The Oscar nominations were just announced
today, and I am shocked that Saving Mr.
Banks did not receive a single nod. I particularly expected to see Emma
Thompson nominated for best actress and perhaps Bradley Whitford as best
supporting actor, but sadly this wonderful film has been overlooked by the
Academy. Very unfortunate, but the public’s opinion is not considered when
doling out motion picture accolades. Nevertheless, it is a must-see for the
whole family, especially fans of the Disney classic, Mary Poppins.
Other than The Sound of Music, The
Wizard of Oz, and perhaps Gone With
the Wind, Mary Poppins is one of
my all-time-favorite movies. I remember my grandmother introducing us to the soundtrack
with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke gracing the album cover. My sisters and I
sang all the songs and danced around her house, secretly wishing we could have
a nanny float in with the wind and put our slightly dysfunctional family back
to order. I even read the first book in the series by PL Travers while in
elementary school and was enthralled. All three of my children fell in love
with the movie when they were little and have all the songs memorized. We even
held on to our old VCR so we can play our worn VHS when the mood strikes.
Saving
Mr. Banks tells how these wonderful characters leapt off the pages of Mrs.
Travers’ best-selling book and onto the silver screen exactly fifty years ago.
Actually, the term “leapt” isn’t appropriate in this case, since there were
many obstacles to Walt Disney (played by Tom Hanks) seeing his dream come to
fruition—mainly because of Travers’ stubbornness (played by Emma Thompson). Her
dogged opposition to her precious story being trivialized by Hollywood put
decades between Disney’s offer and the premiere of the final product. Had it
not been for his patience and unfailing persistence, the movie would have never
been made. As a writer, it is easy to understand Travers’ fear that her beloved
characters would be portrayed in a bad light, but her negative, pompous British
attitude takes things a bit far. If not for her troubled childhood, she would
be a very unlikeable character.
What makes this film so endearing is this backstory
of Travers’ loving relationship with her troubled, yet well-intentioned father
(played by Colin Farrell). Seen through moving flashbacks, we are introduced to
a precocious little girl who absolutely adores her father despite his wild
imagination and belief in unattainable dreams. Alcoholism, uncontrolled rage, and
financial woes create confusion regarding his motives, which eventually
threatens to rip the family apart. Travers’ mother (Ruth Wilson) buckles under
the pressure and toys with suicide, but Travers will not be swayed. She remains
loyal to her father, holding on to the hope that he will become the man she has
always envisioned.
When things get worse, Travers’ aunt Ellie
(Rachel Griffiths) unexpectantly appears, promising to restore balance to their
chaotic world. With her black-brimmed hat and parrot-handled umbrella, she
looks very much like a dusty, plain version of Julie Andrews’ rendition of Mary
Poppins. It is an “aha” moment when she steps across the threshold of the front
door with her Victorian boots in perfect, ballet first-position, ready to set
the house in order. Plopping her tapestry bag on the table, she carefully
unpacks, pulling out exotic items that leave Travers and her sister “gobsmacked”
(a British term for shocked), much like the Banks children in the Disney film.
Then with the snap of her fingers and a “spit spot,” she rolls up her sleeves
and puts the children to work.
** SPOILER ALERT **
But even a real, live-in-the-flesh Mary
Poppins cannot save Travers’ father, which is a cruel truth for a young girl to
accept. When he dies from consumption, his dreams go with him, as does Travers’
hope for joy and happiness. Her only consolation is his imaginative spirit that
has taken root in her soul, giving her the ability to rewrite her own version
of reality. From her pain, the Banks family was birthed, including the stuffy
Mr. Banks, naïve yet rebellious Mrs. Banks, endearing Jane and Michael, and the
magical, yet somewhat supernatural, Mary Poppins.
There are so many more wonderful elements
to Saving Mr. Banks, that it is
impossible to list them all. First, Emma Thompson is hilarious as PL Travers
and plays beautifully off Tom Hanks’ embodiment of the fun-loving Walt Disney.
Their tender moments, often preceded by Travers’ pompous tirades, are touching—and
when Disney and his development team finally crack through her thick veneer
with the song, “Let’s Go Fly a Kite,” I had to work hard to hold back the
tears. I loved the fact that both Travers and Disney were equally passionate
about the same story that spoke so differently to their hearts. Both of them
suffered dark childhoods at the hands of loving, yet disappointing fathers, and
the fantasy of Mary Poppins was their opportunity to restore that legacy. If I
had to sum up the movie in one sentence, I would say that Saving Mr. Banks is about the power of story to reconcile the past,
thereby healing the deepest of wounds.
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