“I won’t have her turned into one of your silly cartoons” says Emma Thompson who convincingly plays Pamela Travers, the author of the beloved “Mary Poppins” story. Courted by the charmingly depicted Walt Disney (played by Hollywood stalwart Tom Hanks), Pamela does everything to sabotage Disney’s attempts to bring her heroine to life.

Based in the early 1960’s, “Saving Mr. Banks” outlines Walt Disney’s persistence in keeping a promise of bringing his daughters favourite book to life. Travers was not about to let her story of a magical nanny be manipulated by Hollywood. Belligerent to the core, she was determined to remain true to Mary Poppins despite the needed the financial injection on offer by the “Disney Machine”.

The 20 year journey by Walt Disney to bring what became one of Disney’s most endearing films to life uncovers many ghosts from Travers’ difficult childhood including dealing with her alcoholic father, played by Colin Farrell.

The storyline of Saving Mr. Banks allows us to travel back in time with sugary sentimentality, together with the classic songs that have become favourites to generations such as “Chim Chim Cher-ee” and “Supercalifragilisticeexpiadlidocious”. Keeping in mind that the film had backing from Disney, it is fair to say that Walt was cast in a very flattering light…and who better to pull it off than Mr. Hanks?

Saving Mr. Banks is now open in cinemas nationally.