FILM REVIEW - " Saving Mr. Banks " - This true story will make many top 10 lists for best films of 2013 including mine.  But it is NOT a traditional Disney film as we know them.  This is a serious and often painful film to watch and not one for the kids.   For anyone who struggles with or who has experienced substance abuse in a family member or friend,  it may be difficult to sit through.  For many , the effects may be lifelong. "Saving" has the ability to make one want to leave the theater, but compels one to stay.   It is that well made, edited,  directed, filmed and acted.   The scenery of Australia is breathtaking. The parallel editing of writer P.L.Travers' childhood years and her time in Hollywood in the 1960s,  serve as glue to the film and lead us to an interesting conclusion.  Director John Lee Handcock's gentle hand can be felt throughout. Tom Hanks plays Walt Disney with just the right touch of frustration and quiet insight.  Emma Thompson adds another brilliant performance to her resume as the driven and focused."Mary Poppins" writer who contracts with Walt to help write the screenplay and musical score.  The ironic part of her character is the fact that she resists the change we so often look for in round portrayals and this so reflects real life.  The supporting cast of Colin Farrell, Rachel Griffiths, Jason Schwartzman and B.J. Novack bring the screen to life with song and laughter.  And Paul Giamatti proves once again that he can bring magic moments to his time on camera.
   Leave the children at home for this one, but "Save" the movie in your home collection for their later years in hopes that they can recognize and understand the complexities that life can throw at us.
Rated PG-13,  125 minutes, EJ ratinng ***