"Mary Poppins" is one of the cheeriest, most fondly remembered films of all time. Little do many people know, production of the classic Disney film was a nightmare. Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) had to bug "Mary Poppins" writer P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) for 20 years before she agreed to sign the rights over to him, and that 20th year was no picnic. The indignant Travers scoffed at all the ideas Disney had for her property, and fought with the filmmakers every step of the way. If she had her way there'd be no songs, no animation, and no color red. Disney saw the possibility for whimsy in "Mary Poppins", while Travers viewed her own work as something more realistic and sad. The battle between Disney and Travers was bitter medicine, which I guess makes "Saving Mr. Banks" a spoonful of sugar to help it go down.
Breaking the present day (1961) action of Disney trying to woo Travers are flashbacks to the author's childhood. The flashbacks are essential to informing her surly behavior, as we discover more and more that the story of "Mary Poppins" is really the somber story of Travers' life. Growing up in Australia, Travers was better known as Ginty - a nickname bestowed upon her by her father (Colin Farrell). Ginty adored her father, who encouraged playfulness and imagination. By all outward appearances, he was a perfect father. But eventually his shortcomings became unavoidably clear in the form of alcoholism.
Everything about "Saving Mr. Banks" is designed to make you feel good by the end credits, which is understandable. This is a Disney film after all, and it's the first live-action feature in which an actor plays the company's namesake, so director John Lee Hancock had to be sure nobody walked away feeling displeased with the Mouse. From an excessively polite chauffeur (Paul Giamatti) to the upbeat "Poppins" screenwriter and composers (Bradley Whitford, Jason Schwartzman, and BJ Novak), it's all meant to make you smile and giggle at all the right moments. Travers' combative attitude towards the Disney workers is played for laughs, when in reality it was probably incredibly awkward and unpleasant. The flashback scenes tug at your heartstrings in an obvious way, but at least it isn't forceful about it. In a way, this is vintage Disney - and that's OK.
There was a risk that Travers would come off as unlikeable in "Saving Mr. Banks", simply because she is so unreasonable and rude in certain spots. Magically, Emma Thompson doesn't allow this to happen. Thompson creates an unwelcoming facade for Travers, but leaves room for us to see the goodness within. She's afraid to feel happy because of her past, and it's the job of Walt Disney to help her out of her shell. As Disney, Tom Hanks is a delight. His naturally welcoming presence is perfectly befitting the King of the Magic Kingdom. The two playing off each other - she, cold and proper; he, warm and relaxed - is instant fun.
