As always, the Oscar race is still pretty hazy from this far out, but it’s safe to say that anything involving Tom Hanks is likely to be in the mix. Indeed, we said as much when we made some (way too early) predictions back in early spring, but it can’t be denied that on paper, “Saving Mr. Banks” looks like a strong awards season horse. Now, we have our first look at the movie.
Time has unveiled the premiere image of the movie, and yes, that’s Hanks as that weaver of childhood magic, Walt Disney. The picture will tackle the story behind one of Disney’s most beloved films, “Mary Poppins,” detailing the struggle to get author P.L. Travers (played by Emma Thompson) on board for the adaptation of her novel. “She was a woman of quite eye-watering complexity and contradiction,” Thompson told the magazine. “Often I play people who are controlled by some very clear guiding moral principles. Like Margaret Schlegel [in ‘Howards End‘], guided by the early principles of feminism and equal rights, and Elinor Dashwood [in ‘Sense and Sensibility‘], guided by the principles of decency and honor. There are very clear moral prisms these women pour life through, and I understand that very well. And [Travers] was not like that at all. She was far more chaotic and confused and morally various.”
This sounds like it has the potential to find Hanks and Thompson showing off their acting chops and sparring, which could be very exciting. We’ll see how “The Blind Side” director John Lee Hancock handles it when the movie opens on December 13th.
