Meryl Streep Bashes Walt Disney, Praises Emma Thompson at Award Ceremony
Actress Meryl Streep took some swipes at Walt Disney while simultaneously honoring Emma Thompson, star of the new film "Saving Mr. Banks," which explores the relationship between author PL Travers and Disney. Streep had nothing but praise for Thompson but made some serious accusations about Disney.
"Women do not do any of the creative work in connection with preparing the cartoons for the screen, as that task is performed entirely by young men," Streep read in a letter from an associate of Disney's. "Some of his associates reported that Walt Disney didn't really like women. He didn't trust women or cats," she added.
The Walt Disney Family Museum responded to Streep's accusations with the suggestion of visiting the museum and taking a tour or googling information about Disney.
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Yet Streep had nothing but praise for fellow actress Emma Thompson and her portrayal of PL Travers, the author of the "Mary Poppins" series that was made into the now-famous movie. It took some serious work and compromise between Travers and Disney before the film was completed and became the childhood staple that it is now.
She called Thompson "practically a saint" and a "beautiful artist" during her speech before reciting a poem that she wrote for her friend.
"We think the Brits are brittle, they think that we are mush. They are more sentimental, though we do tend to gush. Volcanoes of emotion, concealed beneath that lip, where we are prone to guzzle, they tip the cup and sip. But when eruption rumbles from nowhere near the brain, it's seismic … Granite crumbles, the heart flows like rain and lava. All that feeling melts down like Oscar gold. And Emma leaves us reeling, a knockout, truth be told," Streep said.
"Saving Mr. Banks" features Tom Hanks as Disney, and it took serious studying for him to accurately portray the legend. Hanks reportedly listened to Disney on tape in order to get his accent right and specifically grew a mustache that was rigorously conformed to Disney standards.
"I know she was mean, but she was also authentic in one way or another," Thompson told Janet Maslin of The New York Times when asked about portraying the stubborn Travers. "There's an authenticity to her irritability that's rather embracing and a relief because you can tell when people are being insincere – actually, finally – and in the end one did know where one stood. I spoke to friends of hers … and they said she was very tricky, she was, but she was very honest."
Thompson is likely to be nominated for an Oscar for her role in "Saving Mr. Banks."
