Saving Mr. Banks

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2140373/

In my hope to spread inspiration with this blog, I will quote from some of my recent favorites.  Beginning with Saving Mr. Banks, a story of how Walt Disney was able to persuade P.L. (Pamela) Travers to give him the movie rights to “Mary Poppins”, in pursuit of keeping a promise he has made to his daughters. The story revolved on Pamela’s past, particularly how she looked up to her father, how she became uptight because of his death, and how she was able to let go of her pains in the end.

Though there has been a controversy on the inaccuracy of the film, I think there are notable points that came across in its story. One of which is when Walt visited Pamela in her home in England. Walt tried to break through Pamela’s self-built walls that prevented her from enjoying life and exploring her imagination like she used to as a child. Walt, being a constantly inspired and jolly guy, surprisingly shared his fear from his father, and how he was able to see beyond those doubts for a greater outlook we all dream of having.

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“I’m tired of remembering it that way. Aren’t you tired Mrs. Travers? We all have our tales but don’t you want to find a way to finish the story? Let it all go and have a life that isn’t dictated by a past? …Forgiveness. It’s what I learned from your books… George Banks will be honored. George Banks will be redeemed. George Banks and all he stands for will be saved. Maybe not in life, but in imagination. Because that’s what we storytellers do. We restore order with imagination. We instill hope again and again and again. Trust me, Mrs. Travers. Let me prove it to you. I give you my word.”

I agree with Walt Disney that we all have stories to tell. However, life in general is just about perspectives. We all need to make decisions on whether we see it through our downfalls, worries and pains or through our joys, hopes and dreams. Our journey is not about the ups and downs, but more of what we do with those experiences that makes life worth living.

Another point that we can take from the movie is forgiveness. For us to be truly happy and move on with our lives, we all need to forgive. The most crucial part of which is forgiving ourselves. Walt said to Pamela, “life is a harsh sentence to lay down to yourself.” Indeed, we may all have experienced or done something that haunts us, but the beauty of life lies in being able to pick ourselves up and start all over again. Improving and learning from the past is what’s more important. We cannot continue crying over spilled milk and worrying about the inevitable.

Death for one should not be feared and blamed to another, but rather accepted. We should be thankful for days spent together and for the years that await the living. When our grandfather passed away from a fire incident, it was too easy to blame the culprit and stay angry. Knowing him, he wouldn’t want us to live our lives in pain and anger. He wants us to be happy. Celebrating the memories and building a future are more honorable. Of course justice is important, and that is something we must continue to seek. Likewise, setting yourself free is a choice, and a more glorifying way to remember those who have passed.

Still another is being childlike. A child has eyes of wonder, willing to explore the world through his / her imagination. Impossibility isn’t even a word for them to consider. The law of attraction actually allows us to get back to our roots, seeking what our hearts truly desire, without the boundaries of fear and criticisms. No one should tell us who we want to be or what we want to achieve, but ourselves. We may be our greatest ally or foe. It is only the self that defines how the universe unfolds.

Lastly, I was motivated to start quoting what I find inspiring because of Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith, who wrote the screenplay for the movie. They chose the word “storytellers.” I remember this quote saying that there are a lot of critics in this world, and that we are in need of inspirers. I believe writing is about that, driving people into action. Whether it’s public relations that builds character; advertising that encourages a purchase; literature that touches a certain part of the soul or other forms, the goal is to instill a message/s to your reader that will allow him / her to make the most out of it. A lot of times, a nail is just looking for a hammer to help it bind the pieces of a chess set. I remain hopeful that whatever I put out into the world may serve that purpose.

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/oct/20/saving-mr-banks-review