Today’s quick review: Saving Mr. Banks. In 1961, Pamela Travers (Emma Thompson), the author of Mary Poppins, travels to Los Angeles to oversee the film adaptation of her story. There Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) tries everything to get her to make the creative compromises needed to turn the project into a success, only to find that her over-protectiveness of her characters is tied to her complicated relationship with her father (Colin Farrell).
Saving Mr. Banks is a biographical drama about the production of Mary Poppins, a film adaptation of the classic children’s book. The movie pits Pamela Travers, a strong-willed author with specific ideas about how her characters should appear onscreen, against Walt Disney, a cartoon mogul who wants to turn her story into a colorful musical. The movie has good character work, a skilled cast, and capable execution, but its story won’t speak to everyone.
Saving Mr. Banks is at its strongest when it is building up its characters. Emma Thompson cuts a very particular figure as Pamela Travers, whose quirks take on new meaning as the movie delves into her relationship with her father. The flashbacks to young Pamela growing up in Australia with her father, a drunk and a dreamer, are where the story feels the most alive, and the nuances of their relationship successfully add new layers to Mary Poppins itself.
Still, Saving Mr. Banks has an odd quality to it that will put some people off. As much as the story is about Mrs. Travers coming to grips with her past and what it means to her, there’s a commercial angle that is never quite resolved. Tom Hanks’ performance as Walt Disney can be read as either a family man determined to bring Travers’ story to life or a businessman used to getting his way, and the ambiguity, intentional or not, can be uncomfortable.
Saving Mr. Banks will appeal the most to viewers who enjoy true stories with a personal touch. The high quality of the movie’s execution and its insightful character development will give biography fans everything they are looking for, while Disney fans will appreciate the glimpse into the history of the company. However, viewers who prefer larger-scale stories with more sweeping drama or more riotous comedy may want to steer clear.
For the movie in question, check out Mary Poppins. For a similar behind-the-scenes peek at the lives of two cinema legends, try Stan & Ollie. For a musical about the making of a musical, try Singin’ in the Rain. For a more dramatic tale of a filmmaker with a dream, try The Aviator. For a dark and surreal movie about a fabulist telling stories to a little girl, try The Fall.
7.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for solid craftsmanship and good character development.