Film: Saving Mr. Banks

Director: John Lee Hancock
Genre: Drama
Source: USA (2013)
Rating: PG-13
Location/Format: Carmike Wynnsong 12 at Riverwoods
Grade: B

There are two ways to look at Saving Mr. Banks, and I experienced both of them over the course of the movie. On the one hand it's a heartfelt tale of sentiment and forgiveness through the lens of author P.L. Travers' begrudging acceptance of and forgiveness of herself for the shortcomings she felt as a child. On the other hand it's a somewhat shameless piece of Disney self-promotion, in which the forgiveness mentioned above comes only through the warm touch and tender guidance of Walt Disney himself, a family man who only wants to tell stories that make children happy. I'd guess that both views fall far short of reality (I know Walt Disney wasn't all just sweetness and light, and I'd guess that Travers wasn't just a stand-offish cold fish until she came into contact with Disney), but the resultant blend in this film is at times eye-rolling but mostly effective. For me, that basically comes down to how much they sandwich in Walt Disney himself--saccharinely though ably played by current reigning "World's Most Likable Man" Tom Hanks. When Hanks-as-Disney is on screen, it just feels a little too much like propaganda. But when it's Travers' story, it's pretty compelling.

Emma Thompson is quite strong as a take-no-prisoners woman who wants things her way (an impression delightfully confirmed in the film's closing credits, when real audio tapes of her sessions with Mary Poppins screenplay and songwriters are played. Travers is mostly immune to the "magic" of Disney, and though the film requires a heart-softening and gives credit for it to Disney, it also allows her to work through her own history and trauma in some very moving sequences. Colin Ferrell's portrayal as her imaginative, loving, yet deeply troubled alcoholic father plays out in increasingly tragic flashback to illuminate her prickly attachment to her creations of Mary Poppins and the Banks family. This psychological drama portion of the film is much weightier and thought-provoking than I had expected walking in, and it really helped the film have some thoughtful substance.

And then we're back in Disneyland again, and there's old Walt making everything all better. The film doesn't only ask how you can forgive yourself or your alcoholic dad, but also how do you forgive a movie for being so overtly manipulative.

Saving Mr. Banks is well made, beautiful to look at, and it will be a crowd pleaser to those who see it--it's definitely heart-string tugging. But I can't help but think it would have been a much better film if someone besides Disney had made it. Maybe we could see a little more of the complexity on both sides of the divide. This film will make a few nods that way, but it's not willing to let Disney be anything other than the heroic father figure, and for that reason it goes from what could be a really great film to just being a really nice film to see with your family over the holidays.