Mary Poppins

Some of the best Disney films just exude pure magic, and the 1964 musical fantasy, Mary Poppins, may be one of their finest examples. Based loosely on the book series written by P. L. Travers, the story of a nanny from the clouds bringing joy to a fractured family, was more than just another successful Disney film of the era, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1964 with a gross of $103 million worldwide and was nominated for a total of 13 Oscars (including Best Picture, being the first Disney film to ever do so), managing to win five, including Best Actress for then newcomer to the big screen, Julie Andrews. It has gracefully lasted the test of time, remains as one of Disney’s best live-action films even during an era when they were releasing some truly great competition, introduced the world to several iconic characters, performances, and songs that will never be forgotten, and was even so effective that a movie all about its creation warmed hearts just as well nearly 60 years later. Whether for critics or audiences, everybody fell in love with Mary Poppins.

In 1910, London, the Banks family need a new nanny, as the two children, Jane and Michael (played by Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber) are good at heart, but prove difficult to handle which leads every nanny chosen by their strict banker father, George Banks (played by David Tomlinson) to flee after only a few days. While their suffragette mother, Winifred Banks (played by Glynis Johns), is much kinder to her children, Mr. Banks runs his household in a firm and authoritarian manner, actively denying the children’s request for a kind and playful nanny in exchange for someone stern and no-nonsense, but their request is magically accepted by Mary Poppins (played infamously by Julie Andrews) who arrives rather unexpectedly and ready to get to work. Though carrying a firm border that masks her inner cheer and containing magical powers that stun the children even if she very rarely acknowledges them, the adventures she takes them on along with their chimney-sweep friend, Bert (played infamously by Dick Van Dyke), makes their sheltered lives much livelier, which might also improve the life of Mr Banks himself, who though stuck in his way and viewed as cruel by his children, may need them more than they realize.

Pretty much everything about this movie just hits bullseye. The story is captivating and a perfect balance between joyful fun and contemplative reality, the characters are so lovable and are played by fantastically charming actors, the music is outstanding, the visuals are entrancing, it’s funny, it’s mature, it’s timeless, it’s for all ages, there’s just too much to gush over and it deserves every praise it gets.

While the original eight books did have a whimsical quality which might fool people into thinking the adaptation process was easy and beautifully realized, the behind-the-scenes drama was something to behold, with a lot of animosity being formed between Walt Disney and P. L Travers, who was incredibly resistant to Disney acquiring the rights to her story. Problems rose further once she saw the animated section, the dilution of Mary Poppins’ harsher qualities, and the multiple musical numbers, resulting in Disney not even extending her an invitation to the premier until a Disney executive was essentially embarrassed by Travers into giving her one (with that night also being filled with grievances). Although she is credited as a consultant, she was not happy with the end results or seeing her stories which came from exaggerated real-life experiences tweaked into a musical comedy with dancing penguins (which is a little restrictive, but not hard to understand). In spite of that, the movie took a lot of its ideas and story points from the first and second books and offered an experience that manages to be both enrichingly magical but also poignantly grounded.

You’d imagine a story about a magical nanny taking children on magical excursions like entering a street painting, having a tea party on the ceiling, and travelling across the rooftops of London, wouldn’t abide or deal with real world logic or struggles, but this movie actually has a strong adult perspective laced throughout that really brings a maturity to what could’ve been a quaint kids fantasy, and the screenplay written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi perfectly mixes the two tones in a way that never feels out-of-place, always enriches whenever one is present, and creates a narrative that is overall hopeful and ends on a pleasant note, but doesn’t throw away the sorrowful uncertainty that comes with being an adult. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson, a man who has been attached to some of the most successful live-action Disney films of his period, including Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Love Bug, Old Yeller, The Absent-Minded Professor, and That Darn Cat!, and always found that right balance of going goofy without ever pushing it too far, and being able to bring in genuine heart, so he definitely aided in handling the tone and making this film as wonderful as it is.

While the cartoonish antics, wacky performances, and strong visuals and atmosphere would already make this movie one of the most entertaining Disney films, the stuff with Mr Banks is some of the best material Disney has ever created. While Jane and Michael are positioned as the leads, it’s Mr Banks who goes through a change and is shaped by the arrival of Mary Poppins, and the late great David Tomlinson just perfectly portrays this character as a domineering antagonist, but never a flat-out villain. He’s definitely a rough figure, is a little too obsessed with his ways and values, and is pretty short-sighted when it comes to his children, but the film is very sympathetic to his situation, and by the end, when he does become a more cheerful and attentive father, it’s some of the most heartwarming stuff you could imagine (especially after a scene prior that might be one of the most effectively dramatic moments ever put in a Disney film where he prepares to lose his job). Tomlinson still brings a sense of comedy to what could’ve been a one-note role, and he is a highlight in a film packed with outstanding performances. No one isn’t trying and whether small or minor, every actor is charming, relatable, and filled with personality. Smaller roles like Glynis Johns, Hermonie Baddeley, Reta Shaw, Elsa Lanchester, Arthur Treacher, Reginald Owen, Arthur Malet and Ed Wynn result in memorable fun characters, Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber don’t make Jane and Michael very distinct, but they’re effectively adorable and are used well throughout, and outside of Tomlinson, the king and queen of this film are obviously Dick Van Dyke as Bert and Julie Andrew as Mary Poppins.

Taking the role after she was recast as Eliza Dolittle in the film version of My Fair Lady, getting Mary Poppins was the best thing that could’ve happened to Andrews’ career, earning her an Oscar for her first ever film role. Mary Poppins could’ve also been played as a straightforward fun and cheerful presence without much issue, but Andrews brings a stern centre to the role that makes her delightfully mysterious and always like she’s ahead of everyone else around her. Even with that said, anytime she needs to be enchanting and sweet, she pulls that off fantastically and everything from her acting to her singing voice, to even how she carries herself, really makes Mary Poppins one of the most iconic roles in Disney history. The same can be said for Dick Van Dyke as Bert, who is so infectiously lovable as this seemingly homeless man who constantly switches jobs on the fly with a smile on his face, that he became just as iconic as Mary Poppins was (terrible accent aside). The two are wonderful together, handle both the dramatic and the whimsical stuff very well, and with both still being legendary performers even in their old age, these roles really cemented them as household favourites.

This movie is so colorful, vibrant, and brimming with such life and energy in practically every frame, that it manages to keep this look even when not within an ‘’animated’’ section (meant both figuratively and later literally). Because it frequently injects creatively outlandish situations into a relatively normal looking world, it’s allowed to go that extra mile and be more inventive with its imagery and effects, which look really eye-catching even if some do show their age like anytime a green screen is involved or how the people don’t necessarily interact with the animated characters (despite being very well drawn). For the most part however, the passion that went into these moments are wonderfully handled, and that’s also true for the more mundane stuff as well.

It’s cool that any grand shot surrounding the city uses a painted backdrop, adding a storybook quality to the picture and heightening the scale and even magic of the world that they inhabit, which is only intensified by the cinematography by Edward Colman, who gets some gloriously cinematic angles and imagery that all look gorgeous. The music is some of the most entertaining pieces that Disney has ever created (and that’s saying a lot), with the large sum of songs all being toe-tappers, well sung and fantastically composed and written by the legendary Sherman Brothers, Richard, and Robert. They’re well-paced out, add to the story and don’t just act as playful interludes, the singing is always great, the choreography on some of these numbers is really impressive and provide such a thrilling rush (Set in Time in particular is incredible in this regard) and even just the musical score and motifs that are created from these songs are so incredible and do a great job bringing so much powerful atmosphere whether in an uplifting, or even dramatic sense,

Disney has made a lot of great movies, and Mary Poppins is easily one of their best. You’d think one that had a deeper story, more complicated situations and a more climatic feel would topple over it, but this small film that focuses on a family growing back together through the help of a nanny, provides so much joy, enchantment, laughter, sadness, and heart, that it stands proud alongside any of its classical fairy tale adaptations. It feels so real and genuine, and in spite of P. L. Travers dislike of the portrayal, the strength of her stories is always felt in spite of the dancing penguins (which are also great to be clear). It’s very engaging and extremely timeless, the characters are all wonderfully acted, the songs are incredible, it’s visually stunning, it has a great message, it’s mature while also being child-like, it has so many iconic scenes, and even when Disney tried to replicate it years later with a terribly soulless, basically shot-for-shot ”sequel”, it could never hope to reach the same levels that this glorious picture achieved. A classic that is always worth checking in on again and again.