"Saving Mr.
Banks" Reveals the Drama Behind the Making of the Film "Mary
Poppins"
Disney's beloved
film, "Mary Poppins" has quite a dramatic behind the scenes story
that is told in this film. We get an inside look at how author P. L. Travers
reflects on her difficult childhood while meeting with filmmaker Walt Disney
during production for the adaptation of her novel, Mary Poppins. And, it is an
interesting turn of events that eventually wins Ms. Travers over. As KIDS
FIRST! Film Critic Keefer B (age 13) says, "We learn it's going to
take Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) a lot of hard work to get Ms. Travers to share our
favorite flying nanny, 'Marry Poppins.'” Keefer's full review is below.
Saving Mr. Banks
Reviewed by Keefer C. Blakeslee, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic,
age 13
This is a deeply emotional and inspiring untold story of
“Mary Poppins.” The premise is based on the true journey of Pamela L. Travers (Emma Thompson), the author
of the book. We learn it's going to take
Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) a lot of hard work to get Ms. Travers to share our
favorite flying nanny, Mary Poppins.
This film is totally character driven. Tom Hanks is the
first actor to portray Walt in a mainstream film. Tom trained for this by visiting “The Walt
Disney Family Museum” and talking with Disney's former employees including his daughter
Diane Disney Miller. Tom is Walt! He
captures the dream, drive, and love for life that Walt believed in and you buy
every word he says. They also respect Walt's wishes of never showing him with a
lit cigarette. Of course, any leading man has a leading lady and we have a
phenomenal portrayal of Ms. Travers by Emma Thompson. Emma trained, like Tom,
by listening to the recording of the script read-through and practicing the way
Pamela spoke. What adds up is a fantastic performance. You feel her emotion and
why she is a stick-in-the-mud. This film's cinematography is spot on. It takes
place over time from 1906, with vintage clothing and horse carts, to1961, with
old cars and urban settings. The way they shift from time period to time period
is flawless.
My favorite scene is when Mrs. Travers observes the film for
the first time. You see all of the emotional scarring that she has kept inside
her whole life, come out. I can say that Emma's performs this amazingly well.
Honestly, it's hard to pick my favorite character.
Surprisingly I choose Ralph (Paul Giamatti), Mrs. Travers' chauffeur. He's the
first person who Pamela likes and once you see this film you'll understand how
big of an achievement that is. Paul's warm and humble performance has an affect
on me that is unexplainable.
The moral of the story is, don't let the past rule your
present. Pamela has a hard time giving “Mary Poppins” up and, with her sad
childhood, you can see why. However, she needs to understand that it's time to
let it all go.
I give this 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to12-18 year
olds. This film is little more emotionally heavy than the trailer shows. It's a
lighthearted film, but sensitive kids may have difficulty with some scenes. This
is playing in theaters now.
Credit: KIDS FIRST! Coming Attractions
