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Saving Mr. Banks
2013 126 min Australia, United Kingdom, United States of America PG-13 12+
★7.8
Comedy, Drama, History
Director: John Lee Hancock
Trailers
Description
Author P.L. Travers looks back on her childhood while reluctantly meeting with Walt Disney, who seeks to adapt her Mary Poppins books for the big screen.
Budget:
$35M
US Gross:
$83.3M
Worldwide:
$112.54M
Starring
Emma Thompson
Actor
Tom Hanks
Actor
Annie Rose Buckley
Actor
Awards
Golden Globe 2014
— Best Actress (Drama)
BAFTA 2014
— Best Debut (Screenplay, Direction or Production)
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2014
— Best Actress
BAFTA 2014
— Best Actress
BAFTA 2014
— Best Costume Design
BAFTA 2014
— Alexander Korda Award for Outstanding British Film
BAFTA 2014
— Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music
Academy Awards 2014
— Best Original Score
Saturn Awards 2014
— Best Actress
Key opinion
Saving Mr. Banks is a polished, heartfelt biographical drama that effectively intertwines the production history of Mary Poppins with the poignant, troubled childhood of its author, P.L. Travers. While opinions on the film's tone and historical accuracy vary, the consensus celebrates the lead performances as the core strength of the production.
| Acting | Emma Thompson delivers a nuanced, emotionally authentic performance that skillfully portrays Travers' transition from stern rigidity to vulnerability. | |
| Acting | Colin Farrell provides a deeply committed and sympathetic portrayal of the author's father, anchoring the film's emotional flashback sequences. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay masterfully weaves two distinct timelines—the 1961 negotiations and the Australian childhood—to explain the origins of Mary Poppins. | |
| Production | The film maintains a polished, magical aesthetic consistent with Disney's production values, though some viewers find the warm color palette and optimistic tone distractingly sentimental. | |
| Acting | Tom Hanks' portrayal of Walt Disney is widely appreciated as a solid and charismatic performance, though some reviewers found his interpretation to be a somewhat simplified, idealized version of the historical figure. |