Saving Mr Banks (2013)

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"A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
The medicine go down, the medicine go down
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
In a most delightful way"
– Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman (1964)

 I have seen neither the 1964 (Julie Andrews) nor the 2018 movie adaptation of Mary Poppins. However, I grew up hearing "A Spoonful of Sugar" (the song) many times... and it has been an earworm for many a time. The song gave me an impression that the movie's plot is light-hearted and family-oriented, like many of the Disney movies I've watched.

The story behind the scenes of every successful endeavour, however, is rarely not dramatic. For Saving Mr Banks, Walt Disney made a lot of effort to appease the Mary Poppins author, P. L. Travers. She was portrayed, quite aptly by Emma Thompson, who also portrayed the eponymous Nanny McPhee and Sybil Trelawney (Harry Potter series). Tom Hanks portrayed Disney in a way that I've always imagined he would be: family-oriented and charismatic businessman who didn't seem to have a bad bone in his body.

Disney went to great lengths to secure the film rights to Mary Poppins from Travers. Her hesitation to give permission and her conditions that limited and frustrated the movie's creative team stemmed from her deep attachment to the story... Mr Banks was her books' equivalent of her father. She wanted to ensure that his narrative was going to be treated with respect because she was very close to her father. Moreover, many of the story's characters were inspired by Travers' childhood. Once the creative team figured out that she wasn't just a nit-picky lady and realised that her negative feedback were valid, they respected her wishes... which led to her becoming disengaged as the improved storyline reminded her of her difficult childhood. As the movie ended, I found myself tearing up with Travers. She faced a lot of emotional hurdles leading up to the movie's premiere. Seeing her emotions transform from detachment (because she didn't like how the movie opened) to enjoyment (as she appreciated the portrayal of Mr Banks), I felt like I was there with her, understanding that this was catharsis for her. It's not easy, but many of the Disney team embodied Woody's mantra, "you've got a friend in me," which allowed Travers to start healing.

Saving Mr Banks is such a sweet, feel-good movie. It's not exactly new but the story remains fresh. Just like King's Speech, I wouldn't mind watching Saving Mr Banks several times.

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