8:36 PM
ArtsNFashion
By James Colt Harrison
Who would have thought an interesting and
amusing story could be made about Walt Disney’s (played by Tom Hanks) quest to
buy the movie rights to Mary Poppins? That’s exactly director John Lee Hancock
has done with an apparently true story of the Hollywood mogul’s long quest to charm
author P.L. Travers ( magnificently played by Emma Thompson) into relinquishing
her character Poppins to be made into a movie.
Ms Travers is no pushover, and her
protectiveness about Poppins may relate back to her own childhood and her
experiences with her father ( essayed by a handsome Colin Farrell). Layers of
the story are built into the script by using effective flashbacks into Travers
own bleak background. Out of all that unpleasantness, Mary Poppins—the epitome
of cheerfulness---turns out it could have been a reflection of Travers herself
as a girl.
Hanks is a twinkly-eyed Disney, roaming his own
studio in Burbank and surveying his kingdom. Of course, Disney could not be
portrayed as an ogre trying to get his prize, so Hanks turns on his irresistible
charm with a trowel and wins the audiences over as well. We almost root for his
success, but we never know if he will actually get the film rights from what is essentially an
impossible woman. The director wisely used the actual studio buildings to anchor
Disney in his own world, as much as Travers is mentally in her own environment
at all times. Both are strong willed and both aren’t about to cave in easily.
Disney pursued the author for 20 years and very nearly did not get the movie
rights.
Travers was not a push-over, and actress
Thompson plays her with steely determination in order to control all aspects of
any film made with her beloved character. Scriptwriters Kelly Marcel and Sue
Smith have cleverly given Thompson most of the good lines, and much of the film
is quite funny. Travers/Thompson tosses off bon-mots, scathing criticisms, and
hilarious insults at every turn. These witticisms don’t seem to deter Disney,
and he takes it with great aplomb. Most likely he was not used to having people
say NO! to him but he had not been confronted by the strong-willed Miss from
Australia. Ms. Thompson is such a consummate actress that it all looks so easy.
We know that acting is not easy and it is especially not easy when you are
playing a character with such an original personality. In saying this about
her, we feel she should get a well-deserved Oscar® nomination this season as
Best Actress.
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1 comments:
Nice review James. Though it may not all be true, it still is a tribute to Travers, as well artists from all over the world who stick to their word, their vision and what they have created.
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