and rain, Ralph and his giving his name to Pamela? Telling her the story about Jane and how she read Mary Poppins, disabled, the importance of sun and rain for going outside not, her signing his book? Her only American friend? Meeting her on her return for the premiere, reassuring her as she went up the red carpet?

14. The Disney offices, Tommy, the other assistant, their personalised communication, her disdain – especially for the mountains of food that were brought in and she dismissed?

15. Going to the hotel, Mickey Mouse and all the toys in her room, cups of tea, going to the bar and having a pot of tea, the very English presuppositions?

16. The screenwriter and the Sherman Bros, the initial meeting, names, her haughtiness as she arrived at the studios, demanding to see Disney, going to the meetings, reading out the script, her demands that everything be tape recorded? Correcting the writer and the musicians? The word responsabilt, and her telling them to unmake it, the joke about supercalifragilisticexpialidocious? The discussions, the costumes, the criticism of the house and it being too upmarket? Mr Banks and moustache? The range of songs and seeing them composed: spoonful of sugar, feed the birds, fly a kite? Her demand that there be no animation? No Dick Van Dyke?

17. Indicating the family stories, and the mutual illumination of each story as it progressed?

18. Walt Disney, Tom Hanks, the familiarity, calling him Walt, she calling him Mr Disney? Reminiscing about the 20 years, his promise to his daughters to make the film, the ideas, the characters? His talk about Mary Poppins and her origins? The staff genial towards her yet her haughtiness? Her being persuaded to go to Disneyland, Disney and his talking about Disneyland, the autographs, on the merry-go-round and his winning the bet? Talks with her, reactions, his hanging up on her?

19. The shaping of the film, Disney and the nature of stories, discussions with Pamela, interchange of names, his pleasantness, failing? Mary Poppins to save the children, and his later realising that she was there to save Mr Banks, Pamela wanting to save her father? Pamela’s interchange with the writer and the Shermans, listening to the song of flying the kite, her joining in?

20. Her demands to have no animation, walking out, not signing the contract, having tea with her agent, the issue of the premiere, her decision to go?

21. Disney going to London, to her front door, their discussions, his explanation of his own father, the psychological issues of fathers? Love, admiration, failing them?

22. To Los Angeles again, Ralph there to meet her, going to the office demanding the arrangements, the staff and the reaction, her presence at the premiere, the nature of the premiere, the crowds, the Hollywood hoopla?

23. In the cinema, watching the film, her disgust at the animation, the penhuins, the realisations about her father, her weeping?

24. The resolution of the issues, the making of the film, signing the contract, her response?

25. The final credits, the photos of P.L. Travers with Disney and Julie Andrews, the photos with the crew? and the humour of replaying some of the tapes with her own voice from the 1960s?