Saving Mr. Banks: Heartfelt, Hopeful, Inspiring

We all have fond memories of that magical tale of an enchanting woman who flew in one day to bring magic and hope to two young children.  We sang along,  danced, and laughed with her as she entered into our lives while watching her through the creation of Walt Disney.  Little did we know the effort it took to make this happen, the truth behind the creation of Mary Poppins (never ever just Mary), and how she saved one little girl's view of her father.

Walt Disney, in all his ambition and magical imagination, had a mission. He wanted to transform the character, Mary Poppins (from the novels written by P.L. Travers), into a visual for all to see.  After twenty years, he was finally able to make this dream come true with more persistence and patience imaginable. 

P.L. Travers was at a low end in her career. Royalties were slowly dwindling and if she didn't do something,  she would loose the house she loved.   Her option was to allow the famous Walt Disney, who had been pursuing her for some time now, to transform her beloved Mary Poppins into a movie.  After twenty years of refusing and a nudge from her manager, Mrs. Travers agreed to meet Mr. Disney.

Being pursued by Walt Disney and traveling to Disney Studios would seem like an exciting adventure. Not for our dear Mrs. Travers. In all honesty,  the women seemed dreadful.  She refused to follow the 1st name basis rule at Disney Studios, only wanted things done her way,  was even picky about the order of placing ingredients into her tea, hiding the variety of gifts in her hotel room (even her stuffed animal Mickey Mouse had to face the wall), and many other odd, offensive tactics.  I often wished Disney would kick her to the curb.  That is, until I saw where she came from.

You see, Mary Poppins might have been a fun, magical,  fictional character for us, but she was very real for P.L. Travers as a child.  Mrs. Travers grew up with a father who loved her dearly and the feeling was more than reciprocated.  However, her world came crashing down when her father grew sick and her mother lost all hope.  Then one day, the wind changed and in came her real life Mary Poppins to restore her family. 

Due to her flashbacks, you are able to see why it is so hard for Mrs. Travers to let go of Mary Poppins. Her insecurities of how Mr. Banks (her father) would be viewed and her own personal issues with her father from childhood as well as who Mary Poppins was in her world all created a barrier in which nobody could break through. Nobody, except Walt Disney.

This film leaves you more in love with the Mary Poppins we grew up with as it provides the gripping tale of a true life Mary Poppins that rescued a family.  The cast is nothing short of amazing.  Emma Thompson truly captures P.L. Travers and I often had to remind myself that I was seeing Tom Hanks instead of Walt Disney himself.   You won't regret seeing this movie and I dare you not to find that old Mary Poppins movie after. 

*There is a treat at the end.