Take It to the Banks

As a kid, I really loved the songs of the film Mary Poppins. A few years ago, as an adult, I found when re-watching the film itself that the slow pace and rather dry opening act made for a less magical experience than I'd remembered. Still, I had enough residual good memories about the movie (and that wonderful music) that I was very curious to see Saving Mr. Banks, the new film that chronicles Walt Disney's pursuit of the book rights from crotchety author P. L. Travers.

The film weaves together Travers' two-week trip to Hollywood to consult on the Mary Poppins movie script with flashbacks of her childhood in Australia. The "modern" scenes depict Travers as an irrational monster, rudely ordering around screenwriter Don DaGradi and composer/lyricists Robert and Richard Sherman. As the real-life Travers demanded that all her Disney meeting be tape recorded, much of this material is grounded in actual events. (In fact, you get to hear a sampling of the actual recordings over the end credits.) Meanwhile, the flashbacks gradually inform the audience about the reasons behind Travers' personality and demands, which on the surface seem capricious.

But that process is very gradual. By about halfway through the film, it seemed as though only one of the flashback scenes had any real bearing on the Disney scenes bookending it. But then the weave started to pull tight, and everything came together -- and very well, in fact. The full significance of the movie's title is revealed, and then countless little details begin falling into place one by one. By the end, the emotional journey is well-executed enough to not only make this a satisfying movie, but to in my opinion improve Mary Poppins itself through the lens that's been constructed.

The film has a hefty cast of great actors. Emma Thompson gives one of the most subtly demanding performances of her career. She has to walk the knife's edge of making her character of Travers prickly and infuriating while still be amusing and ultimately sympathetic. And we must see in her face her reactions to all these flashbacks -- which of course Thompson herself didn't get to see when filming the movie. She does such an excellent job that the key moments where Travers' strongest feelings break through really do result in a surprisingly emotional movie.

Tom Hanks makes a good Walt Disney. In actuality, he only appears in a handful of scenes in the movie... and only some of those really afford him the opportunity to really shine as an actor. Still, he's  riveting when those moments come around. Colin Farrell is excellent as Travers' father in the extensive flashbacks. Paul Giamatti is wonderful as limo driver Ralph -- though his mere presence in the role certainly tips the audience to the fact that the character is going to have some more significant scenes late in the film. Bradley Whitford as DaGradi, and B.J. Novak and Jason Schwartzman as the Sherman brothers, ably hold their own against Emma Thompson's towering performance. And also look for a few great little scenes featuring Rachel Griffiths (for once, able to use her natural Austalian accent) and Kathy Baker.

I think t's important to remember this movie is really only based on a true story. It's not that the film takes wild liberties. But it's well-documented that P. L. Travers never really came to terms with the finished Mary Poppins film, as this movie implies. Nevertheless, any inaccuracies (wherever they may be hiding) can be easily forgiven, as Saving Mr. Banks does tell a complete dramatic journey of its own. I give it a strong B+.