MovieChat Forums > Saving Mr. Banks (2013) Discussion > Sad how P.L. died lonely and bitter

Sad how P.L. died lonely and bitter


I just can't imagine my grandmother basically hating me and her other grandkids. Do you think most of these stories are exaggerated? I'm sure Travers had good qualities about her but I don't think I'd last a day with her in the writers room as depicted in the movie. Ugh.

Like the proverbial cheese, I stand alone. Even while seated.

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I think the death of her father haunted her for her whole life and had trouble letting other get close to her because she didn't want to be hurt again.

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I agree, her father's death hit her so hard that she wanted to avoid the pain of losing someone she loved again, so she kept everyone at an arm's length. She didn't want to depend on others for anything at all. That's why she kept saying "I'm perfectly capable of....." so much as an adult whenever someone tried to help her with something. She relied on her aunt to "fix" her father and she was let down. It's very sad considering that she seemed to be such a delightful child who never uttered a sharp word to anyone, up until her father passed away.

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When Walt Disney came to her house in London he adviced to her to forgive Helen Goff. Why did he advice her to ''forgive Helen Goff'' ? I mean did she have a problem with her own child situation (Helen Goff).?

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I just watched it again and got curious. That never really happened.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/12/23/saving_mr_banks_true_story_fact_and_fiction_in_walt_disney_p_l_travers_movie.html

But she had a horrible relationship with her adopted son. He was adopted as a baby boy from Ireland from his grandfather, who was raising seven grandchildren. The boy was unaware of the existence of his siblings until his twin brother came to London as a teenager and went to Travers' house and demanded to see him. Travers refused and threatened to call the police. The twin brother left, but soon after, the adopted son had an argument with Travers and went looking for his brother and found him.

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Well, she was way worse than what the movie depicts.
The movie shows her professional flaws but her private life ones were way worse.
She separated a pair of twin boys by insisting on adopting just one of them and lying about him having not brothers. As you know it's pretty traumatic for twins to be separated. So one boy grew with her and the other grew with disfunctional and abusive guardians then they met at the age of 17 and they life was ruined forever.

She was a pretty mean person and I have read Many Poppins books and although funny, I can't see anything kind, affection or happy in those books. She was right about the movie being too different. Mary Poppins is a nice book about a very harsh and bossy nanny who never once shows feelings for the children she works with. Also the book is pretty random but always dark.

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But they're children's books, right?, cannot be so dark for sure...

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Not dark as in "graphics" but dark as in possessing a "depressive mood" all over.
There's this "the world sucks and every person is naughty" feeling. A feeling of loneliness and tragedy.

The days with Mary Poppins are more like army boot camp than "a funny day with a person that cares about you". Never a nice word, never a hug, never a smile.
To be honest: even in the movie Julie Andrew is pretty bossy and stern butat least she smiles and sings which changes the mood somewhat.

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I think cristXXXgames (to whom you responded took "dark" in the same moody way, of being depressive.

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I didn't find the books depressive, the children do lots of exciting things and have a good time on the whole. Mary Poppins is mostly quite stern, but the children seem to be fond of her all the same.

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The boy travers adopted had the best of everything, his life hardly seems to have been ruined. And after the brothers met at 17, they only saw each other occasionally after that, there doesn't seem to have been a great bond between them. Both of them were alcaholics.

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The boy travers adopted had the best of everything, his life hardly seems to have been ruined. And after the brothers met at 17, they only saw each other occasionally after that, there doesn't seem to have been a great bond between them. twins are not always devoted to each other. Both of them were alcaholics.

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Exactly my point. Disney didn't want the story. He Just wanted the title. He ruined Pamela's life worse than it was. Disney gave Pamela's father a second death.

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I feel they should follow how a book is written. Not change it all up and make it their own. It's not their work.

I love you, Kristen Stewart. :) You are so beautiful and talented. I would love to perform with you.

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You can't fix stupid.You have proved that, over and over again. And you should change your screen name to ''Kristen Stewart Stalker/Troll''.

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[deleted]

Great candidate for everyone's ''ignore list''. (See the Kristen Stewart Idiot poster above). He's on mine as of now.

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LOL! Very good POINT! And I may now put KSF in MY Ignore again.

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It is theirs now. They paid for it, they own it.

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She wasn't bitter. She was Just a no-nonsense person. And she didn't feel the world should be like Disney's vision.

I love you, Kristen Stewart. :) You are so beautiful and talented. I would love to perform with you.

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I agree. It is sad and heartbreaking. But as someone who comes from a very troubled past after awhile sadness becomes a choice or better yet joy is a choice. One can cling on to the past or let it mold you into something stronger.

I personally wasted my teens and 20s with depression. Even attempted to end my life a few times. But, decided to fight my past.

It is hard and it's often a daily choice. I'm not blaming her at all. During her time period therapy was often not an option neither was antidepressants. I am positive she fought mental illness. If she was in today's world may she could have gotten help to pull her through her past. We are lucky to have mental illness awareness these days.

My heart goes out to her because I understand some of the pain she felt and dying alone use to be my biggest fear. No one no matter how bitter they are wants to end up lonely and depressed.

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I was unaware about the twin boys. That is rather sad.

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From AmyJolamb

But as someone who comes from a very troubled past after awhile sadness becomes a choice or better yet joy is a choice. One can cling on to the past or let it mold you into something stronger.


Exactly. I think this film is a perfect example of that point. Both Travers and Disney did not have ideal childhoods. Those childhood experiences never left either of them, but each channeled those in a different directions. Travers seemed to continue to dwell on that past and let it consume her. Disney took it and seemed to turn his early life experiences into a determination to make other children happy.

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My childhood has been haunted by the way my high school treated me because of my autism. So I know how Travers felt. She was haunted by her father's death. I've been haunted by my high school's mistreatment for years.

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I am sorry to hear that. I hope that, unlike Travers, you can get past that and use the experience to make yourself and others stronger.

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Sadly, I'm still not over it.

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Very sad, indeed.

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