"That's What Storyteller do, We Restore Order."

As I did a review on another podcast as a guest speaker and I will post the link here for all of you to listen I am just going to be posting the notes I made up for the show.

Generation Mouse Podcast

Please, be respectful to any spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. mistakes as these notes were meant strictly for me only to reference when giving my review of the film!

As usual if you have comments, question, thoughts in general, regarding this post or any others please feel free to speak your mind!

Spoiler Alert:  There might be a few spoilers in my notes and the review I have done with the other podcast if you do not wish to hear them please stop here:

Show notes:

Saving Mr. Banks

My Opinion of the film

background script

pltravers

plotpoints

controversies

My Opinion of the film

•   Loved every minute of the film

•   entertaining, dramatic, very relatable

-    Everyone I am sure would like to change something about their childhood

-    We sometimes change a memory so the restores order and makes us live happy

•   Everyone can interpret the story differently and take from it what makes sense to them

•   Parent to child relationships are complicated and it is explored here.

•   The writing of the script was virtually flawless

•   Transitions between flashbacks and present are excellent

•   Was walking a fine line between being an ad campaign Walt Disney or hurting the reputation.

•   Executed perfectly stayed as close to the truth as possible while still being entertaining

•   Saw it as an apology to Travers' was fair to both Disney and Travers'

-    Richard Sherman cried after reading script because he didn't know what a terrible childhood she had.  Now looking back forgives her for basically ruining his life.

•   This film is not about Disney it is about Travers' and the creative process.

•   Emma Thompson brilliant should be winning the Oscar, very difficult to play such a complex person.  Hard to be mean and still be likable, very brilliant in that. (Actually apologized after scenes for being so nasty.

•   Tom Hanks does not look like Disney at all but he embodied his spirit, there were time throughout the film that is very believable that he was Disney.  (Were looking for an iconic actor to play Disney who is also, an icon.

-     Background Script

•   Producer Allison Owen got the idea for the film from another script written in Australia about Travers' life.

•   Owen decided to focus on the creative process of Turing book into film

•   Sought out Marcel to write script.  (Marcel picked Saving Mr. Banks out of a slew of concepts)

•   Marcel wrote script and only realized when almost finished that the only studio that could make the film would be Disney because of all the copyrights to music and clips of the film Mary Poppins. (Thought Disney would give a cease/desist order)

•   After acquiring director John Lee Hancock, actors Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson Owens present the film to Disney. 

•   Disney thought it was great and even allowed film makers to dig into the archive for research.  Also, allowed them to make the film how they saw it.

-     P.L. Travers

•   Father Travers Goff

-    Died when Travers’ was 7

-    Bank Manager

-    Alcoholic (Read poetry when he was drunk)

-    Travers' claims she was his favorite child

•   Mother Margaret

-    Tried to commit suicide after Father's death

-    not very confident

•   Aunt Ellie (Possibly whom Mary Poppins is fashioned after)

-    Did come to help out after father’s death

-    characterized as strict, structured, stable

-    did say such things as "spit spot"

•   Character

-    controversial (Wanted to control everything, yet believed it was written in the stars for her to adopt only one twin)

•   wanted to be a mother, yet tried to give him away

•   didn't want people to dig into her background after death, yet saved all documents and sent them to a library

-    inconsistent (not a good source for her own memories)

-    Very creative

-    Changed her entire identity (most of her friends didn't even know she aussie born

-    possibly bisexual

•   Mother

-    Adopted only one twin (Camillus) because her astrologist advised her to do this.

-    Did not tell him he was adopted. Discovered at age 17, when he ran into his identical twin

-    Became an alcoholic.

-    Camillus died young

•   Mary Poppins

-    said to have just flown in the window one day

-    A way to rewrite her childhood

-    Some are dark stories

-    claims she didn't know she would slide up the banister

-    Surprised P.L. Travers didn't know what she was going to do

-    Wrote a total of 6 books

-    Absolutely did not like the film, didn't think they were like her books; later claimed she learned to live with it.

-     Plot points

•   Explores a parent/ child relationship

-    Unconditional love from child to parent

-    Child doesn't fully understand an adults choices

-    When child grows learns to understand

-    creates confliction in oneself when realizing that, that innocent love from a child becomes tainted when faced with knowing a parent could have made different choices

-    I believe this confliction to be the source of P.L.'s controversial character

-    Creativity of her father, yet structured like Aunt Ellie

-     We become the experience we have

•   20 year conquest

-    Mary Poppins was hers and did not want to share

-    Most conversations between Disney and Travers' were over the phone

-    Disney did promise Diane

-    Started creating the films 20 years before given the rights

-    Ended up handing over the film rights because she needed the money

•   Invention of Characters to change or rewrite past

-    Disney with Mickey and Poppins with PL

-    Rewrite our history, remember the past in different way

-    Story tellers establish order in the midst of chaos

-    Tom Hankins "That is what story tellers do. We restore order to imagination. We bring hope"

•   Creative Process

-    Budding heads

-    Disney was used to getting what he wanted and she came and said no.

-    Commend her for defending her work

-    Ultimately, Disney said what he needed to get the film rights and did what he wanted.

-    book and film are two very different mediums

-     Controversies

•   Crying at the premier

-    Did cry because she did not like it.  Told Disney after the first thing that needs to go is the animation.  Disney said "that ship has sailed"

-    Marcel admits that she didn't cry because of joy or it hit so close to home.  Marcel was reestablishing order just as Tom Hanks as Disney said. She just wanted a happy ending


I have posted some Controversial Articles about Saving Mr. Banks, Keep in mind this is not my opinion and it does not indicate my feelings towards the film.  I LOVED THE FILM.

Controversial article
What Saving Mr. Banks left out

Behind the Scenes Videos: