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 13 wins & 73 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

Tom Hanks and Paul Giamatti have both played Santa Claus in film. Hanks did motion capture work and provided the voice for Santa in "The Polar Express" and Giamatti portrayed him in "Fred Claus".

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Goofs

When Ralph drives P.L. Travers into the Disney Studios for the first time, the period limo goes over a non-period speed-bump at the guard shack.

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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

References Bambi (1942)

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Soundtracks

Big Noise from Winnetka
Written by Ray Bauduc, Bob Haggart, Bob Crosby, and Gil Rodin
Performed by The Swing Masters
Courtesy of Dare Records

User Reviews

A pack of lies

If anyone wants to know the TRUE story of P.L. Travers' and Walt Disney's negotiations regarding MARY POPPINS, read Caitlin Flanagan's article "Becoming Mary Poppins" published in The New Yorker in 2005. Walt Disney was an S.O.B., and treated Travers abominably. Obviously the company is trying to soften his image with this insipid film. I've lost all respect for anyone involved with the project.

This paragraph from Flanagan's piece says it all: "The première was the first Travers had seen of the movie—-she did not initially receive an invitation, but had embarrassed a Disney executive into extending one—-and it was a shock. Afterward, as Richard Sherman recalled, she tracked down Disney at the after-party, which was held in a giant white tent in the parking lot adjoining the Chinese Theatre. "Well," she said loudly. "The first thing that has to go is the animation sequence." Disney looked at her coolly. "Pamela," he replied, "the ship has sailed." And then he strode past her, toward a throng of well-wishers, and left her alone, an aging woman in a satin gown and evening gloves, who had travelled more than five thousand miles to attend a party where she was not wanted."

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