(Mrs.) Pamela Travers is the author of the Mary Poppins books and for the last twenty years a certain Walt Disney has been pursuing the film rights. Mrs. Travers won't let the rights go, but due to her financial situation she finally agrees to go to Hollywood to discuss a prospective film.
She is met by Disney and his team including the talented Sherman Brothers (the geniuses behind the music) and is shocked by what they have in store for her beloved creation. Mrs. Travers being the proper English lady isn't impressed by the Americanisation of a very English nanny including the casting of Dick Van Dyke. The story of the creation of the film is shared with Travers' childhood in Australia where it ended in tragedy.
Slowly Mrs. Travers warms to Disney's production team, but she learns there are plans for animation in the film which she dead set against. The film is peppered with lots of material from the film Mary Poppins including the songs and some of the classic dialogue. The acting is first class, Emma Thompson being a brilliant Travers, Tom Hanks playing the man himself and Paul Giamatti in my opinion almost stealing the show as her driver, Ralph. The supporting cast includes Jason Schwartzman, Kathy Baker and Colin Farrell acting his socks off as Mrs. Travers' Father.
The film is funny, superbly written, incredibly well made and ridiculously moving, I had a tear on more than one occasion. Simply one of the best films I have seen in years, totally fantastic.
- Starring Emma Thompson Tom Hanks Colin Farrell Paul Giamatti
- Director John Lee Hancock
- Distributor Disney
