By: Cynthia A.

Directed by: John Lee Hancock

Written by: Kelly Marcel & Sue Smith

Starring: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, B. J. Novak & Colin Farrell

The film centers on the life of Travers, shifting between 1906 with her childhood in Queensland, Australia and the 1961 negotiations with Walt Disney.  While in California for pre-production, Travers thinks back to her difficult childhood in Australia, most especially to her father, the inspiration for the role of the story’s patriarch, Mr. Banks.

A beautiful and amazing story about the creation of the oh so very wonderful Mary Poppins.  But this movie is more than that.  The story highlights the struggle and sadness that writer P. L. Traverse endured in her childhood with the death of her father and the basis for Mary Poppins.  All the heartache behind the story was portrayed amazingly giving the story of Mary Poppins more warmth and heart to everyone who loves that movie.  The flashbacks and the momentum and depth of the story was brilliant, it showed just why this story meant so much to her, why she made it so hard for Disney and why everything had to be perfect in her eyes.  It was an incredible and heartwarming story behind this movie.

Needless to say the acting was incredible.  Colin Farrell was one of the best actors in this film with his portrayal of a broken down man who was a drunk and lived in his dreams.  His performance was real and heartbreaking, so sad and so rich at the same time.  That performance is one of his bests and showcased just how brilliant of an actor he is.  And let’s not forget Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson who each became the people they were, bringing to life their heartache and their individual pain of the past.

There is so much right with this movie, with this untold story about a real life story that needed to be told.  It was breathtaking, heartbreaking and bitter sweet in the end.  This was such a wonderful movie that everyone should see because it is much more than a story about the creation of the Mary Poppins movie, it is about hope, forgiveness and love, a movie about pain that holds such substance and depth.  ★★★★ (A+)