Rent Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
3.8 of 5 from 1003 ratings
2h 5min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson bring to life the untold true story about the origins of one of the most treasured Disney classics of all time. John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) directs this acclaimed film, which reveals the surprising backstory behind the making of Mary Poppins. Determined to fulfill a promise to his daughters, Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) tries for twenty years to obtain the rights to author P. L. Travers' (Emma Thompson) beloved book. Armed with his iconic creative vision, Walt pulls out all the stops, but the uncompromising Travers won't budge. Only when he reaches into his own complicated childhood does Walt discover the truth about the ghosts that haunt Travers, and together, they set Mary Poppins free! - Actors:
- Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Annie Rose Buckley, Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson, Paul Giamatti, Bradley Whitford, B.J. Novak, Jason Schwartzman, Lily Bigham, Kathy Baker, Melanie Paxson, Andy McPhee, Rachel Griffiths, Ronan Vibert, Jerry Hauck, Laura Waddell, Fuschia Sumner, David Ross Paterson, Michelle Arthur
- Directors:
- John Lee Hancock
- Producers:
- Ian Collie, Alison Owen, Philip Steuer
- Voiced By:
- P.L. Travers
- Writers:
- Kelly Marcel, Sue Smith
- Others:
- Thomas Newman, Daniel Orlandi
- Studio:
- Walt Disney
- Genres:
- Comedy, Drama
- Collections:
- 10 Films to Watch if You Like: King Kong, 2014, A History of Cinemas in Films, A History of Films about Film: Part 1, Award Winners, Children & Family, Children's Books On Screen: Family Classics & YA, CinemaParadiso.co.uk Through Time, Getting to Know :Tom Hanks, Getting to Know..., Getting to Know: Emma Thompson, Getting to Know: Kenneth More, Glynis & Angela: Ninetysomething Marvels, The Biggest Oscar Snubs: Part 2, The Coppola Clan: Hollywood's Most Creative Family, A Brief History of Film..., Top 10 Award Winners at the London Film Festival, Top Films
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 24/03/2014
- Run Time:
- 125 minutes
- Languages:
- English Audio Description Dolby Digital 2.0, English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- Subtitles:
- Danish, English Hard of Hearing, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.40:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- (0) All
- Bonus:
- Deleted Scenes: Stargaze, Nanny Song, Pam Leaves
- Behind the Scenes - The Walt Disney Studios: From Poppins to the Present
- Behind the Scenes: Let's Go Fly a Kite
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Reviews (13) of Saving Mr. Banks
Hugely enjoyable and interesting movie - esp for fans of somg writers - Saving Mr. Banks review by PV
Despite its sentimentality, I found this a hugely enjoyable and interesting film. I have an interest in song writing, so loved watching the process of how the songs from Mary Poppins were written.
The script, acting, direction were all fine.
Also, unlike in many Hollywood biopics, I didn't find then flashback scenes intrusive. They added to and enriched the present day action and character, as they should.
I am not a big Tom Hanks fan, but thought he was perfectly cast here; Emma Thompson too, though she was younger that the 'real' PL Travers.
I wasn't expecting to find this so enjoyable, but found it a really touching movie. A shame it didn't win Oscars really; I enjoyed this so much more than the tedious Gravity.
4.5 stars
4 out of 4 members found this review helpful.
Ok but not necessary - Saving Mr. Banks review by AM
This is fine. It's enjoyable, and nice, and well-played. I can imagine siting down with the family on Christmas evening and watching it.
It didn't feel necessary though. It may shed a bit of light in the upbringing of the creator of Mary Poppins, or it may imagine scenes that do her, and her parents an injustice. I can't tell, and I don't really care. I don't need to know and I don't think anyone really does. As a general rule, I always think that if you are going to re-tell a story based on real events, then it either needs to be a story worth telling or seek to show new perspectives worth thinking about . Dunkirk is a film which falls into the former category, The Post falls into the latter. I don't see why Saving Mr Banks needs to exist.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Deeply funny, unexpectedly moving. - Saving Mr. Banks review by JD
Emma Thompson plays an eccentric, quintessential, exact and forthright English woman. It is done so well that it is simultaneously funny, moving and inspiring. She is for me currently the best actress of any genre. Also of note is the actress who plays her as a girl. Equally moving. Colin Farrell's portrayal is moving but he struggles with the Australian accent, he's not very good at playing a drunk either. I find it very distracting when accents are done badly, better they are not done at all. The last quarter of the film is not particularly believable but pretty sorrowful nevertheless. 5 stars, mainly for Emma T.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Critic review
Saving Mr. Banks review by George Hooper - Cinema Paradiso
Saving Mr Banks isn’t the predictable Disney films with heroes and villains, it’s not even a friendly family drama where everything figures itself out in the end. It’s a dreary look at the effects of fathers and family and the children it has warped in the process.
Saving Mr Banks follows PL Travers (Emma Thompson), the author of the Mary Poppins series of books and her interactions with Walt DIsney (Tom Hank) when he tries to acquire the rights to her books. The two clash over the book as PL looks back to her past with her father (Colin Farrell).
PL is anything but the average Disney lead, a pit of resentment and shame trying to move past the effects of her childhood. Thompson makes you empathise with this tragic woman in a way no other actress could. She is curt but fair and makes PL caustic but relatable. Hanks adds his signature cheer to the affair as the disarmingly charming Walt Disney.
Smartly written by Sue Smith and Kelly Marcel, the dialogue is sharp and witty while never veering towards the sentimental. The flashbacks fill in much needed gaps and flesh out PL while never feeling out of place or extraneous.
Directed by The Blind SIde’s John Lee Hancock, the film’s complex tale of conflicting emotions makes for a compelling watch as the horrible nature of PL’s past comes to light as Walt tries to understand the true importance of Mary Poppins. The addition of a few choice Dick Van Dyke jokes and some musical gags make for a nice cherry on top.
The film is mature and moving in a real way, which makes a change to the fairy princesses and mythical princes propagating their movies. I’d much rather watch the idealistic ramblings of PL Travers and Walt DIsney any day as they share horror stories about their past and make iconic films as they go