Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

Author P.L. Travers reflects on her childhood after reluctantly meeting with Walt Disney, who seeks to adapt her Mary Poppins books for the big screen.

Director:

John Lee Hancock

Writers:

Kelly Marcel, Sue Smith

Stars:

Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Annie Rose Buckley

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 14 wins & 72 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Emma Thompson	...	P.L. Travers
Tom Hanks	...	Walt Disney
Annie Rose Buckley	...	Ginty
Colin Farrell	...	Travers Goff
Ruth Wilson	...	Margaret Goff
Paul Giamatti	...	Ralph
Bradley Whitford	...	Don DaGradi
B.J. Novak	...	Robert Sherman
Jason Schwartzman	...	Richard Sherman
Lily Bigham	...	Biddy
Kathy Baker	...	Tommie
Melanie Paxson	...	Dolly
Andy McPhee	...	Mr. Belhatchett
Rachel Griffiths	...	Aunt Ellie
Ronan Vibert	...	Diarmuid Russell

Storyline

When Walter Elias Disney's (Tom Hanks') daughters begged him to make a movie of their favorite book, P.L. Travers' (Dame Emma Thompson's) "Mary Poppins", he made them a promise - one that he didn't realize would take twenty years to keep. In his quest to obtain the rights, Walt comes up against a curmudgeonly, uncompromising writer who has absolutely no intention of letting her beloved magical nanny get mauled by the Hollywood machine. But, as the books stop selling and money grows short, Travers reluctantly agrees to go to Los Angeles, California to hear Disney's plans for the adaptation. For those two short weeks in 1961, Walt Disney pulls out all of the stops. Armed with imaginative storyboards and chirpy songs from the talented Richard M. Sherman (Jason Schwartzman) and Robert B. Sherman (B.J. Novak), Walt launches an all-out onslaught on P.L. Travers, but the prickly author doesn't budge. He soon begins to watch helplessly as Travers becomes increasingly immovable and the rights ...

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Plot Keywords:

disney | author | loss of father | reference to walt disney | suppression of emotion | 

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Taglines:

Where her book ended, their story began.

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Genres:

Biography | Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements including some unsettling images

Did You Know?

Trivia

The emotional weight of the scene featuring the song "Feed the Birds" is based on the fact that it was Walter Elias Disney's personal favorite song. According to Richard M. Sherman, Walt would drop by the Shermans' office and ask Richard to play the song when he felt depressed. It got to the point that he would drop by and simply say, "Play it", and they'd know what he wanted. According to Richard M. Sherman, Walt felt that the song was a perfect summation of why he created Walt Disney Pictures in the first place.

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Goofs

In the finest tradition of movie billboards and DVD covers everywhere, the new poster for Mary Poppins credits "Julie Andrews" above the face of Dick Van Dyke, and "Dick Van Dyke" above the face of Julie Andrews.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Travers Goff: [voiceover] Winds in the east / Mist coming in / Like something is brewing / About to begin / Can't put me finger / On what lies in store / But I feel what's to happen / All happened before.

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Crazy Credits

The credits also have an actual audio recording of P.L. Travers conversing with the filmmakers like the ones depicted in the film.

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Connections

Referenced in The Queen Latifah Show: From the Oscar-Nominated "Saving Mr. Banks", Bradley Whitford. Plus, from the Oscar-Nominated "12 Years a Slave", Sarah Paulson/Celebrity Trainer Jeanette Jenkins (2014)

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Soundtracks

Blaydon Races
Arranged by Charles Ernest Catcheside-Warrington

User Reviews

No, Mr Disney

Emma Thompson is great fun to watch, always. Here, she plays Mrs Travers the one who dared to say no to Walt Disney. The movie, made by the Disney studios, would have us believe that Walt Disney was, well...Tom Hanks. No. Impossible, incredible, almost laughable but thanks to the power of the stars one can sit through it, thoroughly entertained by this work of fiction. The imperious character played by Emma Thompson as a theatrical rather than a cinematic experience is nonetheless engaging and moving. The flashbacks were, if you permit the impudence, a total miscalculation. They come back with annoying regularity and instead of adding, they detract from the central story. My favorite parts were the meeting between Mrs Travers and Saint Walt Disney in London and Mrs Travers inviting herself and sitting at the premiere of Mary Poppins.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA UK Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 December 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Saving Mr. Banks

Filming Locations:

Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort - 1600 S. Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$413,373, 15 December 2013

Gross USA:

$83,301,580

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$117,867,984

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures, Ruby Films, Easy Tiger Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Sound Mix:

Datasat Dolby Digital SDDS Dolby Surround 7.1 Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1