Best Actress 2013: Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks

Okay, I KNOW it's a little early, but I thought I'd pop this out there, because few have seemed to have noticed (perhaps for good reason).  At first, I thought the Best Picture 2013 horizon wasn't looking so promising.  But then I read Brad Brevet's Fifty Most Promising Films at Rope of Silicon and his optimism kind of brushed off on me.  When thumbing through the release slate of Box Office Mojo, all I saw were sequels, tent-poles, remakes, and superheros.  But, I suffer from extreme negativity, so it's important to see things through other people's eyes.  Anyway, unlike 2012, but more like 2011, the Best Actress category, from a long distance, presently, has more bait happening than this time last year. There aren't a great deal of big-budget projects, but perhaps the biggest is John Lee Hancock's Saving Mr. Banks.  You know that name from The Blind Side.  Yes, I know you may have an aversion to that film, as well as Sandra Bullock's Oscar win.  But, he certainly gave her the star treatment, wouldn't you say?  According to Wikipedia, Banks centers on Emma Thompson as writer and actress P.L. Travers, who originated the Mary Poppins character in a series of books.  The film will explore her early life, as well as her turbulent relationship with Walt Disney (played by Tom Hanks) during the filming of the movie version.  Turned off by the use of animation, Travers would refuse subsequent offers for more adaptations.  So dismayed with her cinema experience, she would later agree to a stage adaptation under the provision that only British talent would be involved.  This movie sounds like it's clearly about HER.  Yay for Emma.

Hanks, once an Oscar regular, hasn't been the best good-luck charm lately.  Aside from 2011's Extremely Close getting nominated, his films haven't had a horse in the race for the last decade.  But, Thompson seems ripe for a lot of notice, no?  Sounds like she's finally getting the five-star treatment for the first time in a while.  Banks also stars Colin Farrell as her father (from the earlier part of her life, I gather; unless, they had the terrible idea of having his ghost visit her), Paul Giamatti as a chauffeur, Jason Schwartzman and BJ Novak as the team behind the Poppins' songs, Kathy Baker, Bradley Whitford, and Rachel Griffiths.

Tom Hanks & Emma Thompson on set in Disneyland

The script is a Black List 2011 entry from Kelly Marcel (she'll be adapting the upcoming Fifty Shades of Grey) and Sue Smith.  Lensing is John Schwartzman (the Oscar-nominated Seabiscuit, comic book adaptations, Ben Still & Michael Bay films), editing is Mark Livolsi (The Blind Side, The Devil Wears Prada, and some Cameron Crowe features), costumes by Daneil Orlandi (The Blind Side, and has worked with Hanks and Renée Zellweger as well), production design by Michael Corenblith (Apollo 13, How the Grinch Stole Christmas).  It's wrapped up filming in Los Angeles as of November and is scheduled to release shortly before Christmas.

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