GENRE: Biography, Comedy, Drama
RATING: PG for thematic elements
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 5 minutes
STARRING: Emma Thompson (Stranger Than Fiction, Nanny McPhee)
Tom Hanks (Catch Me If You Can), Colin Farrell (Phonebooth)
DIRECTOR: John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side, The Rookie)
WRITER: Kelly Marcel (Terra Nova) & Sue Smith (newcomer)
PLOT: Walt Disney tries everything to get the cantankerous PL Travers to sign off on the story of Mary Poppins.
FIVE OBSERVATIONS:
1 I expected this film to be delightful, which it was, but it was also pretty sad. I actually welled up a bit at the end. Maybe I’m getting more emotional as I grow older.
2 Hanks is exceptional as Walt Disney. He just captures that positivity and charisma that I would associate with Uncle Walt. Brilliant casting.
3 The rest of the cast is just as outstanding. Thompson is perfectly prickly. Bradley Whitford (West Wing), BJ Novak (The Office) and Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore) are great fun as the writing team trying to pass their script and lyrics past PL Travers. And Paul Giamatti (Sideways) is simply charming as Travers’ driver, Ralph.
4 Some of this film reminds me of Finding Neverland. I love watching inspiration at work.
5 Of course, now I want to watch Mary Poppins. Well done, Disney, you marketing genius.
RECOMMENDATION: Not necessary on big screen, DVD fine
UPCOMING REVIEWS: 2014 Television Preview
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