Theology of “Saving Mr. Banks”

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In the Trailer (I'd call it a 'Lead-er' cause it goes ahead of the movie instead of trailing it…) of upcoming December flick "Saving Mr. Banks," Walt Disney (played by Tom Hanks) utters a profound statement to Mary Poppin's author P.L. Travers. In winning her over to letting him make the movie, he counsels her saying, "It is imagination that restores order." Supercalifragilistic… Walt ! ! Spot On, Dizz…! But note, this was not an original thought…G. K. Chesterton, author of cerebral apologetics book "Orthodoxy," was all over this perspective back in the 1910's. Yet, Mr. Disney had the magic in wielding this turn of phrase at just the right time to Travers. It seems Ms. Travers' tight hold on her book was wrappped up in her past and her own personal healing journey. Disney's almost prophetic insight was to dare her to allow another's imagination (in this case, his) to loosen and rub salve in the cold iron chains that were keeping her stiff and wound tight. Unfortunately, though the enchanting and "perfect-in-everyway" Ms. Poppins was able to "save Mr. Banks," Travers remained unenchanted by the movie score (even though it made her a lot of 'bank.') She stayed oppositional to the Disney team to the end. Maybe, she needed to take Mary's medicine recipe by adding that key "spoonful of sugar."

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