An emotional, funny and ultimately heartfelt movie, Saving Mr. Banks may be taking some creative license with history but it is a magnificent film that compels and satisfies.

Telling the story of the pre-production of Mary Poppins as Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) tries to convince author PL Travers (Emma Thompson) to sign over the rights in the face of her enormous opposition. The movie follows two narratives, one has Travers arriving in LA begrudgingly to see if some agreement can be made for a movie version of her popular books and the other follows a Travers as a girl with her family trying to make life work in Australia where she is very close to her alcoholic father who is systematically driving his family into poverty. These two narratives intertwine and inform one another as Travers deals with her strict expectations and Disney’s near obsessive drive to make a movie because of a 20 year promise he made to his daughter.

Right up front I need to say that I really don’t know much about the historical fact around this film and I suspect that the story is a bit softened to paint Disney in a better light…one of the few things I do know is that Travers was not happy with how the movie turned out and refused to let Disney make any more films based on the subsequent volumes of Mary Poppins which supports my belief. That being said, I don’t really care that much because judging the film on its own merits, the direction, performance and storytelling, it was wonderful and engaging.

One of the things I found most compelling about the film is the way it unfolds narratively to build the characters’ relationships and to slowly reveal what is really going on. It isn’t a grand mystery really and the title of the film is kind of a spoiler in and of itself but the story unfolds splendidly and gives the audience enough to keep up without being left behind while also making sure it is never too far ahead either.

The way the narratives unfold in the film, with the almost whimsical sequences in the past with her father against the present struggle with the team at Disney, we are offered two separate sorts of movies and while there is comedy and drama in both, the flashbacks are initially much funnier than the ‘present day’ sequences. As the film goes on, this balance shifts until they tone is merged into one entity despite the different settings and the struggles of old begin to mirror the newer ones. This is an impressive balancing act to witness and shows a sure hand both behind the camera and behind the word processor.

The relationships involved in the film are very deep as well and each offer up their own distinct flavors and nuance. It is impressive that none of them particularly feel like they are given the short shrift at all and all of the characters and their interactions are well drawn and complex. These relationships go a long way toward drawing the audience in and keeping it invested in the film as it unfolds until the whole picture is made plain.

Without strong performances, the relationships would not be able to blossom and be believable but luckily Saving Mr. Banks is blessed with an enormously strong cast all of who deliver their goods to perfection whether they are called upon for laughs or heartbreaks. Just about everyone in the cast is called upon for both comedy and drama and there is never a sour note in any performance.

Emma Thompson, an actress I adore, is amazing as PL Travers delivering a nuanced and multi-faceted performance that is the glue that holds the movie together. A bad performance here would have destroyed the whole film and she does the heavy lifting as if it weighs nothing at all. She is at turns melancholy, distraught, angry, terrified and, occasionally, joyous. Watching as her stern and sullen countenance slowly crumbles is always compelling and I think I could watch this character do just about anything and be entertained.

Tom Hanks shines as the first person to portray Walt Disney in a full length feature and gives us a Walt that is both powerful and affable and who can be both stern and childlike. There are a lot of people with bad things to say about Disney and the portrayal here is definitely a positive one but it tracks with the image that Disney put forth and how I remember seeing him on the Wonderful World of Disney when I was a kid. I don’t know much about who the man really was or if any of the less flattering things said about him are true but in the film he is the way I would have expected as a child and I was very happy with the performance and portrayal. Hanks nails his mannerisms and patterns of speech perfectly and he is an excellent foil for the stubborn and high strung Travers. Watching the two of them come together over the course of the film is magical.

Paul Giamatti is excellent as Travers’s driver Ralph and his performance becomes something of a linchpin throughout the film. Colin Farrell, as Travers’s father, is also excellent with a multi-layered performance that offers both torturous emotion and charming whimsy. Annie Rose Buckley as Travers as a girl similarly brings a performance that runs that gamut from happiness and sadness and delivers these poles with the skill of a more experienced actor. Bradley Whitford, Jason Schwartzman and BJ Novak are all also exceptional in their portrayals of the writing and musical production team on the film and they offer up some of the film’s funniest moments.

It would be easy to be cynical about a film like this and reject it all as propaganda from a huge media conglomerate but to do so would be to ignore amazing and heartfelt performances and a strong story about hope, belief and honoring your loved ones. That it speaks deeply about the writer’s relationship to characters and how important that is to the writer as well as the audience is a point perhaps best appreciated by writers but it provides an insight to others about the deep emotional connection that an artist feels for his or her creations. The film is deeply moving on many levels and if cynicism can be let go, there is a wonderful story of hope, passion and compassion here.

Conclusion [10 out of 10]

There are certain barriers to enjoyment here if you cannot look at Disney as anything other than an evil corporation and that may color the story here but if you can watch it as a film without taking in preconceived notions, this is a wonderful film that has more depth than one would expect and an emotional weight that will stay with you when you leave the theater. Even if you think all of that is sentimental nonsense, I would still recommend the film for the performances alone. They are just that good.