Saving Mr. Bankscould have very easily happened without Emma Thompson, despite how vital she wound up being to the film. Thebiopic starring Tom Hankstells the story of Walt Disney and the difficulties he encountered while acquiring the rights to Mary Poppins from its author, P. L. Travers, played in the movie by Emma Thompson.It ultimately became one ofEmma Thompson’s best Disney-related roles.
Saving Mr. Bankswas 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, asthe film risked either descending into self-promotion or tarnishing the brand’s reputation. SinceSaving Mr. Banks’release 11 years ago, it is public knowledge that theMary 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 theIrish Independent)about her reluctance to accept the role. Until this point,the actress had not portrayed a figure that was so difficult or contradictory. The film emphasizes Travers' stubborn beliefs concerning the film rights toDisney’s movie based on the Mary Poppins books, as well as her intense requirements throughout the process. The1990s Oscar-winning actressprepared for her role inSaving Mr. Banksby listening to the collection of audio recordings from the meetings between the author and Disney executives.
Thompson discussed withtheIrish Independent,“it’s really hard work listening to those tapes, because P. L. is so awful and irritating,” andthe 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 admits 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 theIrish Independent).
Emma Thompson Was An Excellent Choice For P. L. Travers
Thompson has described herself as “bossy,” (viaVariety) and this alone is a principal trait for portraying Travers.Saving Mr. Banksexpertly underscores the significance of this feature in driving the plot forward, and to assert the struggle Disney faced in his journey to bringMary Poppinsto life.The artifacts remaining in Disney’s vault became invaluable to Thompsonand her detailed portrayal of this difficult character, as “youcan tell so much about a person’s state of mind through the way they use their voice,"(viaVariety). 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 inSaving Mr. Banks, asThompson’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 register was a weapon in these negotiations, claiming toVarietythat “it’s all she had,” as a means of control. Thompson’s extensive research into Travers was incredibly beneficial to her performance inSaving Mr. Banks, asThompson’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.
