#Travers Robert Goff

[courseyoulovemeyoudontknowme]

Mary Poppins (1964, Robert Stevenson)

05/02/2024

Mary Poppins is a 1964 mixed media film (live action and animation) directed by Robert Stevenson, based on the series of novels of the same name written by Pamela Lyndon Travers.

London, 1906. Bert, a man of all trades, is among other things a street orchestra man.

Doubting that his careless wife and suffragette, Winifred will be able to find an efficient nanny for the umpteenth time, George has an advert published in the Times with the requirements that a governess should have in his opinion.

A strong wind that suddenly rose sweeps away all the aspiring workers: recalled by the bizarre letter from the two little ones, which reached her through the fireplace, the "supernanny" Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every respect, comes down from the sky with an umbrella.

A pyrotechnic attack by Admiral Boom, who mistakes the chimney sweeps for Hottentots, forces the group to continue the celebration in the living room of the Banks house, involving Winifred and the maids in the dancing.

The protagonist of the film is Mary Poppins - a magical nanny who arrives at number 17 of Cherry Tree Lane flying down from the sky during a day with the wind blowing from the East, attached to a black umbrella with a handle in the shape of a talking parrot's head - who takes care of the siblings Jane and Michael Banks in the family's most difficult moment.

When George Banks is fired, instead of being destroyed, he is cheerful and sings with his family; while her mother, Winnifred Banks, is a full-time suffragette, who participated in many demonstrations on women's emancipation.

In 1934, P. L. Travers, pseudonym of the Australian Helen Lyndon Goff, published the novel Mary Poppins, which tells the story of the magical flying nanny who comes down from the sky to help the Banks family. The sequel was published in 1935, followed by six more novels, published until 1988.

According to the story told in Saving Mr. Banks and the special features of the 2004 special edition DVD, Walt Disney's daughter Diane fell in love with the books of the series and made her father promise to produce a film based on her beloved books. The Sherman brothers composed the soundtrack and helped write the script, suggesting moving the events from the 1930s to the Edwardian era.

Many parts of the correspondence between Disney and Travers are part of the collection in the Library of New South Wales, Australia.

Their relationship during the production of Mary Poppins is told in a dramatic version in the film Saving Mr. Banks, produced by Walt Disney Pictures in 2013.

The film was shot entirely at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. Some hand-made drawings of the discarded scenarios were used for the overture of the film's sequel.

The penguins who serve tea to Mary Poppins and Bert were voiced, in the original version, by James MacDonald, who also took care of the sound effects of the film.

David Tomlinson acted with a fake mustache at Walt Disney's request.

The other actresses considered for the part of Mary Poppins were Bette Davis and Angela Lansbury.

[taminoe]

subtle expressions.

[wordpress-blaze-241242188]

Liverpool - Trailing the Footsteps of the Beatles

Anyone who knows me well knows I have a deep intense love for the Beatles. I've been a die hard fan since I was 3 years old, and I know every song. I also know a ridiculous amount of Beatles history. From a young age I was interested in getting to know the story of these four legendary men. During my search for knowledge, I learned of their origin: Liverpool, England, and thus the dream of going to Liverpool was born. This dream was finally fulfilled last autumn when I took my first trip to the UK. I had one incredible day in Liverpool, and ever since, I've been dreaming of going back! I got to see the most important places from the days before anyone knew the names of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. So if you're planning on taking an unforgettable dive into the past, I have you covered with all the things to see to have a truly magical mysterious tour.

Sky of blue and sea of green...

For anyone who isn't aware of Liverpool's history past the Beatles, Liverpool was a port city, a pretty important one it seems because the Titanic stopped there on it's maiden voyage. The Port of Liverpool is a pretty popular place, mostly because its the home of Royal Albert dock. While Royal Albert dock does have some Beatle related attractions, it's pretty important to Liverpool on its own. This is also where you will meet for most bus tours if you choose to go on one.

Standing in the dock...

If you keep traveling up the docks, you'll come across one of the biggest Beatle's photo opportunities in Liverpool, the Beatles statue. If you're familiar with the picture that is usually associated with their Live at the BBC album, depicting them walking past brick buildings while Paul holds a camera, the statue was modeled after that. I don't think you will ever get this statue to yourself, so be patient and eventually you'll get a turn to take your photo. This is one of your quicker stops, so don't plan on allotting a ton of time for this. I would say its worth seeing though because its a pretty cool statue.

In the town where I was born...

All of the Beatle Childhood homes are miraculously still standing. There are six in total because both George and Ringo moved mid childhood. Ringo spent only the first few years of his life in one home, then moved to another about a block away around the time his parents separated. These homes are the closest to the downtown area, in the Dingle neighborhood. Ringo sings about both of these homes in his song Liverpool 8, the lyrics being 'said goodbye to Madryn street' and 'said goodbye to Admiral Grove. 9 Madryn street was his first home, and 10 Admiral Grove is his second, and where he spent the majority of his childhood. George grew up Northeast from Ringo, at 12 Arnold Grove, and spent quite a few yers here. His second, and more recognizable childhood home is at 25 Upton Green, close to Lennon airport. It's said that the Quarrymen used to practice some in this house thanks to George's supportive parents. Next is Paul's childhood home at 20 Forthlin Road, which is owned by the National Trust. This home is where the songwriting partnership of Lennon/McCartney was born. Last, but certainly not least, is John's childhood home, also owned by the National Trust. John was raised by his Aunt Mimi (the older sister of his mother), and her husband George at a home called Mendips, located at 251 Menlove Ave. In the early days of the Beatles, John's wife Cynthia and baby son Julian also lived in this home with Mimi. Mendips was owned by Mimi until the mid 60's when she moved to a home that John purchased for her. Unfortunatly, many of these locations are closed to the public, with three exceptions. John and Paul's childhood homes are available by scheduled tour through the National Trust, and George's home on Upton Green is now a 3 bedroom airbnb! Unsurprisingly, the Harrison home airbnb is quite costly, but it is an experience of a lifetime! Imagine being able to say that you've stayed in George Harrison's childhood bedroom! I hope someday I will also have the privilege of being able to claim that statement, but that's a dream for later.

The long and winding road led me to your door...

John and Paul lived very close to each other, so close that John would walk to Paul's home to play, since John's aunt didn't approve of him playing music. When I was at Strawberry Fields, one of the workers there gave me a special little insight. She told me that there was a foot path that started just across the street from Mendips and would lead to Paul's neighborhood. She said that this is the exact trail that John would take to get to the McCartney home. I don't know if I can put into words what it's like to walk this trail, following the footsteps of one of music's greatest legends. The path through the trees is so quiet and peaceful. It follows a residential garden wall and also passes the edge of a golf course. This is a decent walk, so if you have trouble walking for long distances, I would advise against this trail. It may take a little longer than public transport, but its so worth it!

Beneath the blue suburban skies...

Like John, Paul wrote Penny Lane as a nod to his childhood. You can see the barber, the roundabout, and a statue of John Lennon, which I thought was peculiar since Paul wrote and sang Penny Lane. While the street itself is a Beatle's landmark, the most popular spot is the street sign. You know you're close if you see a mural of young John and Paul. Like most English street signs, this sign is mounted on a wall, but this one is behind a case, because if I remember correctly, after the sign was stolen multiple times, the city decided to protect it. Like the statue on the docks, this stop is mostly a photo opportunity, but still so iconic.

Biding my time, drinking her wine...

Right across the way from the Cavern club is the Grapes. This is a little pub on Matthew street that has a little bit of Beatle's history. In the early days, the boys would visit this bar quite often after playing shows at the Cavern, as did some of the other Cavern bands at the time. Today the pub is still going strong and offers live entertainment daily. If you'd like to enjoy a drink in the Beatle's favorite Matthew Street hangout, the Grapes opens at noon 8 days a week, and is open into the wee hours of the night.

Its a jumping little record...

The Jacaranda is another location that the Beatle's played in the early days, yet it is much less known. Back in the day, Jacaranda was a music venue and eventually a record label. Today, the music lives on at Jacaranda with live bands that play on the main and lower level, but the record history lives on on the upper floor. If you walk through the bar and venture up the stairs, you'll find a cute little record store. As a record collector myself, I couldn't pass up a visit to Jacaranda to peruse through the bins. Here's a little tip, if you're using your phone to map and maps tells you that the Jacaranda is in the middle of a courtyard or something, its wrong. I cannot tell you how long I walked around this one block of buildings confused. Finally a couple nice Liverpudlians helped me find the way. Turns out I was close, but it was absolutely not in the building maps said it was. To avoid the frustration I experienced, just look up the address and punch that into maps instead. If it helps, the building is on a street corner.

Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song...

We're going to talk a little more about Pete Best for a second. In the basement of the Best family home in Liverpool, Pete's mother Mona created a hangout space for her son and his musical friends, which she called the Casbah Club. The Beatle's played frequently at the Casbah, and even helped Mona decorate it. Paul has said "we looked upon it as our personal club". The Casbah is open for tours and to this day is still owned by the Best family. Actually, the home is now an airbnb run by Pete and Roag Best and family. All of the suites are named after the boys and their former band mates.

This list is pretty long and you really need two or three days to see everything, but if you only have one day like I did, you can pick and choose which seems most interesting to you. I've heard many in the past say that Liverpool is dirty and dingy, but that was Liverpool of the past. The city has now fully embraced the Beatles tourist industry and is in tip top shape. I think about Liverpool often and hope to go back soon. This trip for me really was a dream come true, and I hope that your Liverpool adventure will be the same!

Happy Travels!

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Source: Liverpool - Trailing the Footsteps of the Beatles

[lecosechenascondo]

Ginty: 《Non lasciarmi...》

Travers Robert Goff: 《Mai, promesso. Non ti lascerò mai.》

- Saving Mr Banks

[evepic]

[sarathedisneylover]

One of my favourite actors! Love him. ❤️

[mymanylives]

Short filmography - Colin Farrell

I have a soft spot for dark hair and dreamy eyes

[moviemunchies]

Disney made a movie about the making of Mary Poppins.

The story goes like this: P.L. Travers, the author of the Mary Poppins books, is broke. She needs money. And for the past twenty years Walt Disney has been desperately trying to buy the rights to adapt one of the books into a movie. Travers, however, being a stuffy English woman who doesn’t want her works adapted into a “silly cartoon” and thinks that Disney will butcher the material, doesn’t want to. But as her attorney points out, she needs the money, so she agrees to go to Los Angeles for a couple of weeks and negotiate. There the scriptwriter and lyricists attempt to work with her on how the movie will go, but Travers proves difficult to work with, and refuses to budge on what seem to be very minor points.

All the while, the audience (and P.L. Travers, it’s implied) are receiving flashbacks to her childhood in Australia, which seems to start as a somewhat idyllic life in the Australian countryside, but quickly shifts as her father’s alcoholism becomes more and more obvious to the audience.

It is a bit of a difficult movie to really wrap my head around. It’s not a complicated Plot or anything, but it’s a movie that’s essentially about trying to convince an author to sell out to Disney. And in a world in which Disney owns an absurd amount of the entertainment industry, trying to frame a story about Disney being a nice company just trying to share good stories with the world… well, it’s a bit of a hard sell. And this movie did come out in 2013, when it wasn’t quite as obvious to all of us that Disney was taking over EVERYTHING yet--although it should have been, considering they bought Lucasfilm and Marvel at that point, but we all just kind of joked about it--so it’s a bit lighter of a blow, but it still hits very weirdly. I like this movie, but I don’t know if I should feel bad about it because it’s so obviously Disney making a movie about how it’s okay that absorbing all these properties and twisting them into something with their brand stomped on it.

...I did also rewatch Lindsay Ellis’s video on this, yes, if you were wondering. And to be clear, her video is probably better than anything I’m about to say.

It is a fascinating movie about the process of adaptation though. Because I feel as if people of my generation were very much of the opinion, back when our favorite books like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings were being adapted, that a good adaptation was one that was an exact translation from the book onto screen, all with the smiling approval of the book’s author. And even in very good adaptations or I don’t think that’s how it works at all. I think most people think that Mary Poppins is a good movie, but that doesn’t change that it’s not a very accurate representation of the book it’s adapted from. 

In a way, we have that on full display here. P.L. Travers never really loved the movie of her book; but at the end of her life she’d made peace with it as a well-made film, although she didn’t consider it related to her own work. In the film we watch her desperately try to exert more control over the movie 

Travers demanding that the entire process be recorded on tape was a real thing, BTW. You might have figured that out from the bits of audio played during the credits.

It’s also all tied up in her memories of her father--hence the title. Because (in-film) Travers identified the fictional Mr. Banks she created with her own father, and her acceptance of Disney’s adaptation is tied up with that--making sure that they understand that even if he wasn’t perfect, Mr. Banks wasn’t a monster, and he needs saving more so than his children. Hence the resolution of _Mary Poppins_ is about the redemption of Mr. Banks, rather than just about his children (hence the movie’s title).

I have no idea if this is remotely true or not; after all, while P.L. Travers is a pen name that she took from her father (his first name was Travers), the first Mary Poppins book was dedicated to her mother. But it’s an interesting conjecture and I, who knows next to nothing about the subject matter, think it works.

Emma Thompson manages to make Travers both kind of terrible but also very likable in her performance. No, her being rude to everyone doesn’t endear her, but the frustrations she’s being rude over are relatable, if just expressed in a way that would make you very exhausted with her in real life. Which is why her more emotional moments in the film stand out and make them that much more heartbreaking.

Tom Hanks as Walt Disney is pretty much… well, it’s what you expect. It’s good casting. The movie paints Disney a lot lighter than he probably was in real life, but it doesn’t lose the fact that he’s very much out to make money--the film just also balances that with him trying to make people happy with it.

Apparently Tom Hanks campaigned to show Disney smoking on screen, but this was overruled, so you just hear him coughing and he mentions it at one point, and that he doesn’t like to smoke in public for fear of being a bad influence (which was true).

Paul Giamatti plays Ralph, Travers’s driver while she’s in Los Angeles. And he’s cool. Basically he’s there to show Travers becoming less harsh.

Bradley Whitford plays Don Dagradi, the scriptwriter of Mary Poppins, and B.J. Novak and Jason Schwartzman play the Sherman Brothers, the lyricists for the movie. They're kind of just there to have Walt be nice to and Travers be mean to. They don’t get that much to do other than shuffle about and awkwardly try to do their jobs. Novak, as Robert Sherman, gets a little more to do, in that he actually snarks back a few times, but overall these actors are underused. And I get that it’s hard to use them more and give them more material, because this isn’t their story, but they basically do one thing the entire movie and that’s it.

In the backstory, we have a very good performance from Colin Farrell as Travers Goff, Travers’s father, who is able to portray a man who is both a charming father but also kind of a massive jerk as his alcoholism and illness takes over his life.

Annie Rose Buckley plays young P.L. Travers, Ginty Goff, and she does a great job? I’m not usually critical of child actors, I suppose, but I think she did a phenomenal job of a girl who just has no idea what’s going on with her dad until it’s far too late.

It’s a good movie. I enjoy watching it. Yes, it’s whitewashing the history of the company, and presenting the ending to be a lot happier than it probably was in real life. And that’s not bad! A lot of good movies are like that! But I have really mixed feelings about it nowadays with Disney’s business practices and the way it dominates the entertainment industry. A movie that tells it’s perfectly fine for Disney to eat up and profit off of all fiction is a harder sell for me nowadays. Maybe that’s a ‘me’ thing though.

[disneyadaptations]

Welcome to the very first edition of the Disney Live-Action Awards. With this, we hope to celebrate the best of DLA through a total 12 different categories. We’ve tried our best to come up with fair and deserving nominees for every category. 

How to vote? It’s simple. All you have to do is to CLICK HERE and select your favorite nominee in each category. You must vote for every category and scroll down and click on submit. We think all categories are pretty self-explanatory but if you have any concern or question, feel free to message us.

Voting begins on February 1st and will end on March 1st.

Under the read more, you will find all the categories and nominees.

Best Movie Alice in Wonderland The Muppets Oz the Great and Powerful Saving Mr Banks Maleficent Into the Woods Cinderella The Jungle Book Pete's Dragon Beauty and the Beast

Best Director Alice in Wonderland, Tim Burton Cinderella, Kenneth Brannagh The Jungle Book, Jon Favreau Pete's Dragon, David Lowery Beauty and the Beast, Bill Condon

Best Lead Actress Alice in Wonderland, Mia Wasikowska as Alice Saving Mr Banks,  Emma Thompson as P.L. Travers Maleficent, Angelina Jolie as Maleficent Cinderella, Lily James as Ella Beauty and the Beast, Emma Watson as Belle

Best Lead Actor Into the Woods, James Corden as The Baker Cinderella, Richard Madden as Prince Kit The Jungle Book, Neel Sethi as Mowgli Pete's Dragon, Oakes Fegley as Pete Beauty and the Beast, Dan Stevens as The Beast

Best Song The Muppets, Life's a Happy Song Into the Woods, Into the Woods Cinderella, Lavender's Blue The Jungle Book, The Bare Necessities Beauty and the Beast, Evermore

Best Supporting Actress Alice in Wonderland, Helena Bonham Carter as The Red Queen The Muppets, Amy Adams as Mary Oz the Great and Powerful, Rachel Weisz as Evanora Maleficent, Elle Fanning as Aurora Cinderella, Cate Blanchett as Lady Tremaine

Best Supporting Actor The Muppets, Jason Segel as Gary Saving Mr Banks, Colin Farrell as Travers Robert Goff Maleficent, Sharlto Copley as King Stefan Pete's Dragon, Robert Redford as Mr. Meacham Beauty and the Beast, Luke Evans as Gaston

Best Visual Effects Maleficent Cinderella The Jungle Book The BFG Beauty and the Beast

Best Costumes Oz the Great and Powerful Maleficent Cinderella Alice Through the Looking Glass Beauty and the Beast

Best Production Design Oz the Great and Powerful Maleficent Into the Woods Cinderella Beauty and the Beast

Best Voicing Alice in Wonderland, Alan Rickman as Absolem The Muppets, Steve Whitmire as Kermit the Frog, Beaker, Statler, Rizzo the Rat Oz the Great and Powerful, Zach Braff as Finley The Jungle Book, Idris Elba as Shere Khan Beauty and the Beast, Ewan McGregor as Lumiere

Best Cast Ensemble Alice in Wonderland Oz the Great and Powerful Into the Woods Cinderella Beauty and the Beast

[levysoft]

[…] L’intero film infatti, alterna alla narrazione della vicenda numerosi flashbackriguardanti l’infanzia della Travers. Si viene infatti a sapere che era nata in Australia e che il suo nome di battesimo era in realtà Helen Lyndon Goff. Il film rivela che Helen passò un’infanzia spensierata, quando con la famiglia viveva a Maryborough, sulla costa est del Paese. Ma le cose sarebbero cambiate radicalmente, una volta trasferitisi nella piccola città di Allora.

In questo periodo infatti il padre di Helen, il signor Travers Robert Goff (interpretato da Colin Farrell nel film), ebbe un ruolo determinante nella vita della futura scrittrice. Purtroppo non positivo.Il film descrive il signor Goff come un grande sognatore, che alimentava costantemente la fantasia della figlia Helen, al contrario della più pragmatica moglie. Purtroppo, svolgeva anche il peggior lavoro possibile per uno come lui: l’impiegato di banca. Contare infinite mazzette di soldi, consigliare acquisti di titoli convenienti, assicurarsi che la banca guadagnasse senza che i clienti ci rimettessero… Tutte mansioni insopportabili per uno spirito libero, tanto da rendere la banca la sua prigione. E l’unico modo con cui il signor Goff riusciva a evadere, era affidarsi alla sua fiaschetta di whisky, o qualunque altro tipo di alcolico. Alla lunga, questo suo atteggiamento lo portava a essere trasferito da una sede all’altra.Ma quando, inevitabilmente fu licenziato, cadde in una depressione ancor più acuta che, in sinergia con l’alcolismo, lo portò alla morte a soli 43 anni, quando Helen ne aveva appena 7.Questo evento segnò indissolubilmente la vita della scrittrice, la quale, come figlia maggiore, dovette fin da subito prendersi cura delle sorelle assieme alla madre. Fu in questo contesto che Helen iniziò a raccontare loro delle storie fantastiche di una tata magica, che giungeva volando con un ombrello sfruttando il vento dall’est.

L’affetto provato da Helen verso il padre era più che evidente anche nella vita reale. Non è un caso che la scrittrice avesse utilizzato proprio il suo nome di battesimo per costruirsi il suo pseudonimo P.L. Travers. Ma anche la figura stessa del signor Banks nel libro richiama quel padre che perse quando era ancora troppo piccola. Nel romanzo infatti, il padre di Jane e Michael non è freddo, distaccato e a tratti involontariamente crudele come quello del film. Viene invece rappresentato come un uomo ordinario che vuole bene alla sua famiglia, ma sempre troppo indaffarato. Compare molto di rado e tende sempre a far prendere decisioni alla moglie, in modo diametralmente opposto al signor Banks di Disney.

[…] Ma le scene più interessanti sono senza dubbio quelle della parte di narrazione del 1906, che riguardano la vita travagliata della Travers. Particolarmente spassosa è la scena in cui si presenta la zia di Helen, giunta da Sidney col “vento dell’est” per aiutare la sorella durante la malattia del signor Goff. Ripete esattamente le stesse battute di Mary Poppins quando si presenta a Jane e Michael al suo arrivo al numero 17 del Viale dei Ciliegi. Ed è effettivamente comprovato che la Travers si sia ispirata proprio a sua zia Ellie (che nella realtà era la prozia) per creare la sua visione della tata volante.

[…] Due penny in banca – Fidelity fiduciary bank Questa è la canzone di rottura in Mary Poppins. Da qui in poi, si innescano gli eventi che porteranno al finale. Il signor Banks è assolutamente determinato a far investire al figlio Michael i due penny che voleva dare alla vecchietta. E insieme all’intero consiglio della banca, con il signor Dawes padre in persona, intona la canzone in cui elenca tutti i vantaggi di cui il figlio godrebbe se consegnasse alla banca i suoi risparmi. In pratica, il signor Banks vuole introdurre Michael nel suo mondo: un mondo freddo, cinico e materialista fatto di conti e di banconote.Mentre ascolta la canzone per la prima volta, Pamela non può fare a meno di ripensare a quella sfortunata presentazione della banca svolta da sua padre molti anni prima, completamente ubriaco e subito prima di essere licenziato. Questo la intristisce enormemente, ma soprattutto non accetta che Walt Disney abbia creato una versione del signor Banks così crudele. Suo padre infatti non era così. Era anzi un uomo molto affettuoso con la figlie, che si batteva tra il suo senso del dovere e la sua depressione per mantenere la famiglia. Tutto ciò scatena nella mente della Travers i peggiori ricordi del padre e perciò, non tollera che la sua versione corretta, descritta nel libro, venga infangata così. Ma gli sceneggiatori capiscono il suo disagio e (almeno nel film) corrono ai ripari correggendo il finale.

[…] In realtà, con il proseguire della storia, sia lo spettatore che la Travers si rendono conto che dietro la facciata del buon Walt Disney, si celi ben altro. D’altronde, non si arriva per caso a costruire uno dei più grandi imperi commerciali della storia, in piedi da quasi un secolo. Si capisce infatti che per Walt Disney non esiste un obiettivo che non possa essere raggiunto. Vi abbiamo già accennato di come Disney avesse voluto realizzare un film su Mary Poppins già nel 1938, quando contattò per la prima volta la Travers. Walt Disney infatti insistette per ben 23 anni, fino a che non raggiunse il suo obiettivo. Se è vero infatti che lo promise a sua figlia, quando le leggeva il libro da bambina, è vero anche che quando uscì il film, Diane Marie Disney aveva ben 29 anni! Questa determinazione fortissima nel portare a termine uno scopo trova il suo apice in modo quasi assurdo quando nel film il produttore cede al ricatto della Travers di eliminare il colore rosso da Mary Poppins, pena la mancata cessione dei diritti. Vicenda che in realtà non può essere realmente avvenuta, dato che in questo caso, Disney aveva già comprato i diritti d’autore quando la Travers si recò agli Studios per collaborare nella stesura della sceneggiatura. Anche se pare che lei avesse veramente questa avversione per il rosso.

[…] Particolarmente emozionante è anche la scena in cui Disney parla con Richard Sherman, confessandogli di comprendere la situazione della Travers, poiché ci si era ritrovato anche lui. Quando cioè il produttore cinematografico Pat Powers, nel 1930 “rubò” a Walt e al fratello Roy l’animatore Ub Iwerks, con il preciso intento di far loro terra bruciata intorno e costringerli ad affiliarsi a lui. Ma il ragazzo del Missouri si rifiutò e ripartì con nuovi animatori. Perché in quel momento “quel topo” era la sua famiglia. Iwerks tornò poi alla Disney, collaborando alla realizzazione dello stesso Mary Poppins.

[…] Il vento che cambia Saving Mr. Banks è un’ottima lente di ingradimento che permette di scoprire molte delle vicende che hanno portato la Travers a ideare Mary Poppins e quale sia stato il suo travaglio interiore durante le riprese del film. Questa pellicola è però anche un elogio alla caparbietà e alle capacità imprenditoriali di Walt Disney che, consapevole dell’affetto che si può provare verso le proprie opere, non fu del tutto insensibile alle riserve della scrittrice. Molti di voi avranno però colto la più grande metafora di Mary Poppins, che la visione di Saving Mr. Banks rende estremamente chiara.Mary Poppins infatti spiega ai bambini che sarebbe rimasta con loro finché non fosse cambiato il vento. Ma quando è che cambia il vento? Quando inizia a spirare da ovest a est? Esattamente il giorno dopo che il signor Banks è stato licenziato. Esattamente il giorno dopo che Bert gli ha fatto capire quanto si fosse perso della vita dei bambini.Questo è il vento che cambia. Il vento che spinge il signor Banks verso i suoi bambini, trainato come un aquilone. E una volta che hanno di nuovo il padre con loro, il compito della tata magica è finito. Perché, se qualcuno non lo avesse capito, Mary Poppins non è giunta al numero 17 del Viale dei Ciliegi per salvare Jane e Michael. Ma per salvare il signor Banks.

[sandratabra-blog]

Imi faceam un pic de curat pe birou si ma gandeam la urmatorul articol. Am gasit schita de la articolul precedent unde am scris despre Bambi si am vazut numele lui Walt Disney. Mi-am amintit de un alt film superb care are legatura cu el.

“Saving Mr. Banks” spune povestea din culise a realizarii bine-cunoscutului musical “Mary Poppins”. Mai precis, arata interactiunea dificila si complicata dintre autoarea cartii care sta la baza filmului, Pamela P. L. Travers, si cei din echipa creatoare de la Disney, inclusiv Walt Disney.

Mr. Banks este tatal din povestea prezentata in carte, iar pe parcursul filmului intelegem ca are o foarte stransa legatura cu tatal scriitoarei, un bancher pe nume Travers Robert Goff, un om cu suflet de artist, prins intr-o viata in care nu avea cum sa isi urmeze visurile, ci trebuia sa asigure traiul familiei lui. Zbuciumul si suferinta lui au marcat puternic copila cea mare, cu care avea o relatie absolut deosebita. Ea ii intelegea visurile si aspiratiile si intelegea si neputintele si suferinta.

Ideea filmului a plecat de la un documentar despre autoare, documentar care dateaza din 2002.

Pelicula a fost initial o productie independenta. Insa pentru a completa povestea, a fost nevoie de permisiunile pentru drepturi de autor, astfel incat compania Disney a ajuns sa fie implicata. Cei din conducerea companiei au fost in postura in care puteau sa cumpere scenariul si sa blocheze realizarea filmului sau sa cumpere scenariul si sa denatureze povestea. In schimb, au ales sa cumpere scenariul, sa finanteze productia si chiar sa si puna la dispozitie materiale din arhiva lor, precum inregistrari de la sedintele dintre Pamela Travers si creatorii musical-ului si corespondenta purtata intre Walt Disney si autoare din perioada 1940-1970.

Filmul este dedicat fiicei lui Disney, Diane Disney Miller, care a decedat cu putin timp inainte de lansarea filmului. Ea, impreuna cu alte rude si fosti angajati ai tatalui ei, au fost intervievati de catre Tom Hanks pentru ca acesta sa poata reusi o interpretare cat mai corecta a faimosului creator de desene animate.

Tot pentru autenticitatea filmului, Emma Thompson, care o interpreteaza pe Pamela Travers, a purtat bijuterii imprumutate de la Muzeul Familiei Walt Disney, iar filmarile au avut loc in mare parte in fosta cladire a animatiei (Animation Building) din cadrul complexului Studiourilor Disney.

Desi si in realitate, ca si in film, Travers a plans la premiera, se pare ca acele lacrimi nu erau de bucurie asa cum este redat in film. In realitate, scriitoarea nu a fost niciodata de acord cu modul in care Disney a adaptat cartea sa, mai ales decizia de a introduce elemente de animatie. Supararea a fost atat de mare, incat ea a specificat in testamentul ei ca nici una dintre cartile sale sa nu mai fie adaptate de vreun american.

Exista si alte mici discordante intre realitate si film, insa pelicula reda foarte bine esenta povestii din culise, realizand totodata o caracterizare perfecta a autoarei, fapt confirmat de o secventa din inregistrarile audio redata la finalul filmului.

Filmul mi s-a parut superb prin faptul ca prezinta totul ca o poveste, iar Tom Hanks mi se pare ca intra perfect in pielea lui Walt Disney si portretizeaza un om cu un suflet minunat, care stia cum sa aiba grija de angajatii lui cand erau in situatii grele. Este un film care nu critica, nu judeca, pur si simplu relateaza.

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I was cleaning up my desk and thinking about my next article when I saw the draft of the previous article, Bambi, and I noticed Walt Disney’s name. I quickly remembered another beautiful film connected to him.

“Saving Mr. Banks” shares a glimpse into the making of the well-known musical called “Mary Poppins”. It showcases the complicated interaction between Pamela P.L. Travers and the creative team of Disney Studios, including Walt Disney himself. Pamela P.L. Travers is the author of the book that inspired Disney’s musical.

Mr. Banks is the father in the story. During the film we understand that the character is very much inspired by the author’s own father, Travers Robert Goff, a man with an artist’s soul, trapped in a life that forced him to give up on his dreams and provide for his family. His suffering had a profound impact upon his oldest daughter, who understood his dreams and his pain. The two shared a special relationship, that mattered a lot to the author.

The idea of this film was inspired by a 2002 documentary about the writer’s life.

Initially, the film was independently financed. But the story needed material that required copyrights from The Disney Company. This is how the major company became involved in the production. The managers from The Disney Company and the Disney Studios had the opportunity to either buy the script and shut down the production or buy the script and modify the story. Instead, they chose to buy the script, finance the budget and grant the creators of the film access to a part of the Disney archives. The team was able to listen to 36 hours of recordings from Pamela Travers’ meeting with the creators of the musical and read letters exchanged by the author and Walt Disney dating from the 1940s to the 1960s.

This film is dedicated to Disney’s daughter, Diane Disney Miller, who died shortly before the movie was released. She, along with other relatives and former employees of Disney, were interviewed by Tom Hanks who had to prepare his role as Walt Disney.

To keep the atmosphere of the film as authentic as possible, Emma Thompson, who plays Pamela Travers, wore jewelry borrowed from the Walt Disney Family Museum and most of the filming took place in the Animation Building in the Disney Studios compound.

Although in reality, just like in the film, Travers cried in the theatre while watching Mary Poppins, apparently they were not tears of joy as depicted. In reality, Pamela Travers never approved the way Walt Disney adapted her book and was particularly upset about using the animated sequences. Her anger was so strong, that her last will and testament stipulates that no American can ever adapt any of her books.

There are other small differences between the reality and the film, but the movie describes very well the essence of what happened during the making of Mary Poppins. This is confirmed by a sequence of the archived audio recording that plays at the end of the film.

I loved the film because it presents everything as if it tells a story. I thought Tom Hanks became a perfect Walt Disney, showing a wonderful man who knew how to treat his employees during difficult moments. It is a film that doesn’t judge, nor does it criticise. It simply tells a story. A beautiful one.

Saving Mr. Banks / Saving Mr. Banks: In cautarea povestii (2013) Imi faceam un pic de curat pe birou si ma gandeam la urmatorul articol. Am gasit schita de la articolul precedent unde am scris despre…

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Saving Mr Banks • deleted scenes:  I'll make us a good life. I promise. I'll make you proud again.