Saving Mr. Banks

Chim chiminey
Chim chiminey
Chim chim chiree!
A sweep is as lucky
As lucky can be . . .

I woke up with this song playing in my head after seeing Saving Mr. Banks last night. With stars Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks, I expected a good movie, but those expectations were surpassed. Saving Mr. Banks follows Mrs. Travers as she heads to Disney Studios to finally discuss making her Mary Poppins into a film. Walt has been pursing the rights for 20 years, and Mrs. Travers has resisted. She doesn’t want her characters ruined. She doesn’t want music, animation or silliness. Although we all know how that worked out, we don’t know the story behind it.

The film is a witty, intelligent look at the creative process and the childhood that formed the author. Though flashbacks can be a drawback, here they’re woven into the story very naturally. I loved Emma Thompson who brings Mrs. Travers, as she insisted on being addressed, to life. Although Mrs. Travers was hard to work with every step of the way, I felt on her side. I could understand the need to make sure the writers got the story right, that Walt actually understands that Mary Poppins didn’t come to save the children. She doesn’t want her story to be changed the way Winnie the Pooh was.

I loved that this drama had wit and often made me laugh and that there wasn’t any cursing, violence or gratuitous sex. Good storytelling doesn’t need such crutches. Since I’ve grow used to the language and scenes in films, I forget how soul draining they are.

Now I’ve got to read the actual novel and perhaps some of the subsequent books. I’ve got to see the film again and find a biography of P. M. Travers.