Movie Quote Monday: Saving Mr. Banks

"Because that's what we storytellers do. We restore order with imagination. We instill hope again and again." 

Saving Mr. Banks is the charming story of how the ionic movie Mary Poppins was created. It stars Emma Tompson, playing  P.L. Travers, the writer of Mary Poppins. It also stars Tom Hanks playing the one and only Walt Disney! 

The film follows a reluctant Travers and an eager Disney going head to head on how to make this film. As the movie progresses you learn more about the struggles Travers has with her father. And though she loved him dearly, he was very lost and that killed her to watch. 

Her connection to her books ran deeper than most people realized. Disney began to understand her struggle and how hard it was to relay her story for hundreds to see. She wanted her fathers memory to be saved through the story. But she didn’t want to show too much of herself. Towards the end of the movie Disney  goes to Travers and tries to explain how he will protect her fathers memory. He explains why telling stories that hurt even matter. He says, 

"Because that's what we storytellers do. We restore order with imagination. We instill hope again and again."

As a writer this line really touched me. Sometimes when you write it feels like a useless skill because there seems to be no value in it. But hearing this shows that even  if the value isn’t monetary, there is still value. The value of telling stories is the fact that it shows how connected we all are. 

Stories have a way of connecting all of us together. You can hear the most fantastical and unrealistic story, but when a character experiences loss, you feel that. When a character experiences heart break or joy, you are reminded of different memories. Stories help us realize that we are all connected because we are all human. Stories help us remember our history, because without that we have no identity, as a culture or as individuals.

And we all have the ability to be story tellers. Granted we may not all be writers but we all can share a piece of our story. You have no idea how that could help or affect others. Hope is instilled in us through stories because it reminds us that we are not alone. So I ask.... what’s your story? 

Stay Excellent, 

Megan