Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

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Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 01-03-2014, 10:05 PM:

CINEMA: Moore Warren, Moore, OK
AUDITORIUM: 8
PRESENTATION: Dolby Digital Cinema/THX
PRESENTATION PROBLEMS: None [Cool]

RATING: Three stars (out of four)

THE PLOT: Walt Disney wants to sign a movie deal. Wackiness ensues.

Not quite as moving as "Finding Neverland", but I'll take it.

Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 01-10-2014, 11:13 AM:

I quite enjoyed this, but from what I reading some elements of the real story were changed for more dramatic effect - but hey's it's a Disney film what do you expect? I thought the soundmix (and the music score) was outstanding - I saw this in a THX auditorium and I swear it sounded like 7.1 surround sound (notably during the Australia scenes where the sound of insects seem to all around the listener).

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 01-17-2014, 12:25 PM:

I thought it was an outstanding movie. Tom Hanks never seems to disappoint.

I was wishing for more "behind the scenes" stuff, but that's just because I enjoy that kind of thing. The fact that one of the real Sherman brothers consulted on the music was a great touch, I thought...those two guys were my favorite part of the movie, along with the always reliable Paul Giamatti playing the poor guy who gets assigned to drive Mrs. Travers around, and eventually winds up making friends with her.

We got the Blu-Ray of "Mary Poppins" when it came out recently and watched it a couple of weeks ago. I'm really glad we did...there are a lot of little inside jokes and details that a person would miss if he hadn't seen it.

I loved all the "period" details. They did a great job of re-creating the atmosphere around the Disney studios. I got a huge kick out of the many ways the film sort of pokes fun at the Disney image and their always-perky 'cast members.' The scene where Emma Thompson banishes all the Disney plush toys to the closet (and makes Mickey Mouse sit in a corner "until you learn the art of subtlety") was hilarious.

I was a little surprised that the Disneyland segment didn't show more of Disneyland, but I guess it wouldn't have added anything to the story (and would have been very difficult to film).

Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable film surprisingly moving. Audiences will be laughing and crying at this one.

I'm surprised it didn't get any Oscar nominations, especially for Emma Thompson. I suspect it's because it is a Disney film about a Disney subject, and really polishes most of the rough edges off of Walt Disney. If some independent company had made the movie it might have fared better, awardswise.

One techno-beef....toward the end of the movie it shows clips from "Mary Poppins" as played on the Chinese Theater's screen. The image seems at some times to be almost 1.33:1, and other times a full scope image. It keeps changing shape. But it sure was cool to see Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke up there on the big screen again.

4.5 out of five stars from me.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 01-17-2014, 04:57 PM:

I completely agree with you about SAVINGS MR. BANKS, Mike. Thr movie was excellent as expected but I was anmoyed at first with the flashbacks but it began to make sense as the movie progressed. Like you, I also obtained the blu ray and watched it about two weeks before and it made me enjoy SMB even more.

-Claude

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 01-17-2014, 05:33 PM:

I have to correct myself...the film DID get one Oscar nomination for best score. I'm still surprised the movie didn't get a best picture nom, but there were a lot of good contenders this year. And Emma Thompson for sure deserved a nomination.

Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 03-26-2014, 12:24 AM:

Saving Mr. Banks was pretty good but not great. They could of probably cut out at least 20 minutes of the movie, the pacing was pretty slow and there was a lot of flashbacks that got a little annoying at times.

The movie wrapped up well and it did make me want to watch Mary Poppins again. The movie was a lot darker or deeper than the trailers made it out to be.

Overall, a good movie, but not a great one.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 03-26-2014, 06:30 PM:

Somewhere I have a CD or old dvd that interviews the Shermans about "writing for Walt." They also mention the key song: "Feed the birds" that Walt played every day till he died. (His feelings about being a good parent.) Louis

Posted by Richard P. May (Member # 3598) on 03-26-2014, 07:22 PM:

When MARY POPPINS was in the planning stages, I worked for Buena Vista Distribution. I was present at a sales meeting at the studio where Walt told the story, and the Shermans played the music. That was my first exposure to the story, although my wife has loved it since childhood, to the extent she refuses to see the movie.
SAVING MR. BANKS was interesting to me for the depiction of those people where I had a knowledge of the real ones. I liked it a lot more than I expected, even though it was hard to fully accept Tom Hanks as Walt. It is always hard for an actor to portray a real person who is familiar to the audience, but it isn't supposed to be a documentary.
I too hadn't seen MP for years, and it turned up on cable so I gave it a try. I lasted about a half hour. Technology has improved so much it had a pretty dated look, and I've always felt that 140 min. is way too much., but, going back to its original release, the box office grosses stayed high week after week. Who am I to criticize that?