Mary Poppins

Starring: Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns, Hermione Baddeley, Reta Shaw, Karen Dotrice, Matthew Garber, Elsa Lanchester, Ed Wynn
Directed by: Robert Stevenson
Rating: G
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy
1964

Times Seen:
Tim: 3

Summary: A magical nanny (Julie Andrews) arrives to help two children who don't have a good relationship with their father (David Tomlinson).

Review:

Tim: I know P.L. Travers was famously unhappy with the Disney adaptation of her books, but I believe Mary Poppins is a delightfully incredible movie. It's a classic film that really appeals to all ages (my three year-old enjoyed it a lot). It's got magic, charm, and entertains while it also touches on some powerful themes. I really believe this is a great movie and belongs in the upper echelon of Disney films.

The story itself is quite good. You could watch it for the magic, surreal fun parts and be entertained. However, there's this deeper emotional aspect to the story as well. It's really about the disconnect between a father and his children (the mother is fairly disconnected, too, but is less of a focus in the film). This is actually quite a powerful theme to explore in a children's movie. It's never done in an overly flashy way, but it's subtly shown how Mr. Banks doesn't have a close relationship with his children. The emotion they create in him isn't love or pride, but annoyance and frustration. The movie wisely never dwells on this too long (that would be a bummer), but it doesn't flinch away, either. It's actually quite sad to think of children growing up believing their father doesn't like them. I love that this movie addressed an issue like that.

It's quite ingeniously touched upon in a way that revisits this theme while jumping back to the more magical, entertaining aspects of the film. And truly, there are many of themes. From the first iconic view of Mary Poppins floating down on her umbrella, we get these instant classic moments. It helped that there are some truly effective songs, too. You have the scene that depicts the dream of every child- magically and effortlessly cleaning up their room with the wonderful "A Spoonful of Sugar". The highlight of the film is probably "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", a sticky, unforgettable tune that makes you smile just listening to it. "Chim-Chim Cheree" is memorable in the surprisingly intricate rooftop dance sequence. The movie also leverages animation mixed in with live action, which gives the whole movie this surreal charm. It really feels so different to anything else we've seen.

I was a big fan of Julie Andrews' performance. I know Travers didn't like how Mary Poppins are portrayed more warmly than in the books, but I thought Andrews nailed the performance. She's tough and strict, but underneath that, she has a lot of love and kindness for those around her. It's really an impressive performance because she feels like a disciplinarian while also being the first person to help cheer you up. She bring so much energy to the role. I was glad she won the Academy Award for Best Actress- it really is a remarkable performance. You also have to give Dick Van Dyke immense credit. He plays two different roles and each contributes tremendously to the film. Bert is such a fantastic character. His carefree energy mixed with his rule-breaking, unconventionality gives him this slightly dangerous edge while also being the warmest, kindest person. I can see how it would appeal to kids- he's the kind of adult friend every kid wishes they had. His dancing and singing are quite remarkable. As amazing as Andrews was, her performance needed to be somewhat restrained and proper. Van Dyke is the opposite- he's free to just cut loose and let it all hang out there. He works well with Andrews while bringing great energy to the film. I also enjoyed the performance of David Tomlinson. He gives a subtly emotional performance. Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber were good as the kids. I'm not sure if I loved their performances, but they worked well enough.

I didn't think everything was perfect, though. Mrs. Banks felt like an underdeveloped character. I wish we got more time to understand her better. The woman's suffrage thing was beneficial, but she deserved more complexity. The whole subplot with the ship on the roof felt pointless. I didn't enjoy that much and it wasted too much time. Still, these are minor complaints about a great film.

In addition to Andrews' Best Actress win, this film also won the Academy Awards for Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Song, and Best Music- Substantially Original Score (geez). 5 Academy Award wins plus 8 other nominations, including Best Picture is a stunning achievement. The movie certainly deserves those accolades because it's fun, powerful, entertaining and memorable. I really enjoyed the film immensely- it's absolutely a classic.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
The Sound of Music, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory