I have two opposing reactions to this film - my rating is the average of these:
This is a well-crafted movie about the back story of the negotiations between Travers and Disney in making the movie Mary Poppins. Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks act their butts off, and the supporting cast are fun to watch. As always, Paul Giamatti adds ten points to every scene he's in. It provides a connection between what was the main emotional theme of the movie and Travers's life - the relationship with her father and need for forgiveness - and shows her near-cathartic realization of this relationship as she works on and eventually sees the film. 8 out of 10
That's the first reaction - the second reaction is that this is a Disneyfied, sanitized, and highly fictionalized telling of Disney bullying the author into accepting his sugar-coated version of the book. She doesn't want cartoons! but ends up with cartoons! She doesn't want songs! but is so charmed by them that she actually smiles! Oh, the irony!!
So we have near-stereotypical depictions people that were very different and much more interesting in real life - the shrewish and odd author (how amusing that she just doesn't "get" Hollywood? Ha ha) - the patient, put-upon mogul who, bless his heart, just wants to keep a promise he made to his daughter, the back story about the alcoholic father, cue the tears as he sinks unto death, the mother so in despair she tries to commit suicide, only to be saved!! by PL Travers!, complete with supporting hijinks by the writers and songwriters. One comes away with a kind of feeling of having been anesthetized and given propaganda that, gosh, makes ya feel good about that Disney guy and his paper delivery story. The culmination of Disney telling the author "what's important about life and the way we tell it" is superb scripting; eyes fill with tears, but, it's nothing but scripting. 4 out of 10
It's not surprising that Disney would make a film depicting this episode in such a sympathetic way, and it is, as noted above, a well-made and entertaining film. There's nothing wrong with films depicting real-life situations in a fictionalized manner (Immortal Beloved, anybody?). But the spoonful of sugar that this is meant to be leaves a little of a bad taste - it's more of a packet of Sweet'n Lo to help the movie go down.
Review of Saving Mr. Banks
