"Saving Mr. Banks," opening locally on Friday, is a movie-behind-the-movie that tells the riveting story of how Walt Disney won over reluctant author P.L. Travers and finally brought "Mary Poppins" to the big screen.
It stars Tom Hanks as the effusive Disney and Emma Thompson as the crotchety Travers. B.J. Novak plays Robert Sherman, one of the famous songwriting Sherman brothers behind such classics as "Let's Go Fly a Kite" and "Feed the Birds."
“It was humbling and exciting for me,” Novak told us during a phone interview. “It made me feel like an actor for the first time.”
Robert Sherman died last year, but his brother Richard, played by Jason Schwartzman, is still alive and consulted on the film.
“I got to spend hours and hours with Richard Sherman. He was incredibly specific about not only his experience but his brother’s,” Novak said. It was daunting to portray one half of the Oscar-winning songwriting team, he said.
“It was the first time I’ve ever played a real-life character,” he said. “It’s the first time you could get something wrong.”
The movie gets so much right. At times funny, at others heartbreaking, it sheds new light on the beloved musical starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. After you see "Saving Mr. Banks," the movie "Mary Poppins" takes on a rich new meaning. (Who, exactly, does the magical nanny really fly in to take care of? Hint: not the children.) The story unfolds alongside a look back at Travers' difficult childhood as the often poignant inspiration for characters and moments in "Mary Poppins" are revealed.
For Novak, best known for his work on “The Office,” the movie “Saving Mr. Banks” provided insight into the wonderful world of Walt Disney.
“I definitely admired and wanted to relate to Walt Disney,” he said. “He is one of those artists who would not stop at anything short of his vision.”
Meet B-52s’ Fred Schneider
You got you a Chrysler, it's as big as a whale? You could fit a mess of critters in that thing. Discuss the possibilities Thursday with B-52s frontman Fred Schneider at a signing of the children's book "Sassafrass Jones and the Search for a Forever Home" by Cathleen Smith-Bresciani with Richard Eldredge. Schneider narrated the audio version. The event is from 2 to 5 p.m. at Cafe Lapin, 2341 Peachtree Road. Proceeds from book sales will be donated to animal charities including the Humane Society of New York and Canine Companions for Independence.
About the Author
