I find it rather ironic that Disney has created a movie on the actual Walt Disney and as much as I was totally uninterested in watching the film, to my surprise it has turned out to be my best movie of 2014 so far.
Plot: When Walt Disney’s daughters begged him to make a movie of their favorite book, P.L. Travers’ Mary Poppins, he made them a promise – one that he didn’t realize would take 20 years to keep. In his quest to obtain the rights, Walt comes up against a curmudgeonly, uncompromising writer who has absolutely no intention of letting her beloved magical nanny get mauled by the Hollywood machine. But, as the books stop selling and money grows short, Travers reluctantly agrees to go to Los Angeles to hear Disney’s plans for the adaptation. For those two short weeks in 1961, Walt Disney pulls out all the stops. Armed with imaginative storyboards and chirpy songs from the talented Sherman brothers, Walt launches an all-out onslaught on P.L. Travers, but the prickly author doesn’t budge. He soon begins to watch helplessly as Travers becomes increasingly immovable and the rights begin to move further away from his grasp. It is only when he reaches into his own childhood that Walt discovers the truth about the ghosts that haunt her, and together they set Mary Poppins free to ultimately make one of the most endearing films in cinematic history.
Remarks: Tom Hanks (Disney) and Emma Thompson (Travers) are so perfect for the role. They both underwent a complete transformation for the roles and were incredibly believable. I loved the random flashbacks to Australia in the early 1900’s where Travers lived her early years and, in turn, inspired the popular Mary Poppins book. Emma really showcased just how difficult Travers was to work with. I must be honest – I have never seen the original Mary Poppins (although after watching this film it’s first on my list!) but it even made me really feel the story and appreciate the time and effort Walt went through to bring this character to life. While I must admit that I wasn’t incredibly keen to watch this film, you truely are hooked in the first few minutes. An incredible job by the Disney team!
Rating: 5/5
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