Motion Picture Review of Saving Mr. Banks

Genre: Motion Picture

Rating: PG-13 for a portrayal of alcoholism, an attempted suicide, and a character dying of tuberculosis.

For twenty years Walt Disney had asked P. L. Travers for the film rights for Mary Poppins.  And for twenty years she had refused him.  But, in the early 1960's Mrs. Travers found herself in financial trouble.  The sales of her novels no longer provided with enough income to live on.

So she agreed to let Disney make a Mary Poppins movie.

She had many demands.

The plot of the Saving Mr. Banks moves between Mrs. Travers's childhood in Australia, and her interactions with Walt Disney and the script writers.

What confuses Disney and the scriptwriters is why Mrs. Travers is so protective of her novel and the character Mary Poppins.  When Walt finally understands Mrs. Travers motivation, he is able to finally convince Mrs. Travers that he will treat her novel and Mary Poppins with respect.

I enjoyed this film.  Tom Hanks did a great job of portraying Walt Disney.  I liked Emma Thompson's portrayal of Mrs. Travers.

When you see this movie, stay through all of the credits.  Mrs. Travers insisted that all of the script meetings be recorded.  While the credits roll, we get to hear the tape of one of the meetings.  And we hear Mrs. Travers voice.

Remember, when you go to see Saving Mr. Banks, bring some tissue.