Hit Family Movies: Saving Mr. Banks

“Saving Mr. Banks,” starring Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson, intertwines two stories that are filled with life-lessons. The first story is that of the childhood of author Pamela Travers (Thompson). The second is the colorful story of how the classic Disney movie “Mary Poppins” was made. The movie is set in the 1960s, when Walt Disney (Hanks) finally convinced Travers to come meet with him to discuss turning her book, “Mary Poppins,” into a movie.

Disney attempted to convince Travers to give him the film rights to “Mary Poppins” for twenty years; he had not counted on the fact that Travers was very set in her ways. It is only when she comes upon financial troubles that she agrees to see Disney. Even though Disney and Travers are very different, they eventually find out that they have something in common: Disney’s character of Mickey Mouse and Travers’s character of Mary Poppins are like family to each of them. They both had personal stories behind their beloved characters.

Most people know of Walt Disney as a larger-than-life legend, and actor Tom Hanks does a spectacular job of recreating Disney’s charisma, imagination, and

optimism. Actor Colin Farrell also gives a phenomenal performance as Travers’s father, Travers Goff, who loves his family despite his addiction to alcohol. Actress Emma Thompson captures Travers’s personality as a writer who is stubborn and forceful, but who has a pleasant side as well.

Some may debate that the flashbacks to Travers’s childhood were too long and that the movie was slow to start, but overall the movie received positive reviews. Some of the most memorable scenes were those that included songs, such as “Let’s Go Fly a Kite”, and “A Spoonful of Sugar”, which were from the original 1964 “Mary Poppins” movie.

“Saving Mr. Banks” is a family oriented movie that keeps in tradition with Disney’s classics. The movie keeps the viewer entertained with points of comedy as well as tragedy. It is refreshing to watch a movie that truly warms your heart and tells a wonderful story that Walt Disney himself would have been thrilled with.