Reviewing Saving Mr. Banks

As I have come to discover, it's very hard to do a review of this movie as not to be a spoiler to others.  I know 99% of the people reading this blog are from the Disney community, so I hesitate to give anything away.  So, I am not going to give a review that talks about things that happen in the movie.  What I am going to do is tell you, that this is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time.  Not animated of course, so when I say best movies, I am leaving out animated.  I put Disney animated movies on an entirely different pedestal.

Director: John Lee Hancock

Running time: 126 minutes

MPAA rating: PG-13

Screenplay: Sue Smith, Kelly Marcel

Saving Mr. Banks was well acted.  Emma Thompson was a great choice to play the part of P. L. Travers, the author of the Mary Poppins books.  (Yes, there are more than just one story of Mary Poppins.)  Her books include Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins Comes Back, Mary Poppins Opens the Door, Mary Poppins in the Park, Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane / Mary Poppins and the House Next Door (2-in-1 edition).There was also a book called Mary Poppins in the Kitchen.  In this book you get a unique glimpse at the famous Poppins cast as the spit-spot English nanny and the Banks children take over the kitchen for a week. With the help of familiar visitors like the Bird Woman, Admiral Boom, and Mr. and Mrs. Turvy, Mary Poppins teaches her irrepressible young charges the basics of cooking, from A to Z. And young readers can re-create the week's menus by following the thirty different recipes.
 Emma Thompson has to get her hair cut, and get a perm, and I heard her on a talk show recently and she said she had not had a perm since she had a hideous perm years ago.  She thought this was hideous as well, but was well needed for playing the part.

Tom Hanks plays Walt Disney.  A wonderful portrayal in my humble opinion.  Sure, there are several actors who could have done a wonderful job as well, however I really think the connection of Tom Hanks and his past Disney movies gives the portrayal a different aura.   Maybe it's just me, but that was what came over me several times while viewing the movie.

Other characters in the movie are Richard and Robert Sherman who wrote all the music for Mary Poppins, among many, many other Disney films including:

• The Parent Trap, 1961
• A Symposium on Popular Songs, 1962
• In Search of the Castaways, 1962
• Summer Magic, 1963
• The Sword in the Stone, 1963
• Big Red, 1963
• Mary Poppins, 1964
• "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow", 1964
• Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, 1966
• The Happiest Millionaire, 1967
• The Jungle Book, 1967
• The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band, 1968
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 1968
• Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, 1968
• The Aristocats, 1970
• Bedknobs and Broomsticks, 1971
• Snoopy, Come Home, 1972
• Charlotte's Web, 1973
• Tom Sawyer, 1973
• Huckleberry Finn, 1974
• Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too, 1974
• The Slipper and the Rose, 1976
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, 1977
• The Magic of Lassie, 1978
• Magic Journeys, 1982
• Welcome to Pooh Corner, 1983
• Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore, 1983
• Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland, 1992
• The Mighty Kong, 1998
• The Tigger Movie, 2000
• Winnie the Pooh, 2011

Theme park songs

• Adventure Thru Inner Space
  • "Miracles from Molecules"
• America on Parade
  • "The Glorious Fourth"
• Carousel of Progress
  • "The Best Time of Your Life"
  • "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow"
• CommuniCore
  • "The Astuter Computer Revue" (for the 1982 premiere of the pavilion at EPCOT Center)
• Epcot Center Opening & Dedication
  • "The World Showcase March"
• Pepsi Presents WALT DISNEY'S "it's a small world" – a Salute to UNICEF and the World's Children for the 1964 New York World's Fair
  • "it's a small world (after all)" then adapted to each Disney Park "it's a small world" attraction installation.
• Journey Into Imagination (and Journey Into Imagination With Figment)
  • "One Little Spark"
• Magic Journeys
  • "Magic Journeys"
  • "Makin' Memories"
• Meet the World in Tokyo Disneyland
  • "Meet the World"
  • "We Meet the World with Love"
• Rocket Rods
  • "Magic Highways"
• The Great Movie Ride
  • "Chim Chim Cher-ee"
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
  • "Winnie the Pooh"
  • A Rather Blustery Day {song Winnie the Pooh)
  • "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers"
  • Heffalumps and Woozles
  • "The Rain Rain Rain Came Down Down Down"
  • Hip Hip Pooh-Ray!
• Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room
  • "The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room"

Walt Disney's World Of Color- Wonderful World Of Color

Other

The Spectrum Song – for Walt Disney's The Wonderful World of Color. Sung by Paul Frees as Ludwig 
Von Drake.

Academy Awards

• 1965 WON Academy Award in the category of " Best Original Song" for "Chim Chim Cher-ee" from Mary Poppins
• 1965 WON Academy Award in the category of "Best Substantially Original Score" for Mary Poppins
• 1969 Nominated Academy Award in the category of "Best Original Song" for "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
• 1972 Nominated Academy Award in the category of "Best Original Song" for "The Age of Not Believing" from Bedknobs & Broomsticks
• 1972 Nominated Academy Award in the category of "Best Scoring Adaptation and Original Song Score" for Bedknobs & Broomsticks
• 1974 Nominated Academy Award in the category of "Best Scoring Original Song Score And/Or Adaptation" for Tom Sawyer
• 1978 Nominated Academy Award in the category of "Best Original Song" for "The Slipper and the Rose Waltz" from The Slipper and the Rose
• 1978 Nominated Academy Award in the category of "Best Scoring Original Song Score And/Or Adaptation" for The Slipper and the Rose
• 1979 Nominated Academy Award in the category of "Best Original Song" for "When You're Loved" from The Magic of Lassie

Annie Awards

• 2000 Nominated Annie in the category of "Outstanding Individual Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production" for the song "Round My Family Tree" from The Tigger Movie
• 2003 "Winsor McCay Award" for lifetime achievement and contribution to animation

BAFTA Awards

• 1977 Nominated "Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music" for The Slipper and the Rose

BMI

• 1977 "Pioneer Award" awarded in Los Angeles, California.
• 1991 "Lifetime Achievement Award" awarded at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

Christopher Award

• 1964 "Christopher Award" for "Best Original Song Score" for Mary Poppins
• 1973 "Christopher Award" for "Best Original Song Score" for Tom Sawyer

Disney

• 1985 "Mousecar" awarded at the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, California in front of 20 thousand people.
• 1990 "Disney Legends" awarded at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California.
• 2010 Main Street, U.S.A. Window presented at Disneyland in Anaheim, California in honor of the Sherman Brothers' contribution to Disney theme parks.

Golden Globes

• 1965 Nominated Golden Globe in the category of "Best Original Score" for Mary Poppins
• 1969 Nominated Golden Globe in the category of "Best Original Score" for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
• 1969 Nominated Golden Globe in the category of "Best Original Song" for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
• 1974 Nominated Golden Globe in the category of "Best Original Score" for Tom Sawyer
• 1977 Nominated Golden Globe in the category of "Best Original Score" for The Slipper and the Rose

Golden Videocassette Award

• 1984 Best Selling Video Cassette (of all time) for Mary Poppins

Grammy Awards

• 1965 WON Grammy in the category of "Best Original Score for a Motion Picture or Television Show" for Mary Poppins
• 1965 WON Grammy in the category of "Best Album for Children" for Mary Poppins
• 1968 Nominated Grammy in the category of "Best Album for Children" for The Jungle Book, along with Terry Gilkyson
• 1970 Nominated Grammy in the category of "Best Album for Children" for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
• 1972 Nominated Grammy in the category of "Best Original Score for a Children's Show" for Snoopy Come Home
• 1974 Nominated Grammy in the category of "Best Original Score for a Musical Show" for Over Here!

Laurel Awards

• 1965 Won "Golden Laurel" in the category of "Best Song" "Chim Chim Cher-ee" for Mary Poppins
• 1965 2nd Place "Golden Laurel" in the category of Music Men"
• 1966 3rd place "Golden Laurel" in the category of "Best Song" "That Darn Cat!" for That Darn Cat!

Moscow Film Festival

• 1973 First Place Award in the category of "Best Music" for Tom Sawyer

National Medal of Arts

• 2008 National Medal of Arts awarded to Richard and Robert Sherman on November 17, 2008 at the White House by President George W. Bush. This is the highest honor the United States Government bestows on artists.^[5]

Olivier Awards

• 2002 Nominated "Best Musical" for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Songwriters Hall of Fame

• 2005 induction at the Marriott Hotel on Times Square in New York City.

Theatre Museum Award

• 2010 Career Achievement Award presented on May 17, 2010 at The Players Club in New York City.

Variety Club Awards

• 2003 Won "Best Musical" for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Walk of Fame

• 1976 A Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame awarded to "Richard & Robert Sherman" on November 17, 1976, located at 6914 Hollywood Blvd.

 Need I say more about this duo?  I think not!!!

The actors who played the parts of these talented brothers are Jason Schwartzman as Richard Sherman and B.J. Novak as Robert Sherman.  I really enjoyed their take on these characters.

Paul Giamatti is also in the movie with a fairly small part, but a crucial role in telling this story.   Melanie Paxon plays a roll as a secretary and Kathy Baker plays the roll of Walt's administrative assistant.  Other brilliant performances include Collin Farrell, Ruth Wilson, Bradley Whitford. young newcomer Annie Rose Buckley, Rachel Griffiths and Ronan Vibert. 

The best thing I can advise, is DO NOT miss this movie!  I will be going to see it again soon.