Movie Review: Saving Mr. Banks ***1/2

Saving Mr. Banks is a sweet story about an irascible woman and the man (Walt Disney) who tenaciously cracks the code of her impossibility. The film is inspired by the true story of P.L. Travers who wrote Mary Poppins, and who was loathe to sell the movie rights to Disney until her financial situation forced her to.
The film paints Walt Disney as something of a sweet dufus. Tom Hanks is good in the role but it's not much of a part, in my opinion. Emma Thompson is wonderful as the author but I wish it had been written with a lighter hand. Paul Giamatti has an odd role as the limo driver who turns out to be the only American the author can stomach, and who penetrates the armor she protects herself with.
It's an engaging story and I was certainly entertained for two hours but I would have liked it better if it had more substance and less fancy.
Lots of 'buts' here. Three and a half stars for Saving Mr. Banks.