Saving Mr. Banks

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Release Date: December 13, 2013

7.6	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 321 Ratings

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RTFORDDec 30, 2013

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. 'Saving Mr. Banks' is almost entirely fictitious. Unlike the conclusion of the movie, the author, Pamela Lyndon Travers (real name: Helen Lyndon Goff never liked or approved the Disney adaptation. The pace of the movie is slow in spots and the never-ending flash backs attempting to explain Ms. Goff's bizarre behavior are not convincing. Even at the premier of the movie, Ms. Goff insisted to Walt Disney that the animation had to go. Disney responded by walking away, saying as he did, "Pamela, the ship has sailed." The acting of Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson is exceptional and for that I'm forced to give it a favorable score but all in all, I really didn't like it much.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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MarcDoyleDec 29, 2013

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I very much wanted to give this movie the benefit of the doubt, but they swung and missed with the writing and the very somber tone of this film. The tone sets up a very nice sequence in which Disney follows the author back to her home in London. However, other than a couple of nice moments with her driver Giamatti, it's the rare highlight from a very average film.… Expand

3 of 5 users found this helpful32

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foxgroveDec 20, 2013

It will take more than a spoonful of sugar to help this rather unpalatable medicine go down. Marketed as being about the making of the musical 'Mary Poppins', this is only partially true. The film spends 50% of its running time exploring P LIt will take more than a spoonful of sugar to help this rather unpalatable medicine go down. Marketed as being about the making of the musical 'Mary Poppins', this is only partially true. The film spends 50% of its running time exploring P L Travers child hood in Australia with her down trodden mother and drunken father (Colin Farrell giving the film's best performance). From this dysfunctional background sprung forth her flying nanny. The other half of the film is indeed about the making of the famous 1964 movie starring Oscar winning Julie Andrews, which is in itself over rated.
The main problem is that the film is boringly repetitive and the juxtaposing of Travers' child hood with her time in L A is totally un-interesting. Things aren't helped by Emma Thompson's irritatingly mannered and tiresome performance (An Oscar nomination I have heard mentioned. REALLY!!!!!!). Also Tom Hanks' brilliance as Captain Phillips has certainly been hijacked here in his playing of Walt Disney. In fact the best parts of the film involve the Sherman brothers composing or performing the now famous music. I also have to admit to loving the line Poor A A Milne' which Ms Thompson utters in disgust on finding a stuffed Pooh bear in her hotel room. However, aside from the occasional line of inspired dialogue, most of the script has Thompson constantly enunciating in the negative which becomes wearisome indeed. Predictable sentimentality has its moments towards the end, but an excessive running time cannot save Mr Banks from being dull, dull, dull.… Expand

1 of 6 users found this helpful15

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GreatMartinDec 27, 2013

A reviewer should review the movie they have seen not the want they wanted it to be. P.L. Travers, born Helen Lynden Goff, had an alcoholic father who died at a young age, a suicidal mother, adopted a boy when she was 40 though she wouldn'tA reviewer should review the movie they have seen not the want they wanted it to be. P.L. Travers, born Helen Lynden Goff, had an alcoholic father who died at a young age, a suicidal mother, adopted a boy when she was 40 though she wouldn't adopt his twin brother. She was an actress before becoming a writer under the Travers name and became famous with "Mary Poppins". She had live in affairs with two women and would die at the age of 96.

"Saving Mr. Banks" is based on a trip she made to Hollywood, with all expenses picked up by Walt Disney, who wanted the rights to her best selling "Mary Poppins". Tom Hanks plays Disney as an easy going, easy to get along with guy, who portions out a lot more than 'A Spoonful of Sugar" to get those rights.

Emma Thompson is the back bone of the movie playing Travers as a woman who won't give an inch. She is cold, looks down her nose on Hollywood and feels they will only bring harm to the work so close to her. She doesn't like Dick Van Dyke, wanting only an English cast, refused to have animated animals, scoffed at the songwriters and screenwriters, really doesn't get the audience on her side, even with flashbacks to her childhood, but by the end of the film will move you to tears.

Joseph Schwartzman and B. J. Novak play the songwriting brothers, who won Oscars for Best Song "Chim Chim Che-ree and Best Original score, with Bradley Whitford, as Don DaGradi receiving a nomination for screenplay, doing an all around true person. There is an outstanding performance by Paul Giamatti playing Travers's Hollywood driver, Ralph. Colin Farrell as her father does a stereotype of the drunken Irish man with some warmth while most of the women in the movie have what would be called cameo parts by such names as Kathy Baker, Ruth Wilson and Rachel Griffiths.

After bombastic films like "American Hustle" and "The Wolf of Wall Street" it's a good change of pace to come across the story of an Australian writer in a two film about a beloved American movie but, hopefully, with Emma Thompson playing P.L. Travis agai we will get the more dramatic picture of her real life.… Expand

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

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DukeJonJan 19, 2014

Good acting by Colin Farrell and Tom Hanks but as a piece of entertainment this film didn't work for me as P.L.Travers is such an awful person. Felt like an advert for the reputation of Walt Disney at times.