"Saving Mr. Banks" - Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Walt Disney and Mary Poppins

"Saving Mr. Banks" is a tribute to old Hollywood filmmaking glamour.  If you enjoy behind the scenes dramatizations of the movie-making process and the styles of California in the early '60s, then this is the movie for you.  Although it's not apparent from the title, this is the origin story of one of the most beloved movies of all time:  "Mary Poppins."

Emma Thompson plays P. L. Travers - the original writer of the Mary Poppins books.  Tom Hanks plays Walt Disney, and the two engage in a battle of wills over the rights to adapt the character and stay true to a meaningful story.  It's a bit of a tearjerker, especially for any parents out there, but it's a surprisingly good film with several great performances.

As the movie delves into Mrs. Travers's past and the genesis of Mary Poppins, it flashes back to her youth with moving memories about her family (Colin Farrell plays her alcoholic father).  I enjoyed these nostalgic scenes, and found it an effective counterpoint to the present day working scenes at the Disney offices.

Once at the studio, Mrs. Travers exercises her right to script approval while her book is slowly turned into a musical.  It's a very humorous struggle, as Mrs. Travers cringes at the commercialism of all things Disney.  "Poor A. A. Milne," she sighs when she encounters a stuffed Winnie the Pooh.  Walt Disney has kept a promise to his young daughter that he would make "Mary Poppins" into a movie, and he's been chasing this promise for 20 years.  As the script is hammered out and songs rehearsed, Mrs. Travers keeps resisting.  Including the use of any animation.  But how to resolve the issue of the dancing penguins?

This is a movie about the art of creation.  And since it's about movie making - it's about the art of collaboration.  Mrs. Travers wants to make the deal to adapt her beloved book into a movie, yet she can't relinquish control to such a personal tale.  It's a dilemma other artists often face.  "Saving Mr. Banks" tells her story, uncovering her deep-rooted fears and motivations.  Even Walt Disney reveals his "Rosebud" moment of what motivates him during every single day - even as the most successful man in Hollywood.  

Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks are truly fun to watch.  We, of course, know how their battle turns out, but it is a welcome joy during a movie season that has proven to be extra dark and sad.  "Saving Mr. Banks" is a good old-fashioned bit of entertainment that will stick with you, probably longer than most of the movies now playing.