Walt Disney

Walter Elias "Walt" Disney is the creator of the happiest place on Earth, Disneyland. When Walt Disney’s daughters were young, they loved a little book about a magical (and slightly sadistic) nanny named Mary Poppins. He promised them that he would someday make a movie out of the series, and 20 years later, he delivered.

It took Disney—Walt himself, not a bunch of execs with money-stuffed briefcases—16 years of wheedling, convincing, and coaxing before author Pamela Travers would agree to let him make a movie. She believed that Disney would make Mary Poppins a twinkling, rosy-cheeked delight—and to an extent, she was right.

Disney did give her script approval, but no doubt later regretted it, since script approval proved to be an extremely painful process. Every little word, every tiny detail, seemed to be a point of contention.

Saving Mr. Banks
Walt arrives, enthusiastically greeting her, but Pamela remains unfriendly, calling him Mr. Disney even when he insists she just call him Walt. In his private office, he reminds Pamela that he's been trying for 20 years to talk her into giving him the film rights. His daughters were reading the Mary Poppins book back then and he promised them he would turn it into a film. That's why he has been adamant in securing the rights so he can live up to this promise, as well as making kids happy who will finally get to see Mary speak and sing to them. Pamela uses this to bring up her disapproval of the film being turned into a musical, explaining a governess shouldn't be giddy. She writes off Disney as creating "silly cartoons." He tries to reassure her that he won't tarnish the story she holds dear to her because he loves Mary Poppins, too. Pamela reminds him that she has not signed the agreement yet and that it stipulates the film will be live action and not animated -- she wants this made clear via a recorded statement by Walt. He remains calm, telling her they're going to make something wonderful. She responds by saying she has yet to see if that is even possible, and then exits the office, leaving Walt dumbfounded.

The next time she's at the Disney Studios, she gets frantic after "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" is introduced. Dolly goes to Walt's office to give him an update -- Pamela wants Mrs. Banks's name changed to Winifred, she doesn't want Dick Van Dyke, she doesn't like the house, she doesn't want Mr. Banks to have a mustache, the tape measure used to record the children's height should be a roll tape and not a ruler, she only wants green vegetables and broth for snacks (in the rehearsal room), and that she doesn't want the color red in the film -- at all.

Walt now joins Pamela and the others in the rehearsal room. She reminds him that she has final say and insists, again, that there should be no red in the movie. He points out that the film is set in London where there's a lot of red but she says she wants it banished simply because she feels anti-red at the moment. He asks if she's testing him but she replies she took him at his word when he said that she would get final say on everything. She offers to return the agreement back to him, unsigned, so he agrees that there will be no red in the film.

Walt leaves and the others now realize that Walt has not been granted the rights yet. Pamela asks them to sing another song. They sing The Perfect Nanny and Pamela shouts criticisms throughout. As they continue on, she shouts into the tape recorder, "Nobody's listening to me!" as if her documented complaints will then hold merit. When the song finishes, Pamela says it's the worst song she's ever heard.

Later that afternoon, Walt is looking out his window. He sees Pamela sitting on a bench, getting into the limo after Ralph arrives.

Pamela calls her agent from her hotel room, complaining about the adaptation of her story and how she is having flashbacks of her childhood. But she has to admit that she needs the money. After hanging up the phone, she pulls the giant Mickey Mouse from the window and cuddles with it for comfort.

The next morning, the rehearsal room has healthier options for food (per Pamela's request). The Sherman Brothers brainstorm ideas until they come up with "a spoonful of sugar."

Outside, Walt meets Pamela at the limo and escorts her upstairs. The brothers play the newly written "Spoonful of Sugar," deciding that the word "down" should be played higher, along the lines of Mary Poppins doing the unexpected, like going UP the bannisters. They are in love with this new song and predict it will be iconic. Pamela is unimpressed and calls it an annoying tune akin to something that would play at Walt's "themed park," all giddy and carefree. She points out to Walt that Mary Poppins is the enemy of sentiment and whimsy; that she is truthful and doesn't sugar coat the darkness to the children. She complains that the script is flim flam and not rooted in reality. After declaring it has no weight, she opens a window and flings the pages out -- proving that the script literally has no weight. Walt responds by saying "Says the woman who sends a flying nanny with a talking umbrella to save the children." Pamela responds, "You think Mary Poppins is saving the children?" She sighs and shakes her head.

In the rehearsal studio the next day, Richard previews Feed the Birds, which touches Walt. They both fear Pamela will hate it, nonetheless.

In current day, Pamela gets a phone call from Walt. He wants to know why she has been so upset lately. She doesn't have a response. He suggests the two of them go to Disneyland. She is less than enthusiastic at the suggestion, calling it a dollar printing machine, but he doesn't take no for an answer, hanging up on her.

Ralph drives Pamela to Disneyland and they park on the property. Walt Disney greets them, exciting Ralph who has never met him in person; Pamela is not impressed though. The two walk through the park where young fans ask for Walt's autograph. Walt gives out pre-signed pictures, his method of dealing with attention when he goes to the park. Walt encourages the crowd to get Pamela's signature too and even though they happily offer her something to sign, she mockingly rejects them (possibly implying a case of inferiority complex).

As they walk down Disneyland's Main Street, Walt asks Pamela where she came from. Pamela knows he is talking about Mary Poppins and says she flew in through the window one day. He is not impressed with her standoffish attitude and says, because she clearly doesn't want to be there, they'll go on one ride and then go. The two are now on King Arthur's Carousel. Pamela hesitates to get on the ride, even after Walt tries to coerce her, by pointing out that there's a child in all of us. She only gives in after Walt adamantly demands "Get on the horse, Pamela". He then tells her the Sherman Brothers have an idea for Mr. Banks that will be to her liking. She asks if he brought her all the way to Disneyland just to tell her that; he responds, no, he had made a bet that he couldn't get her on one ride and now he just earned 20 bucks.

In the rehearsal room, there are no more snacks and all the tables have been pushed to the side. Don is eager to show Pamela the new scene they have written for Mr. Banks. It ends up being Lets Go Fly a Kite. Having come to peace with her past, Pamela can't help but hum along and then sing along and then dances. Dolly is ecstatic and runs to Walt's office where she tells him, I'm sorry to interrupt but Mrs. Travers - she's dancing with Don!

Now, riding in the limo, Pamela is upbeat, matching Ralph's optimistic perspective on life. In the rehearsal room, Pamela is much more pleasant. She okays the Jolly Holiday song but when she asks how they plan to train penguins, Richard tells her, "They're animated." Upon hearing there will be cartoons in the film, Pamela storms out. She runs to Walt's office, uninvited, and calls him a trickster, a fraudster, a sneak. Pamela tells him that the music of the Sherman Brothers has charmed her but she won't cross the line and allow animated, dancing penguins. She gives him back the unsigned rights papers and says "good day". Walt chases after Pamela but she just tells him he isn't living up to his promises. Ralph arrives and is about to drive her away. She tells Walt Disney she's sorry to put him through so much trouble but she is not ready to give her (Mary Poppins) up. They drive away.

In his office, Walt Disney looks down at the paperwork with Pamela's flight itinerary, confirming she has, in fact, gone back to London. He wonders why her name is listed as Helen Goff and his secretary points out that it's her real name and she's actually Australian, not British. He wonders where she got the name Travers.

In London, Pamela settles back into her home, the one she can no longer afford. Later that night, there's a knock on the door and Walt Disney is there. He requests she make him a pot of tea. They talk and Walt tells her she misjudges him that she thinks of him as a Hollywood King Midas with an empire and that Mary Poppins will be just another brick in. He tells her, if this was the case, he wouldn't have pursued her for 20 years. He tells her Mary Poppins is real to his daughters, to thousands of children, and even adults. Walt apologizes to Pamela for letting her down and points out that he, too, had a Mr. Banks but his had a mustache; it was his own father, who had a newspaper delivery route and employed a young Walt and his brother to work during the cold winters. If he didn't live up to his father's standards, he would get beaten. He says he loves his father but he has days where he looks back and is tired of thinking of him in a negative light. He has to learn to finish the story differently, to let it all go and have a life that isn't dictated by the past. He realizes now, as she hinted, that it's not the children Mary Poppins comes to save but her father, Travers Goff. She must have loved him a lot to take his name. He now realizes all of her books were about him and encourages her to forgive him. She says she doesn't have to forgive her father, he was a wonderful man, but he says, no, she needs to forgive Helen Goff for giving herself a harsh sentence. He begins a monologue, telling her to trust her precious Mary Poppins with him and the audience will see Mr. Banks being saved and he can instill hope into the viewers.

Walt returns to his office to find that Pamela is there, waiting. She points out she didn't receive an invitation and it must have gotten lost in the mail. Walt promises to issue a replacement.

Pamela gets to the Grauman's Chinese Theater where various Disney characters mingle alongside celebrities, including the cast of Mary Poppins. Before she exits the limo, Ralph whispers to her, "This is your night. None of this would be possible without you." He helps her to the carpet but she walks unnoticed, except for a giant Mickey Mouse who interacts with her.

Inside, Pamela watches the film. She looks around at everyone in the audience laughing, singing along, having a good time. The scenes in the film remind her of her history, that we are now familiar with via the flashbacks.

By the end of the movie, Pamela has tears streaming down her face. Walt Disney is sitting behind her. He leans forward and whispers "It's all right, Mrs. Travers. Mr. Banks is going to be all right". She nods but responds, "No, no. It's just that I can't abide cartoons!"

The final song plays, "Lets Go Fly a Kite". Pamela can't help but sing along. She has one final flash back of Ginty at her father's bedside as he promises her "I will never leave you". Cut back to the opening scene of the film with Ginty sitting in the grass embracing her father. The prologue from Mary Poppins again being spoken by Travers, the same weathervane turning to the west and the shadow of an umbrella. But this time, we rise higher and higher into the sky indicating that Marry Poppins work with Pamela is done and both can finally move on.

During the first part of the credits there are pictures of the real Pamela Travers, Walt Disney, Sherman brothers, Don DaGradi, one of the men who inspired Ralph and concept art of the Mary Poppins film. During the second part there is seen a tape recorder next to a bowl of jellybeans (no doubt to recreate the moment) while recorded dialogue between the real Pamela, Sherman brothers and Don is heard as they discuss the script. As the tape runs out the screen turns to black.