It’s been a while since I cried in a movie. If I’d been alone, I would’ve broken down and sobbed. As it was, I could barely breathe through my nose, and tears were continually leaking from my eyes again and again. I can’t even talk to my husband about it without my voice wavering.
I didn’t know P.L. Travers’ story. Somehow I knew she had been difficult to work with and that it took a while for her to agree to the movie, but I didn’t know everything else.
I didn’t know her story and how it was reflected in Mary Poppins.
I didn’t realize that Mr. Banks represented her father and that Mary Poppins was someone in her life that swooped in to save her family.
I didn’t know how much effort Walt Disney put into this movie and how a part of Mr. Banks reflected his life too. Gosh, talk about subtext and multiple meanings in a movie title.
I didn’t know how much heart and soul she put into the story of Mary Poppins.
But don’t most authors do that? It might not represent their life story so exactly but pieces of us are laced in our stories, possibly to the point that no one would know upon reading. Watching the movie I felt so many different emotions. I laughed. I felt empathy. I connected with another author who laid herself bare. No wonder she had a hard time letting someone else make a movie of what was essentially her life and her pain.
There’s not enough room without outlining the whole movie to explain all the facets that made this show so moving. You’ll have to watch it. Maybe you won’t cry because your life has been different than mine. Or maybe you will.
Here’s a fantastic article that calls Saving Mr. Banks a masterclass for authors.
If you’d like, share the last book or movie that touched your heart, mind and soul.
