To Walt Disney, "Mary Poppins" was more than a book. To her, it was more than a movie.

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

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I love my life, I think it's a miracle. And I loved my dad. He was a wonderful man. But rare is the day when I don't think about that eight-year-old boy delivering newspapers in the snow and old Elias Disney with that strap in his fist." – Walt Disney

Why watch this? Emma Thompson's steely performance is truly remarkable.

Plot Summary: Based on a true story, the film follows the author P.L. Travers as she reluctantly travels to Los Angeles in 1961 to meet with Walt Disney to discuss adapting her book Mary Poppins into a film. She proves to be a demanding and uncompromising individual, fiercely protective of her beloved story and characters. As the Disney team attempts to bring the whimsical world of Mary Poppins to the screen, flashbacks to Travers's childhood reveal the personal origins and deep significance of her creation.

Dad's Preview: This wonderful film really caught me by surprise. Hanks and Thompson are masterful as Walt Disney and Mary Poppins' author P. L. Travers. The film follows the persistent Mr. Disney and his wooing of the unimpressed Ms. Travers in order to transform her children's book into a Disney musical. There are also poignant flashbacks to Travers' painful childhood, and the relationship with her alcoholic father, painfully portrayed by Colin Farrell. How Thompson did not win the Oscar for Best Actress is beyond me.

Ruby Films, Essential Media and Ent., BBC Films, Hopscotch Features;
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures