“Mary Poppins” remains my favorite Disney movie of all time, and my love of the film was what got me interested in the book series that I read through numerous times as a kid. Certainly the books and films were completely different creatures that really only shared characters, but both were magical fictional devices that charmed me then and now.
When I heard about the movie “Saving Mr. Banks” I was really excited to see it, not only because I find the stories behind how films are made intriguing, but also because it would allow me to enjoy that part of my childhood over again. Granted, the film did take some liberties with the real story of how “Marry Poppins” came to be, but it was fun, charming and an overall good film.
Of course, our favorite homophobic author had a few choice words for it on his website, Hatrack.com. In it, he not only decried all the cheese and cheap tricks the writers played on the audience (he loathes “Citizen Kane” and spends a good few paragraphs on “Rosebud” and its use in future films), but he also decried how screwed over P.L Travers really was by Disney in the translation of her books to film. And I mean literally screwed over.
The truth of how Mary Poppins was made would have been more effectively symbolized if Disney had stripped off Travers’s clothing and raped her on his desk. But nobody would want to watch that movie (especially not I).
Wait, WHAT? The only effective way to symbolize how the movie was made would have been if Disney had stripped her naked, bent her over his desk and RAPED her?! What … the … FUCK?
Sure it’s fine to completely disagree with how a movie was made or whether or not it was any good, but to equate the writing process as akin to having to show someone literally rape the author is somewhat beyond belief. If a stand-up comic or a news entertainer on any of the major networks had said such a thing, people would be calling for their heads! Not that it really surprises me coming from a loon like Card, but I still find it hard to believe he would be so daft as to put it out there for all the world to see.
Considering how shitty “Ender’s Game” did at the box office, it’s not hard to see why he’s desperate to stay in the limelight before fading into oblivion, but it’s obvious that he probably should have chosen his words a little better, in this and most other situations.