Saving Mr. Banks on blu-ray last week, then Monday we watched the extras. (I posted clips of the movie in this post last month.)
All I can say is oh, my goodness. I loved this movie. Truth be told I was kind of surprised that it was more P.L. Travers' story that Walt Disney's. Through the magic of flashbacks, we learn quite a bit about Travers' childhood and how her experiences were integrated into the tale of Mary Poppins. Mary Poppins was hers and hers alone and she'd not have it changed at all.
She did everything in her power to prevent the making of the movie. Even so far as banning the use of the color red.
But as the movie, and her story, progressed, we began to see why Mary Poppins meant so much to her, how much of her own life was reflected in the story and why she was so strongly resistent to any type of change.
The telling point, for me, anyway, was when she told the Sherman brothers and Mr. Disney that Mary Poppins was not about "saving the children".
It was a truly entertaining movie. Emma Thompson did a wonderful job in her portrayal as P.L., starting out as highly unlikeable and petty person. Paul Giamatti as her driver was sweet. I think his personality was one of the reasons she finally started to not be such a snot. Because he just kept being sweet.
When Tom Hanks spoke, I could actually hear the voice of Walt Disney. He nailed it.
I like the bonus footage, I wish they'd left the "Starry Night" scene in the movie, because it showed that there was affection between Pamela's mother and father. In the movie, all you saw was her frustration and annoyance with her husband, who wasn't cut out for life in a bank. He was a storyteller and a dreamer.
Expect laughs, expect tears. It's a very moving film and very well done.
The scenes from the park made me smile. This wasn't 1961 Disneyland, it was now Disneyland. I could tell by the bricks (and one of those in front of the park has our names on it) and park entrance.
Lots of paws up from the cathouse.
If you have a choice of versions, I'd say pay the extra for the blu-ray. The bonus features are worth it. Especially the last one where the entire cast and crew sang "Let's Go Fly A Kite".
This movie left me looking through my disk library....oh, there it is. "Mary Poppins".....
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