‘Saving Mr. Banks’ Reveals the Battle Over Disney’s ‘Mary Poppins’

Daily Beast ^ | Oct 21 2013 | Nico Hines

[WilliamIII]

No wonder Mary Poppins needed a spoonful of sugar. The forthcoming Saving Mr. Banks is a dark film that tells the heart-breaking true story behind one of the great characters in children’s movie history.

P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson), the nanny’s formidable creator, is pitted against Walt Disney (Tom Hanks), who promised his daughters that he’d bring Poppins to the big screen. The thing is, that pledge goes against the author’s wishes.

Saving Mr. Banks goes behind the scenes of the ferocious battle to make what was to become the famous 1964 musical adaptation. For 20 years, Travers refused to grant the rights to Disney. Eventually she said she would relent, but only if the movie was made to her specifications, which ranged from choosing the precise tape measure used in one scene to the exclusion of the color red from the entire movie.

[Hoffer Rand]

I never read Little Mermaid. What happens to her at the end of the story? Please don’t tell me it involves mayo;)

Sorry for the late reply. I've been celebrating Thanksgiving and away from my computer. In the original, the little mermaid saves the prince from drowning. He swears the only girl he'll marry is the one who rescued him. When he meets the princess he's been arranged to marry, she looks just like he remembers the girl who rescued him, so he thinks it was her. The little mermaid can't talk to tell him it was her instead. She watches him marry the other girl. Her sisters tell her the only way for her to break the spell and return home is to kill the prince before sunrise after the wedding. She goes in to kill him, sees him sleeping next to his new wife, decides she loves him too much to kill him, and walks out into the waves, where as the sun rises she turns into sea foam and slowly washes away with the tide.

What's not to like? Has Disney cartoon written all over it, don't you think?

[HokieMom]

I saw this movie this weekend and found it absolutely charming and give it two thumbs up. I loved it and the men in the audience seemed to enjoy it as well. Great for date night. I see lots of Oscar nominations on the horizon. Even if one never saw, didn’t care for, or has forgotten ‘Mary Poppins’ this movie is still enjoyable on its own.

http://movies.disney.com/saving-mr-banks

[WilliamIII]

Thanks for letting me know. I’ haven’t been very enthusiastic about seeing it, after reading that it’s “dark”. Don’t know what the critics mean by that . Do you?

[HokieMom]

Yes, and without revealing too much, it’s about processing childhood trauma in adulthood. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it ‘dark,’ though. Just the type of thing that brings a tear to the eye or a lump to the throat. Overcoming adversity and triumphing with success. The audience loved it and sat through the credits as there is something additional included.

[Rebelbase]

Watched it a few nights ago. It alternates between two timelines, the interactions with Disney and Co. while the movie was in production and childhood events in Travers’ live that were the inspiration for the Mary Poppins Story.

[21twelve]

I liked the movie.

I don’t recall any swear words. He was smoking, and an acholoic is a primary character. No violence, other than throwing some stuff around and yelling.

In the film, the gal obviously came around. (And obviously in real life as well).

[WilliamIII]

Thanks. I now think I’ll go see it.