h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Great review, thanks! I was wondering whether to see this movie over the holidays.

Not sure what R L Travers would have made of it, indeed.

I saw this Culture Show (BBC) documentary about her, recently, to go along with the film just having been released. I didn't realise that the original Mary Poppins character was so dark. In fact I didn't know anything about R L Travers at all. All very interesting.

Well, I remember the BBC did a from-the-books adaptation of some of the stories and the general tenor of the review was 'this is much harder-edged than I expected'.

I'm increasingly certain Travers would have violently objected to this movie - apparently she was horrified by the animated sequences in the movie and went up to Disney at the post-premiere party, insisting that they re-edit the film. 'The boat has sailed, Pam!' Disney apparently said, turning his back and walking away from her - and they never spoke again. The movie doesn't mention this at all. She left a 'no sequel, no more adaptations' clause in her will...

Good for her.

Hmm. So, you think that P L Travers would have objected to Saving Mr. Banks as well as to Mary Poppins (the movie)?

It sounds as if some of the dark edges have been glossed over. Again.

Damn. Why does this happen?

I need to know more about Walt Disney now.

In the Culture Show feature that I saw, I think it said that at least P L Travers did OK financially from the film. Hmm, that's thin compensation though, for what she had to endure.



They also interviewed Camillus Hone, P L Travers' adopted Irish son, who died a couple of years ago. There was the whole story about how she adopted Camillus, and they led a comfortable life in London, but she didn't adopt his twin, who was left in Ireland. And Camillus didn't find out till he was 17 or something, when he met his twin, and it upset him so badly his life went off the rails for a while.

But he forgave his mother, and learned to love her.

This would make a far more interesting film, I think. . Was any of this mentioned in Saving Mr Banks? I suppose it's not really relevant.

I dunno. It's all relevant to me. But then, no film portrayal could ever redeem Walter Disney in my eyes.

Here's one reason:

http://www.snopes.com/disney/films/lemmings.asp

That's interesting about the twins. It sounds similar to the popular novel and film from the Netherlands, called 'Twin Sisters'. Although I believe that story was fictional.

There's a moment fairly early in the film where someone asks Travers if she has ever had any children and she says 'Not exactly' or words to that effect - I was expecting this to turn out to be the seed of a plot twist, but no, it just gets skimmed over.

I did contemplate mentioning that the film doesn't dwell on the possible-irregularities in Disney's own birth and childhood, but that would just have looked like hunting for a stick to hit the film with. As it is Disney does emerge as a suspiciously saintly figure, as I mentioned.

I believe the press has been well-managed on this film. Since you reviewed it, I watched the trailer and looked the film up on Rotten Tomatoes. They've got it as 82% positive for critics, 97% for viewers.

My reaction to the trailer is that I would find it traumatic to watch.

But then, I would have to be forced to visit Disneyland, 'world, whatever, at gunpoint. Even then, I would hesitate.

My favourite description of Disneyland is in EL Doctorow's 'The Book of Daniel'.

Hah! Suspiciously saintly figure. OK ... the plot thickens. I think that this shows that you're a good reviewer, Awix. Subtle and balanced references. I like that.

And, through it all, do I still want to see Saving Mr Banks. Or would I find it traumatic as well? hmm. I wonder.

All very interesting.

Ohmigod, about White Wilderness? True? Yikes.

Disneyland, yes, I think it would bring me out in skin rashes. . But that's just me. .

So, now to find the description of Disneyland in The Book of Daniel. I'd never heard of The Book of Daniel, of course, but I learn, I learn!



And of course, like thousands of kids of my generation, Mary Poppins (the movie) was one of the delights of my childhood. So ... ah! the paradox....even though I always found the spoonful of sugar a bit sweet, a bit sicky icky, but I used to love the animated bit. . So that's me in trouble with P L Travers. .



I want to check out the original Mary Poppins books. Apparently P L wrote the first one in a cottage in Mayfield, in East Sussex, which is interesting to me, because I come from near there.

And then there's Julie Andrews. I once read that she's spent years trying to shake off the Mary Poppins and Sound of Music image. But then Mary Poppins was her film debut, which is pretty good really.

Hmm. I wonder how she got on with Walt Disney?

I prefer Ms Nadrews' first grammophone record, made at age 12:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV2-YGGn0y4

What??? How do you find these things? Confirmed, you're an ardent Julie Andrews fan. heheh, cheeky wink.

Actually, I found it by accident a few days ago, while looking for the Wexford Carol. We decided her version wasn't very good, and opted for Alison Kraus.