:Saving Mr. Banks

In London 1961, agent Diarmuid Russell urges financially strapped author Pamela "P. L." Travers to travel to Los Angeles and meet with Walt Disney, who has pursued the film rights to her Mary Poppins stories for 20 years after having promised his daughters to produce a film based on the books. Travers has steadfastly resisted Disney's efforts, fearing what he will do to her character. Having written nothing new and her book royalties dried up, she risks losing her house. Russell reminds her that Disney has agreed to two major stipulations (no animation and unprecedented script approval) before she finally agrees to go.

Flashbacks depict Travers' difficult childhood in Allora, Queensland, Australia in 1906, which became the inspiration for much of Mary Poppins. Travers idolized her loving, imaginative father, Travers Robert Goff, but his chronic alcoholism resulted in his repeated dismissals, strained her parents' marriage and caused her distressed mother's attempted suicide. Goff died from tuberculosis when Travers was eight years old. Prior to his death, her mother's stern, practical sister came to live with the family and later served as Travers' main inspiration for the Mary Poppins character.

In Los Angeles, Travers is shocked by the city's nature and the overly perky inhabitants, personified by her friendly limousine driver, Ralph. At the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, Travers meets the creative team who are developing Mary Poppins for the screen: screenwriter Don DaGradi and songwriters Richard and Robert Sherman. She finds their presumptions and casual manners highly improper, a view that she also holds of the jocular Disney.

Travers' working relationship with Disney and his team is difficult from the outset, with her insistence that Mary Poppins is the enemy of sentiment and whimsy. Disney and his people are puzzled by Travers' disdain for whimsy, given the nature of the Mary Poppins story, as well as Travers' own rich imagination. She particularly objects to how the character George Banks, the children's estranged father, is depicted, insisting that he is neither cold nor cruel. Gradually, the team grasp how deeply personal the Mary Poppins stories are to Travers and how many of the characters were inspired by her past.

The team acknowledges that Travers has valid criticisms and make changes, although she becomes increasingly disengaged as painful childhood memories resurface. Seeking to understand what troubles her, Disney invites Travers to Disneyland, which, along with her developing friendship with Ralph, the creative team's revisions to the George Banks character, the addition of a new song and a different ending, help dissolve Travers' opposition. Her creativity reawakens, and she begins collaborating with the team. Soon afterward, however, Travers discovers an animation sequence (which has dancing penguins in it) has been added without her permission. Travers confronts Disney over this and returns to London in a huff without signing the agreement.

Disney learns that "P. L. Travers" is a pen name, taken from Travers' father's given name. Her real name is Helen Goff, and she is Australian, not British. That gives Disney new insight into Travers, and he follows her to London. Arriving unexpectedly at her home, Disney shares his own less-than-ideal childhood but stresses the healing value of his art. He urges Travers not to let deeply rooted past disappointments dictate the present. That night, after Disney has left, Travers finally relents and grants the film rights to him.

Three years later, in 1964, Travers has begun writing another Mary Poppins story, while the film Mary Poppins itself is to have its world premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Disney has not invited Travers, fearing how she might react with the press watching. Prompted by Russell, Travers shows up unannounced at Disney's office; he reluctantly issues her an invitation. Initially, she watches Mary Poppins with a lack of enthusiasm, particularly with the animated penguins. Travers gradually warms to the rest of the film, however, becoming deeply moved by the depiction of George Banks' personal crisis and redemption.

• Emma Thompson as Pamela "P. L." Travers, birth name Helen Goff, author of Mary Poppins
• Annie Rose Buckley as seven-year-old Helen, also referred to as "Ginty"
• Tom Hanks as Walt Disney, the founder of the Walt Disney Company
• Colin Farrell as Travers Robert Goff, Helen's loving but self-destructive father, on whom the Mr. Banks character is based
• Ruth Wilson as Margaret Goff, Helen's mother
• Paul Giamatti as Ralph, Travers' chauffeur
• Bradley Whitford as Don DaGradi, co-writer of the screenplay for Mary Poppins
• Jason Schwartzman as Richard M. Sherman, composer and lyricist who wrote Mary Poppins' songs
• B. J. Novak as Robert B. Sherman, composer and lyricist who co-wrote the film's songs with his brother Richard
• Kathy Baker as Tommie, Disney's executive assistant
• Melanie Paxson as Dolly, Disney's secretary
• Rachel Griffiths as Helen "Ellie" Morehead, Helen's hard-hearted maternal aunt, who serves as the model for Mary Poppins
• Ronan Vibert as Diarmuid Russell, Travers' publisher
• Kristopher Kyer as Dick Van Dyke (uncredited)
• Victoria Summer as Julie Andrews (uncredited)

Credits adapted from The New York Times.{{cite news|title=Saving Mr. Banks (2013)|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/468134/Saving-Mr-Banks/cast|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307141116/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/468134/Saving-Mr-Banks/cast|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 7, 2016|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=The New York Times|date=2016|access-date=August 27, 2015}}

File:P.L. Travers as Titania in a production with Alan Wilkie.jpg in 1922]]

In 2002, Australian producer Ian Collie produced a documentary film on P. L. Travers titled The Shadow of "Mary Poppins". During the documentary's production, Collie noticed that there was "an obvious biopic there" and convinced Essential Media and Entertainment to develop a feature film with Sue Smith writing the screenplay.{{cite news|last=Shaw|first=Lucas|title=How 'Saving Mr. Banks' Overcame Disney's Resistance to a Movie About Disney|url=https://www.thewrap.com/saving-mr-banks-walt-disney-studio-resistance|access-date=December 19, 2013|newspaper=TheWrap|date=December 17, 2013}} The project attracted the attention of BBC Films, which decided to finance the project, and Ruby Films' Alison Owen, who subsequently hired Kelly Marcel to co-write the screenplay with Smith.{{cite news|last=Pond|first=Steve|title=Director John Lee Hancock on 'Saving Mr. Banks': We Went for the Truth, Not the Facts|url=https://www.thewrap.com/Saving-Mr-Banks-Tom-Hanks-Emma-Thompson-John-Lee-Hancock|access-date=December 19, 2013|newspaper=TheWrap|date=December 17, 2013}} Marcel's drafts removed a subplot involving Travers and her son, and divided the story into a two-part narrative: the creative conflict between Travers and Walt Disney, and her dealings with her childhood issues, describing it as "a story about the pain of a little girl who suffered, and the grown woman who allowed herself to let go".{{cite news|last1=Marcel|first1=Kelly|title='Saving Mr. Banks' screenwriter finds purpose in the tale|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-writing-saving-mr-banks-story.html|access-date=July 14, 2015|work=Los Angeles Times|date=December 23, 2013}} Marcel's version, however, featured certain intellectual property rights of music and imagery which would be impossible to use without permission from The Walt Disney Company. "There was always that elephant in the room, which is Disney," Collie recalled. "We knew Walt Disney was a key character in the film and we wanted to use quite a bit of the music. We knew we'd eventually have to show Disney." In early 2010, Robert B. Sherman provided Owen with an advance copy of a salient chapter from his then upcoming book release, Moose: Chapters From My Life. The chapter entitled, "'Tween Pavement and Stars" contained characterizations and anecdotes which proved seminal to Marcel's script rewrite, in particular, the anecdote about there not being the color red in London.{{cite news|last1=Sciretta|first1=Peter|title=Interview: Kelly Marcel On Writing 'Saving Mr. Banks'|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/interview-kelly-marcel-on-writing-saving-mr-banks/|access-date=July 14, 2015|publisher=/Film|date=December 13, 2013}}Sherman, Robert B. "Tween Pavement and Stars" ("No Red In London") in Moose: Chapters From My Life, AuthorHouse Publishing, Bloomington, IN, p. 372-375. In July 2011, while attending the Ischia Film Festival, Owen met with Corky Hale, who offered to present the screenplay to Richard M. Sherman.{{cite news|last=Kilday|first=Gregg|title=Bringing Walt Disney (and Mary Poppins) Back to Life: The Making of 'Saving Mr. Banks'|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/making-saving-mr-banks-bringing-665733|access-date=December 19, 2013|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=December 16, 2013}} Sherman read the screenplay and gave the producers his support. Later that year, Marcel and Smith's screenplay was listed in Franklin Leonard's The Black List, voted by producers as one of the best screenplays that were not in production.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/apr/11/tom-hanks-walt-disney-mary-poppins|title=Tom Hanks to play Walt Disney in Saving Mr Banks|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=July 11, 2012|first=Ben|last=Child|date=April 11, 2012}}

In November 2011, Walt Disney Pictures' president of production, Sean Bailey, was informed by executive Tendo Nagenda of Marcel's existing script.{{cite news|last=Barnes|first=Brooks|title=Forget the Spoonful of Sugar: It's Uncle Walt, Uncensored|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/17/movies/saving-mr-banks-depicts-a-walt-disney-with-faults.html|access-date=October 21, 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|date=October 16, 2013}}{{cite news|last1=Kit|first1=Borys|title='Cinderella' and 'Saving Mr. Banks' Executive Tendo Nagenda Promoted at Disney|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cinderella-saving-mr-banks-executive-741401|access-date=August 7, 2016|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=October 16, 2014}} Realizing that the screenplay included a depiction of the studio's namesake, Bailey conferred with Disney CEO Bob Iger{{cite news|last=Lewis|first=Hilary|title=AARP Film Festival to Include 'August: Osage County,' 'Saving Mr. Banks' and 'Labor Day'|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/aarp-film-festival-include-august-651175|access-date=October 28, 2013|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=October 28, 2013}} and Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn, the latter of whom referred to the film as a "brand deposit,"{{cite news|last=Hammond|first=Pete|title=CinemaCon: Disney's Vegas Act Includes Johnny Depp And 'Lone Ranger' Footage|url=https://deadline.com/2013/04/cinemacon-talk-of-star-wars-lone-ranger-monsters-u-and-the-tentpole-strategy-highlight-alan-horns-disney-vegas-act-477287/|access-date=May 14, 2013|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=April 17, 2013}} a term adopted from Steve Jobs.{{cite news|last=Chmielewski|first=Dawn C.|title=Steve Jobs brought his magic to Disney|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2011-oct-06-la-fi-ct-jobs-disney-20111007-story.html|access-date=October 21, 2013|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=October 6, 2011}} Together, the executives discussed the studio's potential choices; purchase the script and shut the project down, put the film in turnaround, or co-produce the film themselves. With executive approval, Disney acquired the screenplay in February 2012 and joined the production with Owen, Collie and Philip Steuer as producers, and Christine Langan, Troy Lum, Andrew Mason, and Paul Trijbits serving as executive producers.{{cite news|last1=Fleming|first1=Mike|title=Disney Acquiring Black List Script 'Saving Mr. Banks,' On Making 'Mary Poppins'|url=https://deadline.com/2012/02/disney-acquiring-black-list-script-saving-mr-banks-on-making-mary-poppins-227838/|access-date=July 15, 2015|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=February 8, 2012}} John Lee Hancock was hired to direct the film later that same month.{{cite news|last1=Fleming|first1=Mike|title=John Lee Hancock In Talks For Making Of Mary Poppins Pic 'Saving Mr. Banks'|url=https://deadline.com/2012/02/john-lee-hancock-in-talks-for-making-of-mary-poppins-pic-saving-mr-banks-237004/|access-date=July 15, 2015|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=February 27, 2012}}

Iger subsequently contacted Tom Hanks to consider playing the role of Walt Disney, which would become the first-ever focal depiction of Disney in a mainstream film. Hanks accepted the role and made several visits to the Walt Disney Family Museum and interviewed some of Disney's former employees and family relatives, including his daughter Diane Disney Miller.{{cite news|last=Riefe|first=Jordan|title=Tom Hanks on Becoming Walt Disney for 'Saving Mr. Banks'|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tom-hanks-becoming-walt-disney-380011|access-date=October 25, 2012|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=October 18, 2012}}{{cite news|last=Kaufman|first=Amy|title=AFI Fest 2013: Tom Hanks back in spotlight for 'Saving Mr. Banks'|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-tom-hanks-saving-mr-banks-20131108-story.html|access-date=November 10, 2013|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=November 8, 2013}} The film was subsequently dedicated to Disney Miller, who died shortly before it was released.{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/jay-weston/tom-hanks-is-walt-disney-_b_4409516.html|title=Tom Hanks IS Walt Disney in "Saving Mr. Banks"!|author=Jay Weston|newspaper=The Huffington Post|date=December 9, 2013|access-date=July 20, 2014|author-link=Jay Weston}} In April 2012, Emma Thompson entered final negotiations to star as P. L. Travers, after the studio was unable to secure Meryl Streep for the part.{{cite news|last=Fleming|first=Mike|title=Tom Hanks Now Getting Serious For 'Saving Mr. Banks'|url=https://deadline.com/2012/04/tom-hanks-now-getting-serious-for-saving-mr-banks-a-254360/|access-date=October 21, 2013|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=April 9, 2012}} Thompson said that the role was the most difficult one that she has played, describing Travers as "a woman of quite eye-watering complexity and contradiction."{{cite news|last=Rothman|first=Lily|title=Exclusive First Look: Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson in Saving Mr. Banks |url=https://entertainment.time.com/2013/07/10/exclusive-first-look-tom-hanks-and-emma-thompson-in-saving-mr-banks/|access-date=October 13, 2013|newspaper=Time|date=July 10, 2013}} "She wrote a very good essay on sadness, because she was, in fact, a very sad woman. She'd had a very rough childhood, the alcoholism of her father being part of it and the attempted suicide of her mother being another part of it. I think that she spent her whole life in a state of fundamental inconsolability and hence got a lot done."{{cite news|last=Lewis|first=Hilary|title='Saving Mr. Banks' Star Emma Thompson Shares P. L. Travers Insights, Favorite Films|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/saving-mr-banks-star-emma-656771|access-date=November 22, 2013|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=November 16, 2013}} Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, B. J. Novak, and Ruth Wilson were cast in July 2012.{{cite news|last=Kit|first=Borys|title=Colin Farrell in Talks for 'Saving Mr. Banks'|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/colin-farrell-saving-mr-banks-338317|access-date=July 16, 2012|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=June 15, 2012}}{{cite news|last1=Graser|first1=Marc|title=Trio loan talents to 'Saving Mr. Banks'|url=https://variety.com/2012/film/news/trio-loan-talents-to-saving-mr-banks-1118057043/|access-date=July 15, 2015|work=Variety|date=July 25, 2012}}{{cite news|last1=Sneider|first1=Jeff|title=Bradley Whitford in talks for 'Mr. Banks'|url=https://variety.com/2012/film/news/bradley-whitford-in-talks-for-mr-banks-1118056493/|access-date=July 15, 2015|work=Variety|date=July 12, 2015}}{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bj-novak-disney-saving-mr-banks-356568 |title=B.J. Novak Joins Disney's 'Saving Mr. Banks' (Exclusive) |newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter |date=July 31, 2012 |access-date=October 2, 2012 |first=Borys |last=Kit}}

{{quote box|quote="I thought the script was a fair portrayal of Walt as a mogul but also as an artist and a human being. But I still had concerns that it could be whittled away. I don't think this script could have been developed within the walls of Disney—it had to be developed outside ... I'm not going to say there weren't discussions, but the movie we ended up with is the one that was on the page."|source=—John Lee Hancock on his initial thoughts of Disney's involvement|width=30%|align=right}}

With Disney's backing, the production team was given access to 36 hours of Travers' audio recordings of herself, the Shermans, and co-writer Don DaGradi that were produced during the development of Mary Poppins,{{cite podcast | url = http://www.theqandapodcast.com/2013/12/saving-mr-banks-q.html | title = Saving Mr. Banks Q&A | publisher = Unlikely Films, Inc. | host = Goldsmith, Jeff | date = 2013-12-24 | access-date = 2014-05-01 }} in addition to letters written between Disney and Travers from the 1940s through the 1960s. Richard M. Sherman also worked on the film as a music supervisor and shared his side of his experiences working with Travers on Mary Poppins. Initially, Hancock had reservations about Disney's involvement with the film, believing that the studio would edit the screenplay in their co-founders favor.{{cite news|last1=Barker|first1=Andrew|title=Variety Creative Impact Award in Directing: John Lee Hancock|url=https://variety.com/2013/film/features/variety-creative-impact-award-in-directing-john-lee-hancock-1200977069/|access-date=July 15, 2015|work=Variety|date=December 20, 2013}} However, Marcel admitted that the studio "specifically didn't want to come in and sanitize it or change Walt in any way." Hancock elaborated, "I was still worried that they might want to chip away at Walt a little bit ... I thought the portrayal of Walt was fair and human, so I came in and they said, 'No, we like it.' But still, every step of the way, I had my fist balled up behind my back ready to fight in case it happened, but it didn't."{{cite news|last1=Khatchatourian|first1=Maane|title=Tom Hanks: P. L. Travers Would Hate 'Saving Mr. Banks'|url=https://variety.com/2013/scene/news/tom-hanks-p-l-travers-would-hate-saving-mr-banks-1200940630/|access-date=August 24, 2015|work=Variety|date=December 10, 2013}} Although the filmmakers did not receive any creative interference from Disney regarding Walt Disney's depiction, the studio did request that they omit any onscreen inhalation of cigarettes{{cite news|last=Buerger|first=Megan|title=Why 'Saving Mr. Banks' Didn't Save Walt Disney From Smoking|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/12/12/why-saving-mr-banks-didnt-save-walt-disney-from-smoking/|access-date=December 16, 2013|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=December 12, 2013}} (a decision that Hanks himself disagreed with) due to the company's policy of not directly depicting smoking in films released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner, and to avoid receiving an R-rating from the Motion Picture Association.{{cite news|last=McClintock|first=Pamela|title=Disney's Smoking Ban Means No Puffing for Walt Disney in 'Saving Mr. Banks'|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disneys-smoking-ban-means-no-656743|access-date=November 22, 2013|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=November 16, 2013}}{{cite news|last=Sacks|first=Ethan|title=Tom Hanks goes toe-to-toe with Emma Thompson in 'Saving Mr. Banks' |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/tom-hanks-walt-disney-saving-mr-banks-article-1.1536665|access-date=December 9, 2013|newspaper=New York Daily News|date=December 8, 2013}} Instead, Disney is shown extinguishing a lit cigarette in one scene, stating that nobody can see him smoking due to the effect it would have on his image. Additionally, his notorious smoker's cough is heard off-screen several times throughout the film.

File:Oldanimationbuilding.JPG for the film.]]

File:Entrance to Original Animation Building.jpgs in the film (followed by interior scenes shot on a soundstage).]]

Principal photography began on September 19, 2012 in Los Angeles. Although some scenes were originally planned to be shot in Queensland, Australia,{{cite web|url=https://collider.com/saving-mr-banks-filming-begins/196657/|title=Production Begins on Saving Mr. Banks|publisher=Collider|access-date=October 11, 2012|archive-date=October 6, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006041248/http://collider.com/saving-mr-banks-filming-begins/196657/|url-status=dead}} all filming, except for two establishing shots in London, took place in the Southern California area, including the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, Disneyland Park in Anaheim, Big Sky Ranch in Simi Valley, the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Arcadia, Heritage Square Museum in Montecito Heights, Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino, Courthouse Square at Universal Studios, and the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.{{cite web |url=http://www.wdsmediafile.com/media/savingmrbanks/writen-material/savingmrbanks52853949798a4.pdf |title=Saving Mr. Banks: Production Fun Facts |publisher=The Walt Disney Studios |access-date=August 21, 2015 |archive-date=March 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302101735/http://www.wdsmediafile.com/media/savingmrbanks/writen-material/savingmrbanks52853949798a4.pdf |url-status=dead }} The largest set built for the film was the interior of the Walt Disney Studios' Animation Building, which production designer Michael Corenblith referred to as "a character in the story".{{cite news|last1=Gray|first1=Tim|title=Directors on Their Teams: John Lee Hancock on 'Saving Mr. Banks'|url=https://variety.com/2013/film/news/saving-mr-banks-john-lee-hancock-1200937088/|access-date=November 21, 2014|work=Variety|date=December 9, 2013}} The exterior of the Beverly Hills Hotel and Disney's personal office were also recreated, with the Langham Huntington in Pasadena acting as an interior double for the Beverly Hills Hotel. To ensure authenticity, Corenblith used photographs and a furniture display from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library as references for Disney's office; the set was also adorned with Disney's personal Academy Awards loaned from a Walt Disney World Resort exhibit. For the Disneyland sequences, scenes were shot during the early morning with certain areas cordoned off during the park's operation, including the park's entrance courtyard, Main Street U.S.A., Sleeping Beauty Castle, Fantasyland, and the King Arthur Carrousel attraction.{{cite news|last=Tully|first=Sarah|title=Tom Hanks as Walt Disney closes parts of Disneyland|url=http://www.ocregister.com/entertainment/disneyland-376876-hanks-park.html|access-date=November 11, 2012|newspaper=Orange County Register|date=November 7, 2012}} Extra roles were filled by Disneyland Resort cast members.{{cite news|last=Tully|first=Sarah|title=Tom Hanks' movie to film at Disneyland|url=http://www.ocregister.com/entertainment/disney-375568-hanks-movie.html|access-date=October 25, 2012|newspaper=Orange County Register|date=October 24, 2012}} In order for the park to be portrayed accurately in the story's time period, Corenblith had the Main Street storefronts redressed to reflect their 1961 appearance; post-1961 attractions were kept obstructed so they would not show up on camera, although Pinocchio's Daring Journey which didn't open until 1983, 22 years after which the film's time is set can be spotted vaguely and blurred out in the background during the sequence on King Arthur's Carousel.{{cite news|last=Rich|first=Katey|title=Exclusive Video: How The Saving Mr. Banks Team Re-Created 1960s Disneyland|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2013/12/saving-mr-banks-exclusive-production-design|access-date=December 12, 2013|newspaper=Vanity Fair|date=December 11, 2013}} To recreate the original film's premiere at the Chinese Theatre, set designers closed Hollywood Boulevard and recreated the street and theater to resemble their 1964 appearances.{{cite news|last=Verrier|first=Richard|title=For 'Mr. Banks,' Simi Valley works as Australian outback|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/la-et-ct-onlocation-saving-mr-banks-shoot-simi-valley-20131218-story.html|access-date=December 19, 2013|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=December 18, 2013}} After scheduled filming in Australia had been scrapped, cinematographer John Schwartzman compared the landscape of Queensland with that of rural Southern California, and realized that both had similar traits in natural lighting.

{{quote box|quote="I was immediately dry-mouthed by the prospect. It's just the hardest work that is to be done. There's a billion hours of video, of Walt performing as Walt Disney, being a great guy. But I found enough actual footage of him in interviews when he'd really like to be done with the subject ... When I could find him showing any legitimate kind of consternation, that was worth its weight in gold."|source=—Tom Hanks in regards to portraying Disney.{{cite news|last1=Rochlin|first1=Margy|title=Not Quite All Spoonfuls of Sugar|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/05/movies/awardsseason/tom-hanks-and-emma-thompson-discuss-saving-mr-banks.html?_r=1|access-date=August 24, 2015|work=The New York Times|date=January 3, 2014}}|width=30%|align=right}}

Emma Thompson prepared for her role by studying Travers' books and letters, as well as Travers' own recordings conducted during the development of Mary Poppins, and also styled her natural hair after Travers', due to the actress's disdain for wigs.{{cite news|last=Setoodeh|first=Ramin|title=How 'Saving Mr. Banks' Saved Emma Thompson|url=https://variety.com/2013/biz/news/emma-thompson-saved-by-mr-banks-1200852446/|access-date=November 22, 2013|newspaper=Variety|date=November 19, 2013}} To accurately convey Walt Disney's midwestern dialect, Tom Hanks listened to archival recordings of Disney and practiced the voice while reading newspapers.{{cite news|last=Mandell|first=Andrea|title=Tom Hanks read newspapers in Walt Disney's voice|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/11/08/tom-hanks-emma-thompson-saving-mr-banks-afi-fest/3473289/|access-date=November 13, 2013|newspaper=USA Today|date=November 8, 2013}} Hanks also grew his own mustache for the role, which underwent heavy scrutiny, with the filmmakers going so far as to match the dimensions of Hanks' mustache to that of Disney's.{{cite news|last=Keegan|first=Rebecca|title=Leaps of faith and appetites for work attract Tom Hanks|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-tom-hanks-20140102-story.html|access-date=August 21, 2015|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=January 2, 2014}} Jason Schwartzman and B. J. Novak worked closely with Richard M. Sherman during pre-production and filming. Sherman described the actors as "perfect talents" for their roles as himself and his brother, Robert.{{cite news|last=King|first=Susan|title=Sherman brothers of 'Saving Mr. Banks' get in tune with a real one|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-ca-sneaks-mr-banks-story.html|access-date=November 2, 2013|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=November 1, 2013}} Costume designer Daniel Orlandi had Thompson wear authentic jewelry borrowed from the Walt Disney Family Museum,{{cite news|last=Kinosian|first=Janet|title='Saving Mr. Banks' costume designer Daniel Orlandi digs deep|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-saving-mr-banks-costumes-20131205-story.html|access-date=March 8, 2014|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=December 5, 2013}} and ensured that Hanks' wardrobe included the Smoke Tree Ranch emblem from the Palm Springs property embroidered on his neckties, which Disney always wore.{{cite news|last=Ross|first=L.A.|title=TheWrap Screening Series: Recreating Disney's World for 'Saving Mr. Banks'|url=https://www.thewrap.com/thewrap-screening-series-recreating-disneys-world-saving-mr-banks/|access-date=March 8, 2014|newspaper=TheWrap|date=December 20, 2013}} The design department also had to recreate several of the costumed Disney characters as they appeared in the 1960s.{{cite news|last=Miller|first=Julie|title=From Sketch to Still: Recreating Vintage Disney for Saving Mr. Banks|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2013/12/saving-mr-banks-sketch-to-still|access-date=March 8, 2014|newspaper=Vanity Fair|date=December 19, 2013}} Filming lasted nine weeks and was completed on November 22, 2012.{{cite web |url=http://www.wdsmediafile.com/media/savingmrbanks/writen-material/savingmrbanks52853949798a4.pdf |title=Saving Mr. Banks: Press Kit |publisher=The Walt Disney Studios |access-date=August 21, 2015 |archive-date=March 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302101735/http://www.wdsmediafile.com/media/savingmrbanks/writen-material/savingmrbanks52853949798a4.pdf |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|last=Lussier|first=Germaine|title=Marvel and Disney Release Info: 'Ant-Man' Gets Official Release Date, 'Iron Man 3' and 'Thor: The Dark World' Will Be 3D|date=October 15, 2012|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/marvel-and-disney-release-info-ant-man-gets-official-release-date-iron-man-3-and-thor-the-dark-world-will-be-3d/|publisher=/Film|access-date=October 15, 2012}} Walt Disney Animation Studios reproduced animation of Tinker Bell for the scene that recreates an opening segment from an episode of Walt Disney Presents. The film was filmed in 2.40:1 widescreen.

{{main|Saving Mr. Banks (soundtrack)}}

Thomas Newman composed the film's original score.{{cite web|title=Thomas Newman Scoring 'Saving Mr. Banks'|url=http://filmmusicreporter.com/2013/04/25/thomas-newman-scoring-saving-mr-banks/|publisher=Film Music Reporter|access-date=October 21, 2013|date=April 25, 2013}} In regards to incorporating his own musical style to the film's period setting, Newman stated that "there was room for a real tune-based score here that could reflect the basic joy in that kind of writing that the Sherman Brothers brought to Mary Poppins.{{cite news|last=Schweiger|first=Daniel|title=Interview with Thomas Newman|url=http://www.filmmusicmag.com/?p=12161|access-date=August 21, 2015|newspaper=Film Music Magazine|date=December 3, 2013}} Newman, however, refrained from creating an "adaptation score" of the Shermans' music from the original film.{{cite news|last1=Fahy|first1=Patrick|title=Thomas Newman: a composer's life in Hollywood|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/interviews/scoring-mr-banks-composers-life-hollywood|access-date=August 21, 2015|publisher=British Film Institute|date=December 5, 2013}} Newman's process of scoring the film included playing themes to filmed scenes, so that he could "listen to what the music does to an image",{{cite news|last=Kilday|first=Gregg|title=Oscars: John Williams, Jill Scott Spotlight Song and Score Nominees at Academy's First-Ever Concert|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oscars-concert-john-williams-jill-684352|access-date=May 27, 2014|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=February 28, 2014}} and not wanting to "clutter the proceedings with music."{{cite news|last1=Fusilli|first1=Jim|title=Will His 12th Oscar Nomination Be Thomas Newman's Charm?|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304914204579397390676543558|access-date=August 21, 2015|work=The Wall Street Journal|date=February 25, 2014}} The flashback sequences to Travers' childhood provided the most work for Newman.{{cite news|title=Oscars: From 'Philomena' To 'Saving Mr. Banks', Composers Show Creativity And Agility With This Year's Scores|url=https://deadline.com/2014/01/oscars-composers-scores-alexandre-desplat-philomena-john-williams-the-book-thief-hans-zimmer-thomas-newman-657978/|access-date=August 24, 2015|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=January 5, 2014}} He explains that, "You had to turn on a dime to make the transition back to the 'present,' when Travers and the Sherman brothers are working on the script for Mary Poppins. And that was fun, but also musically challenging." For the score's instrumentation, Newman primarily employed a string orchestra with some woodwinds and brass, as well as including piano and hammered instruments that were "appropriate to the time period", such as dulcimers. The film's score was recorded at the Newman Scoring Stage in Los Angeles, while the cast recorded several of the Shermans' songs at Capitol Studios for use as playback during the film's diegetic music scenes, including "Chim Chim Cher-ee", "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", "A Spoonful of Sugar", "Fidelity Fiduciary Bank", "Feed the Birds", and "Let's Go Fly a Kite". Walt Disney Records released two editions of the soundtrack on December 10, 2013: a single-disc and a two-disc digipak deluxe edition, containing original demo recordings by the Shermans and selected songs from Mary Poppins.{{cite press release|title=Walt Disney Records Presents Saving Mr. Banks Original Motion Picture Score Soundtrack And Saving Mr. Banks 2-Disc Deluxe Edition Soundtrack Features Previously Unreleased Song Demos By The Sherman Brothers Both Available On December 10|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/walt-disney-records-presents-saving-mr-banks-original-motion-picture-score-soundtrack-and-saving-mr-banks-2-disc-deluxe-edition-soundtrack-features-previously-unreleased-song-demos-by-the-sherman-brothers-both-available-on-dece-233451541.html|access-date=March 29, 2014|publisher=Walt Disney Records|date=November 26, 2013}}

{{see also|Mary Poppins (film)#Production}}

Saving Mr. Banks depicts several events that differ from recorded accounts.{{cite news|last=Zeitchik|first=Steven|title=Does 'Saving Mr. Banks' contain a hidden agenda?|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2014-jan-03-la-et-mn-saving-mr-banks-walt-disney-movie-20140103-story.html|access-date=March 7, 2014|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=January 3, 2014}} The premise of the script, that Walt Disney had to convince P. L. Travers to hand over the film rights, including the scene in which he finally persuades her, is fictionalized. Disney had already secured the film rights (subject to Travers' approval of the script) when she arrived to consult with the Disney staff.{{cite web|url=http://screencrave.com/2013-12-12/interview-saving-banks-scribe-kelly-marcel/ |title=Interview: 'Saving Mr. Banks' Screenwriter Kelly Marcel |publisher=Screen Crave.com |date=December 12, 2013 |access-date=March 10, 2014 |author=Sabina Ibarra |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140208033218/http://screencrave.com/2013-12-12/interview-saving-banks-scribe-kelly-marcel/ |archive-date=February 8, 2014 }}{{cite news|last=Kubersky|first=Seth|title=Fact-checking Saving Mr. Banks with Disney historian Jim Korkis |url=http://www.orlandoweekly.com/orlando/fact-checking-saving-mr-banks-with-disney-historian-jim-korkis/Content?oid=2240838|access-date=August 21, 2015|newspaper=Orlando Weekly|date=January 7, 2014}} In fact, Disney left Burbank to vacation in Palm Springs a few days into Travers' visit and was not present at the studio when several of the film's scenes depicting him to be present actually took place. As such, many of the dialogue scenes between Travers and Disney are adapted from letters, telegrams, and telephone correspondence between the two. Although Travers was assigned a limousine driver, the character of Ralph is fictionalized and intended to be an amalgamation of the studio's drivers.{{cite news|last=Corliss|first=Richard|title=Saving Mr. Banks: When Movies Lie and Make You Cry|url=https://entertainment.time.com/2013/12/12/saving-mr-banks-when-movies-lie-and-make-you-cry/|access-date=May 15, 2014|newspaper=Time|date=December 12, 2013}} In real life, Disney story editor Bill Dover was assigned as Travers' guide and companion during her time in Los Angeles.

The film also depicts Travers coming to amicable terms with Disney, implying her approval of his changes to the story.{{cite news|last=Keegan|first=Rebecca|title=Is 'Saving Mr. Banks' too hard on 'Mary Poppins' creator?|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-disney-mary-poppins-saving-mr-banks-travers-20131228-story.html|access-date=March 7, 2014|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=December 28, 2013}} In reality, she never approved of softening the harsher aspects of Mary Poppins' character, remained ambivalent about the music, and never came around to the use of animation.{{cite news|last=Mandell|first=Andrea|title=Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson duel in 'Saving Mr. Banks'|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/12/09/tom-hanks-emma-thompson-enjoy-epic-showdown-in-saving-mr-banks/3907169/|access-date=March 9, 2014|newspaper=USA Today|date=December 10, 2013}}{{cite news|last=Newman|first=Melinda|title='Poppins' Author a Pill No Spoonful of Sugar Could Sweeten|url=https://variety.com/2013/music/features/poppins-author-a-pill-no-spoonful-of-sugar-could-sweeten-1200802019/|access-date=November 7, 2013|newspaper=Variety|date= November 7, 2013}} Disney overruled her objections to portions of the final film, citing contract stipulations that he had final cut privilege. Travers had initially not been invited to the film's premiere until she embarrassed a Disney executive into extending her an invitation, which is depicted in the film as coaxing Disney himself. After the premiere, she reportedly approached Disney and told him that the animated sequences had to be removed. Disney dismissed her request, saying, "Pamela, the ship has sailed."{{cite news|last=Lyons|first=Margaret|title=Saving Mr. Banks Left Out an Awful Lot About P. L. Travers|url=https://www.vulture.com/2013/12/saving-mr-banks-pl-travers-fact-check-mary-poppins.html|access-date=March 7, 2014|newspaper=New York|date=December 26, 2013}}

Although the film portrays Travers as being emotionally moved during the premiere of Mary Poppins, overlaid with images of her childhood, which is implied to be attributed to her feelings about her father, co-screenwriter Kelly Marcel and several critics note that in real life, Travers' show of emotion was actually a result of anger and frustration over the final product.{{cite news | url=https://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/12/19/051219fa_fact1?printable=true¤tPage=all | title=Becoming Mary Poppins | date=December 19, 2005 | newspaper=The New Yorker| access-date=March 9, 2014 | author=Caitlin Flanagan}} Reportedly, Travers felt that in the end, the film betrayed the artistic integrity of her work and story's characters. Resentful over what she considered poor treatment at the hands of Walt Disney, Travers vowed never to permit Disney to adapt her other novels for any purpose.{{cite news|last=Nance|first=Kevin|title=Valerie Lawson talks 'Mary Poppins, She Wrote' and P. L Travers|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2013/12/20/valerie-lawson-talks-mary-poppins-she-wrote-and-pl-travers/|access-date=April 21, 2014|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date= December 20, 2013}} Travers' last will bans all American adaptation of her works to any form of media. According to the Chicago Tribune, Disney was "indulging in a little revisionist history with an upbeat spin," adding, "the truth was always complicated" and that Travers subsequently viewed the film multiple times.{{cite news|last=Jones|first=Chris|title=With 'Mary Poppins,' there's more to know under the umbrella|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2013/12/20/with-mary-poppins-theres-more-to-know-under-the-umbrella/|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=December 20, 2013|access-date=April 22, 2014|quote=In fact, Travers went to see "Mary Poppins" plenty of times after that premiere, so maybe there is some truth to the screenplay. The only person who could verify that died in 1996.}}

English writer Brian Sibley found Travers still gun-shy from her experiences with Disney when he was hired in the 1980s to write a possible Mary Poppins sequel. Sibley reported that Travers told him, "I could only agree if I could do it on my own terms. I'd have to work with someone I trust." Regardless, while watching the original film together, the first time Travers had seen it since the premiere, she became excited at times and thought certain aspects were excellent, while others were unappealing.{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-24581937 | title=Mary Poppins: Brian Sibley's sequel that never was | publisher=BBC | work=BBC News | date=October 20, 2013 | access-date=April 27, 2014 | author=Vincent Dowd}} The sequel never went to production and when approached to do a stage adaptation in the 1990s, she acquiesced only on the condition that British writers and no one from the film production were to be directly involved with the musical's development.{{cite news|last=Gettell|first=Oliver|title='Saving Mr. Banks' cast on Walt Disney and P. L. Travers' clashes|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-saving-mr-banks-envelope-screening-series-walt-disney-pl-travers-clashes-20131219-story.html|access-date=March 7, 2014|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=December 19, 2013}}

The film also depicts Travers' Aunt Ellie (her mother's sister), who comes to help the family when her father becomes terminally ill, as Travers' model for Mary Poppins, with the actress even using several of Poppins' catchphrases from the film. In fact, Travers identified her great-aunt Helen Morehead (her mother's aunt) as the model for Poppins.{{cite news|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/city-east/pl-travers-biographer-valerie-lawson-says-the-real-mary-poppins-lived-in-woollahra/story-fngr8h22-1226785728393|title=PL Travers biographer Valerie Lawson says the real Mary Poppins lived in Woollahra|author=Shae McDonald|work=Wentworth Courier|date=December 18, 2013|time=12:30PM|publisher= The Daily Telegraph}}{{cite news|author=Kevin Nance|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2013/12/20/valerie-lawson-talks-mary-poppins-she-wrote-and-pl-travers/ |title='Mary Poppins, She Wrote' author discusses P. L Travers, 'Saving Mr. Banks'|page=2|newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=December 20, 2013 |access-date=January 12, 2014}} The film shows her typing her next story for a book in 1964, titled Mary Poppins in the Kitchen; the book was actually published in 1975.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures released a trailer for the film on July 10, 2013.{{cite news|last=Abramovitch|first=Seth|title='Saving Mr. Banks' Trailer: Tom Hanks as Walt Disney in 'Mary Poppins' Biopic|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/saving-mr-banks-trailer-tom-583916|access-date=July 11, 2013|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=July 11, 2013}} Saving Mr. Banks held its world premiere at the Odeon Leicester Square as the closing gala of the London Film Festival on October 20, 2013.{{cite news|last=Kemp|first=Stuart|title=Tom Hanks Starrer 'Saving Mr. Banks' Closes BFI London Film Festival|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tom-hanks-starrer-saving-mr-649654|access-date=October 22, 2013|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=October 20, 2013}}{{cite news|last=Barraclough|first=Leo|title='Saving Mr. Banks' to Close London Film Fest|url=https://variety.com/2013/film/international/saving-mr-banks-to-close-london-film-fest-1200575711/|access-date=August 8, 2013|newspaper=Variety|date=August 8, 2013}}{{cite news|last=Szalai|first=Georg|title=Disney's 'Saving Mr. Banks' to Close BFI London Film Festival|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/saving-mr-banks-close-london-602628|access-date=August 10, 2013|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=August 8, 2013}} On November 7, 2013, Disney held the film's U.S. premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre during the opening night of the 2013 AFI Film Festival,{{cite news|last=Hammond|first=Pete|title=AFI Fest Selects Disney's 'Saving Mr Banks', Bennett Miller's 'Foxcatcher' For Opening Slots|url=https://deadline.com/2013/09/afi-fest-2013-saving-mr-banks-foxcatcher-577175/|access-date=September 4, 2013|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=September 4, 2013}}{{cite news|last=Kilday|first=Gregg|title=Tom Hanks' 'Saving Mr. Banks' to Open AFI Fest|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tom-hanks-saving-mr-banks-619924|access-date=September 5, 2013|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=September 4, 2013}} the same location where Mary Poppins premiered.{{cite news|title='Saving Mr. Banks' Adds to Momentum at Sing-Along with 'Mary Poppins' Legend|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/saving-mr-banks-adds-momentum-654843|access-date=November 9, 2013|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=November 9, 2013|author=Borys Kit|author2=Scott Feinberg}} The original film was also screened for its 50th anniversary.{{cite news|last=Pond|first=Steve|title=AFI Fest Adds Oscar Foreign Contenders, Eli Roth, 'Mary Poppins'|url=https://www.thewrap.com/afi-fest-adds-oscar-foreign-contenders-eli-roth-mary-poppins/|access-date=October 22, 2013|newspaper=TheWrap|date=October 22, 2013}}

Saving Mr. Banks also served as the Gala Presentation at the 2013 Napa Valley Film Festival on November 13,{{cite news|last=McClintock|first=Pamela|title='August: Osage County', 'Saving Mr. Banks' Heading to Napa Valley Film Festival|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/august-osage-county-saving-mr-631843|access-date=September 18, 2013|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=September 19, 2013}} and was screened at the AARP Film Festival in Los Angeles on November 17, as Disney heavily campaigned Saving Mr. Banks for Academy Awards consideration. On December 9, 2013, the film was given an exclusive corporate premiere in the Main Theater of the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank.{{cite news|last=Hammond|first=Pete|title=Julie Andrews And Dick Van Dyke Light Up 'Saving Mr. Banks' Premiere As Disney Goes All Interactive With 'Mary Poppins' (Exclusive)|url=https://deadline.com/2013/12/julie-andrews-and-dick-van-dyke-light-up-saving-mr-banks-premiere-as-disney-goes-all-interactive-with-mary-poppins-exclusive-649658/|access-date=December 10, 2013|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=December 10, 2013}} The film was released theatrically in the United States on December 13, 2013, and in general theatrical release on December 20.{{cite news|last=Schillaci|first=Sophie|title=Disney Dates Musical 'Into the Woods' Opposite 'Annie' in December 2014|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-dates-musical-woods-opposite-568528|access-date=September 5, 2013|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=June 13, 2013|author2=Pamela McClintock}}

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released Saving Mr. Banks on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital download on March 18, 2014.{{cite news|last=Murray|first=Noel|title=New releases: Disney's Oscar-winning heartwarmer 'Frozen'|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-mn-ca-new-frozen20140316-story.html|access-date=March 16, 2014|newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=March 15, 2014}} The film debuted at No. 2 in Blu-ray and DVD sales in the United States according to Nielsen's sales chart.{{cite news|last=Arnold|first=Thomas K.|title='Frozen' Easily Tops Home Video Sales Charts|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/frozen-easily-tops-home-video-sales-charts-1201148058/|access-date=March 29, 2014|newspaper=Variety|date=March 26, 2014}} The home media release included three deleted scenes that were cut from the film.{{cite news|last=Labrecque|first=Jeff|title='Saving Mr. Banks': See the deleted scene that explains everything|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2014/03/10/saving-mr-banks-deleted-scene|access-date=August 21, 2015|newspaper=Entertainment Weekly|date=June 13, 2013|archive-date=September 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924133050/http://www.ew.com/article/2014/03/10/saving-mr-banks-deleted-scene|url-status=dead}}

Saving Mr. Banks grossed $83.3 million in North America and $34.6 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $117.9 million, against a budget of $35 million. The film grossed $9.3 million in its opening weekend in the United States, finishing 5th at the box office behind The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug ($31.5 million), Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues ($26.2 million), Frozen ($19.6 million), and American Hustle ($19.1 million).{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2013&wknd=51&p=.htm|title=Weekend Box Office: December 20-22, 2013|publisher=Box Office Mojo|access-date=July 15, 2015}}

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 79% of 260 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Aggressively likable and sentimental to a fault, Saving Mr. Banks pays tribute to the Disney legacy with excellent performances and sweet, high-spirited charm."{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/saving_mr_banks_2013/|title=Saving Mr. Banks (2013)|publisher=Fandango Media|work=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=October 2, 2019}} Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on 46 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/saving-mr-banks|title=Saving Mr. Banks Reviews|work=Metacritic|publisher=CBS Interactive|access-date=November 21, 2013}} Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.{{cite magazine |date=2013-12-22 |first1=Updated |last1=Lindsey Bahr |title='Hobbit' scorches 'Anchorman 2' at weekend box office |url=https://ew.com/article/2013/12/22/box-office-report-anchorman-2/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |quote=Saving Mr. Banks (CinemaScore: A),}}{{cite web |title=Home - Cinemascore |url=https://www.cinemascore.com/ |website=Cinemascore |access-date=28 December 2019}}

Leslie Felprin of The Hollywood Reporter praised the film as an "affecting if somewhat soft-soaped comedy drama, elevated by excellent performances." The Reporter wrote that "Emma Thompson takes charge of the central role of P. L. Travers with an authority that makes you wonder how anybody else could ever have been considered."{{cite news|last=Felperin|first=Leslie|title=Saving Mr. Banks: London Review|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie/saving-mr-banks/review/649638|access-date=October 21, 2013|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=October 20, 2013}} Scott Foundas of Variety wrote that the film "has all the makings of an irresistible backstage tale, and it's been brought to the screen with a surplus of old-fashioned Disney showmanship ...", and that Tom Hanks's portrayal captured Walt Disney's "folksy charisma and canny powers of persuasion — at once father, confessor and the shrewdest of businessmen." Overall, he praised the film as "very rich in its sense of creative people and their spirit of self-reinvention."{{cite news|last=Foundas|first=Scott|title=Film Review: 'Saving Mr. Banks'|url=https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/film-review-saving-mr-banks-1200745274/|access-date=October 21, 2013|newspaper=Variety|date=October 20, 2013}}

The Washington Post's Ann Hornaday rated the film three out of four stars, writing: "Saving Mr. Banks doesn't always straddle its stories and time periods with the utmost grace. But the film — which John Lee Hancock directed from a script by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith — more than makes up for its occasionally unwieldy structure in telling a fascinating and ultimately deeply affecting story, along the way giving viewers tantalizing glimpses of the beloved 1964 movie musical, in both its creation and final form."{{cite news|last=Hornaday|first=Ann|title='Saving Mr. Banks' review: The affecting story of how 'Mary Poppins' reached the screen|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/saving-mr-banks-review-the-affecting-story-of-how-mary-poppins-reached-the-screen/2013/12/11/a711137c-6275-11e3-a373-0f9f2d1c2b61_story.html|access-date=December 13, 2013|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=December 12, 2013}} The New York Times' A. O. Scott gave a positive review, declaring the film as "an embellished, tidied-up but nonetheless reasonably authentic glimpse of the Disney entertainment machine at work."{{cite news |last=Scott|first=A.O. |author-link=A.O. Scott |title=An Unbeliever in Disney World|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/13/movies/saving-mr-banks-with-tom-hanks-and-emma-thompson.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1|access-date=December 13, 2013|newspaper=The New York Times |date=December 12, 2013}}

Mark Kermode writing for The Observer awarded the film four out of five stars, lauding Thompson's performance as "impeccable", elaborating that "Thompson dances her way through Travers' conflicting emotions, giving us a fully rounded portrait of a person who is hard to like but impossible not to love."{{cite news |last=Kermode |first=Mark |author-link=Mark Kermode |title=Saving Mr Banks – review|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/dec/01/saving-mr-banks-review|access-date=December 2, 2013|newspaper=The Observer |publisher=The Guardian |date=November 30, 2013}} Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune felt similarly, writing: "Thompson's the show. Each withering put-down, every jaundiced utterance, lands with a little ping." In regard to the screenplay, he wrote that "screenwriters Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith treat everyone gently and with the utmost respect."{{cite news|last=Phillips|first=Michael|title=Review: 'Saving Mr. Banks'|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2013/12/12/review-saving-mr-banks-9733/|access-date=December 13, 2013|newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=December 12, 2013}} Peter Travers of Rolling Stone also gave the film three out of four stars and equally commended the performances of the cast.{{cite news |last=Travers |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Travers |title=Saving Mr. Banks: Review|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/saving-mr-banks-20131212|access-date=December 13, 2013|newspaper=Rolling Stone |date=December 12, 2013}}

Alonso Duralde of TheWrap described the film as a "whimsical, moving and occasionally insightful tale ... director John Lee Hancock luxuriates in the period detail of early-'60s Disney-ana".{{cite news|last=Duralde|first=Alonso|title='Saving Mr. Banks' Review: Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks Are Spit-Spot-On in This Hollywood Valentine|url=https://www.thewrap.com/saving-mr-banks-review-emma-thompson-tom-hanks-spit-spot-hollywood-valentine/|access-date=November 9, 2013|newspaper=TheWrap|date=November 6, 2013}} Entertainment Weekly gave the film a "B+" grade, explaining that "the trick here is how perfectly Thompson and Hanks portray the gradual thaw in their characters' frosty alliance, empathizing with each other's equally miserable upbringings in a beautiful three-hankie scene late in the film."{{cite news|last=Nashawaty|first=Chris|title=Movie Review: Saving Mr. Banks|url=https://ew.com/article/2014/01/07/saving-mr-banks-movie/|access-date=December 14, 2013|newspaper=Entertainment Weekly|date=December 11, 2013}} Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the film "does not strictly hew to the historical record where the eventual resolution of this conflict is concerned," but admitted that it "is easy to accept this fictionalizing as part of the price to be paid for Thompson's engaging performance."{{cite news|last=Turan|first=Kenneth|title=Review: Emma Thompson is a ripsnorter in 'Saving Mr. Banks'|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-saving-mr-banks-review-story.html|access-date=December 15, 2013|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=December 12, 2013|author-link=Kenneth Turan}}

David Gritten of The Daily Telegraph described the confrontational interaction between Thompson and Hanks as "terrific", singling out Thompson's "bravura performance", and calling the film itself "smart, witty entertainment".{{cite news|last=Gritten|first=David|title=Saving Mr Banks, first review|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10375018/Saving-Mr-Banks-first-review.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020211219/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10375018/Saving-Mr-Banks-first-review.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 20, 2013|access-date=October 21, 2013|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=October 20, 2013|location=London}} Kate Muir of The Times spoke highly of Thompson and Hanks's performances.{{cite news|last=Muir|first=Kate|title=Saving Mr Banks, London Film Festival|url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/saving-mr-banks-london-film-festival-txv35c2dfd8|access-date=October 21, 2013|newspaper=The Times|date=October 21, 2013|location=London}} Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal, however, considered Colin Farrell to be the film's "standout performance".{{cite news|last=Morgenstern|first=Joe|title=Review: Saving Mr. Banks|url=https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303932504579253683274985194|access-date=December 13, 2013|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=December 12, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212223051/http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303932504579253683274985194|archive-date=December 12, 2013}} IndieWire's Ashley Clark wrote that the film "is witty, well-crafted and well-performed mainstream entertainment which, perhaps unavoidably, cleaves to a well-worn Disney template stating that all problems—however psychologically deep-rooted—can be overcome."{{cite news|last=Clark|first=Ashley|title=Review: 'Saving Mr. Banks,' With Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks, Puts an Enjoyable Spin On the 'Mary Poppins' Saga Without Romanticizing Disney|url=https://www.indiewire.com/article/review-saving-mr-banks-with-emma-thompson-and-tom-hanks-puts-an-enjoyable-spin-on-the-mary-poppins-saga-without-romanticizing-disney|access-date=October 22, 2013|newspaper=Indie Wire|date=October 20, 2013}} Another staff writer labeled Thompson's performance as her best since Sense and Sensibility, and stated that "she makes the Australian-born British transplant a curmudgeonly delight."{{cite news|last=Mueller|first=Matt|title=Review: Thompson Triumphs in 'Saving Mr. Banks,' which Adds Spoonful of Sugar to Backstage 'Mary Poppins' Tale (TRAILER)|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/saving-mr-banks-review-from-bfi-london-film-festival|access-date=November 9, 2013|newspaper=Thompson on Hollywood|date=November 8, 2013}} Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian enjoyed Hanks' role as Disney, suggesting that, despite its brevity, the film would have been largely "bland" without it.{{cite news|last=Bradshaw|first=Peter|title=Saving Mr Banks: London film festival – first look review|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/oct/20/saving-mr-banks-review|access-date=October 21, 2013|newspaper=The Guardian|date=October 20, 2013}}

Geoffrey Macnab of The Independent gave the film a mixed review, writing: "On the one hand, Saving Mr. Banks (which was developed by BBC Films and has a British producer) is a probing, insightful character study with a very dark undertow. On the other, it is a cheery, upbeat marketing exercise in which the Disney organization is re-promoting one of its most popular film characters."{{cite news|last=Macnab|first=Geoffrey|title=Saving Mr Banks: Film review — a sugar coated, disingenuous marketing exercise for Disney|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/saving-mr-banks-film-review--a-sugar-coated-disingenuous-marketing-exercise-for-disney-8970986.html|access-date=December 3, 2013|newspaper=The Independent|date=November 28, 2013|location=London}} Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle concluded that if the film "were 100 percent false and yet felt true, that would be fine. But this has the self-conscious whiff, if not of mendacity, then of public relations."{{cite news|last=LaSalle|first=Mick|title='Saving Mr. Banks' review: Some will love it|url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Saving-Mr-Banks-review-Some-will-love-it-5058694.php|access-date=August 21, 2015|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=December 12, 2013}} American history lecturer John Wills praised the film's attention to detail, such as the inclusion of Travers' original recordings, but doubted that the interpersonal relations between Travers and Disney were as amicable as portrayed in the film.{{cite news|title=Historian at the Movies: Saving Mr. Banks reviewed|url=http://www.historyextra.com/feature/historian-movies-saving-mr-banks-reviewed|work=History Extra Magazine|publisher=Immediate Media Company|access-date=December 5, 2013}} Landon Palmer of Film School Rejects also described several moments where the film had a "shrewd consumption of [the company's] own criticisms", only to later negate them and Disney-fy Travers as a character.{{cite web | url=https://filmschoolrejects.com/features/saving-mr-disney-the-conflicting-arts-of-adaptation-and-brand-management.php | title=Landon Palmer Saving Mr. Disney: The Conflicting Arts of Adaptation and Brand Management | publisher=Film School Rejects | date=December 24, 2013 | access-date=March 9, 2014 | author=Landon Palmer | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310053514/http://filmschoolrejects.com/features/saving-mr-disney-the-conflicting-arts-of-adaptation-and-brand-management.php | archive-date=March 10, 2014 | df=mdy-all }}

{{main|List of accolades received by Saving Mr. Banks}}

Saving Mr. Banks was nominated for awards and earned accolades from various organizations. The film was nominated in five categories at the 67th British Academy Film Awards: Best British Film, Best Actress in a Leading Role for Emma Thompson, Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer, Best Film Music, and Best Costume Design.{{cite news|last=Barraclough|first=Leo|title=Battle for BAFTAs: 'Gravity,' '12 Years,' 'Hustle,' 'Phillips' in Kudos Fight|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/bafta-unveils-film-nominations-2-1201034830/|access-date=January 8, 2014|newspaper=Variety|date=January 7, 2014}}

Several American film critics and pundits predicted that the film would be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Thompson would be nominated for Best Actress; Disney heavily lobbied the film as such for its awards campaign.{{cite news |last=Feinberg |first=Scott |date=November 8, 2013 |title=AFI Fest: 'Saving Mr. Banks' Aims to Become Third Consecutive Movie About Hollywood to Win Top Oscar |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/afi-fest-saving-mr-banks-654591 |access-date=November 10, 2013 |newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter}}{{cite news |last=Hammond |first=Pete |date=November 8, 2013 |title=AFI Fest: A "Practically Perfect" U.S. Premiere For Disney's 'Saving Mr. Banks' Steps Up Oscar Talk |url=https://deadline.com/2013/11/afi-fest-a-practically-perfect-u-s-premiere-steps-up-oscar-talk-for-disneys-saving-mr-banks-630863/ |access-date=November 10, 2013 |website=Deadline Hollywood}}{{cite news |last=Tim |first=Gray |date=November 8, 2013 |title=Cheers, Tears and Awards Buzz for the 3-Hankie 'Banks' |url=https://variety.com/2013/film/news/saving-mr-banks-afi-festival-1200807280/ |access-date=November 11, 2013 |newspaper=Variety}}{{cite news |last=Whipp |first=Glenn |date=December 5, 2013 |title='Saving Mr. Banks' and 'Nebraska' are safe bets for Oscar nods |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2013-dec-05-la-en-oscar-8ball-20131205-story.html |access-date=December 3, 2013 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times}} However, at the 86th Academy Awards, the film received only one nomination, for Best Original Score, which it did not win.{{cite magazine|last1=Duboff|first1=Josh|title=2014 Oscar Nominations: Who Was Snubbed?|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/01/2014-oscar-nominations-snubs|access-date=August 7, 2016|magazine=Vanity Fair|date=January 16, 2014}} The film also received single nominations at the 71st Golden Globe Awards and 20th Screen Actors Guild Awards, where Thompson was nominated for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, respectively.{{cite news|title=Golden Globe Awards Nominations: '12 Years A Slave' & 'American Hustle' Lead Pack|url=https://deadline.com/2013/12/golden-globe-awards-2014-nominations-full-list-651082/|access-date=December 12, 2013|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=December 12, 2013}}{{cite web|title=Nominations Announced for the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®|url=http://www.sagawards.org/media-pr/press-releases/nominations-announced-20th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards%C2%AE|access-date=December 11, 2013|date=December 11, 2013|archive-date=December 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227074743/http://www.sagawards.org/media-pr/press-releases/nominations-announced-20th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards%C2%AE|url-status=dead}} Additionally, Thompson won both the Empire Award for Best Actress and the National Board of Review Award for Best Actress for her performance, while the film itself was selected by the National Board of Review as one of the year's top 10 films.{{cite news|url=https://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=40611|title=Jameson Empire Awards 2014: The Winners|newspaper=Empire|date=March 31, 2014|access-date=March 31, 2014}}{{cite news|last=Lewis|first=Hilary|title='Her' Named Best Film by National Board of Review|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/national-board-review-awards-announced-661763|access-date=August 21, 2015|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=December 4, 2013}} Saving Mr. Banks was named by the American Film Institute as one of the top 10 films of 2013.{{cite news|last=Hammond|first=Pete|title=AFI Awards 2013: Top 10 Films List Is Good News For Major Studios|url=https://deadline.com/2013/12/afi-awards-2013-film-winners-full-list-649223/|access-date=August 21, 2015|newspaper=Deadline Hollywood|date=December 9, 2013}}

{{Reflist}}

{{wikiquote}}

{{portal|Disney|Biography}}

• {{Official website}} at Disney.com
• {{IMDb title|2140373}}
• {{TCMDb title|962982|Saving Mr. Banks}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20190818193608/https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfilms/film/saving_mr_banks Saving Mr. Banks] at BBC Online

{{Mary Poppins}}

{{John Lee Hancock}}

{{Sherman Brothers}}

{{AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Movie for Grownups Who Refuse to Grow Up}}

{{Disneyland}}

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