tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2191263483641816327.post4893475469618953786..comments2024-03-02T09:23:27.059-08:00Comments on Derrick Bang on Film: Saving Mr. Banks: Deplorably heartlessDerrick Banghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12885694730612878577noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2191263483641816327.post-77518841799828637262014-01-20T18:58:42.971-08:002014-01-20T18:58:42.971-08:00I find it interesting that you and I dislike the m...I find it interesting that you and I dislike the movie for almost entirely opposite reason. Yes, Thompson's portrayal does tend to lend itself to raise the bar on the notion of a shrew. Kristin has been reading me up on many of the details of Traver's life and I find it disturbingly odd that such a person could tell a story like Poppins. That said, the main problem I have with the film also comes from my wife's influence. <br /><br /> Before I came out to California, Disney was a brand name to me. Since I've met my wife, my education on the man has gained in depth and scope as a testament to my wife's Disneyphelia. My problem with the film isn't from Thompson or Travers, but that I never once saw dear old Uncle Walt in there. I saw Tom Hanks. And no matter what tricks he tried and how much charm he put in (both in nearly epic degrees), he just wasn't, and could never BE Walt.<br /><br /> I have no blame for Hanks in this. To say he's a talented actor is to be insulting and dismissive, and his Oscars would beg to differ greatly. But I think Hanks was given a part that was more like an impossible mission. Only Walt could be Walt if you're old enough to remember him. He's so much an icon that even a really epically talented actor like Hanks could only give you a good impression. That was the heartbreak for me. I really really wanted Hanks to nail it. I was rooting for him, only to be let down. My wife was right on one point: Who COULD you get to play Walt and do it right? I have no answer for that. I know Hanks tried, but it's a swing and a miss with me. Scott Taggarthttp://www.owlcatmountain.comnoreply@blogger.com