Almost making my top ten for 2013, the comedy/drama with music Saving Mr. Banks arrives on Blu-ray for home viewing. Based on a true story, the film features the disagreement and purchase of the rights to make Mary Poppins into a movie. The gamble by Disney ended up a huge success on the screen, but for author P.L. Travers it was a nightmare. The Blu-ray comes in a combo pack that includes the DVD and a digital copy.
The story starts in the early 1960’s when Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) finally made a breakthrough to fulfill the request by his daughters to make a film from their favorite book called Mary Poppins. Urging writer P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) to come to America and talk over her fears, Walt wins in a persuasive argument. However, Travers does not like the way books are made into movies changing plots and titles just to make money.
She arrives and met at the airport by Ralph (Paul Giamatti) Walt’s driver and brought to the office. It’s not long before Travers shows her disdain for the films Walt makes. But, Walt has a plan and a deal she can’t refuse. When Travers meets the Sherman’s, Don (Jason Schwartzman) and Robert (B.J. Novak), responsible for writing the music and lyrics and gets involved in seeing her story realized, things start to mellow a bit. But, it will take more than a few defense moves on Walt’s part to pull this one off.
The film gets beautifully presented with the songs and comedy from Mary Poppins. Director John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) makes his film amusing and compelling with a nicely paced script that at times tugs at the heartstrings. He’s fair for both sides of the argument and the meeting of minds doesn’t come easily for his characters. He draws stellar performances from Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson, both of which deserve a lot of praise for their work on the film.
Hanks works his screen magic with the help of a mustache to bring Walt Disney to life. Taking the little nuances of the great producer that are eminent from his television shows, Hanks poses as the great man who brought families so many wonders. Whether it’s showing off his magical Disneyland or getting down to the nitty-gritty with P.L. Travers Hanks shows both sides to the businessman and movie maker. Depicting a charismatic man like Disney isn’t easy by any measure, but Hanks comes the closest I’ve ever seen.
Emma Thompson brings her dry wit and charm to P.L. Travers. She shows Travers determination to keep her book characters in tact without compromise. The only advantage Disney has is the results of his long work as a producer that entertains families with stories that excite and make them laugh. Her first objection is the music and she doesn’t want any of that animation popping up making her stories look ridiculous. Facing up to Disney, Thompson puts her foot down when he introduces Sherman brothers, but you can see her soften over time, even toe tapping to a song.
The Blu-ray has a few extras that are worth the watch, but nothing spectacular.
Bonus Features:
- “From Poppins to the Present” John Lee Hancock along with his production coordinator talk about how the Mary Poppins affected Disney pictures. There’s even some interviews with the Disney family.
- “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” A memorable look at those who helped make the film a reality singing a one of the better songs from Mary Poppins.
- “Deleted Scenes” There are 3 deleted scenes for you to judge whether they made any difference to the film.
The Blu-ray has excellent quality for viewing the film with its 1080p HD 2.40:1 Aspect Ratio. Although it does not fill my 16×9 HD television screen (it’s “letterboxed”), the clear and clean presentation does overshadow the size. The colors are bright and brilliant and even the nighttime scenes at the opening gala are vibrant.
The sound quality is equally good as the video presentation. Presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 the dialogue is crystal clear and the music delightful using both the television speakers and my upgraded sound system.
Specifications and additional film information:
Cast: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Annie Rose Buckley, Ruth Wilson, B.J. Novak, Rachel Griffiths, Kathy Baker and Colin Farrell
Director: John Lee Hancock
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for thematic elements including some unsettling images
Genre: Drama, Music
Running Time: 2 hrs 5 min
Video Release Date: March 18, 2014
Original Film Release Date: December 13, 2013
Language: English
Format: Blu-ray
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Video: 1080p HD 2.40:1 Aspect Ratio
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Number of Discs: 1 Disc
Distributed by: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
