Emma Thompson's best Disney-related roles.
Saving Mr. Banks was a rather fitting project for Disney as it largely reflects the founder's image. However, integrating the tense dynamic between Disney and Travers with the studio's ethos presented a delicate challenge, as the film risked either descending into self-promotion or tarnishing the brand's reputation. Since Saving Mr. Banks' release 11 years ago, it is public knowledge that the Mary Poppins author hated the Disney movie. Travers opposed the live-action animation and musical sequences in the film, making excessive complaints to executives that these features diminished the larger picture of why Poppins came to save the Banks family.
Emma Thomspon Came Very Close To Rejecting The Saving Mr. Banks Role Of P. L. Travers
Emma Thompson's Research Led Her To Initially Dislike Her Protagonist
The role of P. L. Travers was a huge challenge for Thompson, who has spoken publicly (via the Disney's movie based on the Mary Poppins books, as well as her intense requirements throughout the process. The 1990s Oscar-winning actress prepared for her role in Saving Mr. Banks by listening to the collection of audio recordings from the meetings between the author and Disney executives.
Thompson discussed with the Irish Independent, "it's really hard work listening to those tapes, because P. L. is so awful and irritating," and the struggle to overcome this adversity almost put Thompson's role in jeopardy. In truth, the actress only connected with the role when recognizing the likeness between herself and the author. As a screenwriter, Thompson acknowledges Travers' reluctance with the film rights to her beloved characters. She its that while "listening to [the audios] makes you want to throw something heavy at her [...], I'm quite vicious if they're not coming round in the way I want. She had a difficult journey to make," (via the Irish Independent).
Emma Thompson Was An Excellent Choice For P. L. Travers
Thompson Had More Similarities With Travers Than She Initially Thought
Thompson has described herself as "bossy," (via Variety) and this alone is a principal trait for portraying Travers. Saving Mr. Banks expertly underscores the significance of this feature in driving the plot forward, and to assert the struggle Disney faced in his journey to bring Mary Poppins to life. The artifacts remaining in Disney's vault became invaluable to Thompson and her detailed portrayal of this difficult character, as "you can tell so much about a person’s state of mind through the way they use their voice," (via Variety). This vocal disapproval was crucial to Thompson's performance and emphasized much of her opposition to the studio.
Thompson's extensive research into Travers was incredibly beneficial to her performance in Saving Mr. Banks, as Thompson's raw performance was fueled by her understanding of the author's motives and convictions.
It was Thompson's research that led her to the notion that the author's vocal was a weapon in these negotiations, claiming to Variety that "it's all she had," as a means of control. Thompson's extensive research into Travers was incredibly beneficial to her performance in Saving Mr. Banks, as Thompson's raw performance was fueled by her understanding of the author's motives and convictions. It is through embracing not only her strengths, but in recognizing her flaws too, that Thompson successfully calls to attention Travers' internal conflicts about surrendering the rights of Mary Poppins to Disney.
Source: The Irish Independent, Variety
Saving Mr. Banks
- Release Date
- November 29, 2013
- Runtime
- 125 Minutes
- Director
- John Lee Hancock
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