Rating of
3.5/4
After 50 Years - Still Practically Perfect
Chris Kavan - wrote on 08/17/07
I have always said that Mary Poppins is my favorite live-action film that Disney has come out with. Now that we have reached the 50th anniversary of this truly timeless classic, I can revisit this film as a discerning adult. And what I have found is that the film has lost none of its charm, or indeed none of the magic that made it such a childhood favorite. It has the right mix of music, story and casting that truly makes this a standout feature.
The release coincides with the 2013 release of Saving Mr. Banks - the story of how author P.L. Traves and Walt Disney met in Los Angeles in order to secure rights for the films. One of the new features is a meeting between songwriter Richard Sherman and the actor who portrays him in the upcoming film, Jason Schwartzman. Sherman also features in a previously released feature reminiscing with Dick Van Dyke (who plays Bert) and Julie Andrews (Mary Poppins). Both of these features really show you just how big a part the music played in getting the film made. It is no accident that "Feed the Birds" was the first song written - the heart and soul of the film truly - but how the Sherman Brothers (Richard and the late Robert) came about getting these songs together - that is truly magical.
But the film itself has a lot going for it - Andrews couldn't have made a better Mary Poppins. Her interactions with Van Dyke and the children are simply perfect. The young Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber play the children, and they couldn't have been better cast. Sweet yet impish in their nature - the scenes in the bank and the original nanny qualifications - you have to remember the children are every bit as important as the adults, and Disney made the right decision.
You have more - David Tomlinson as the staid Mr. Banks comes across every bit as the stiff-upper-lip British father who wants everything to be very precise and to abide by the rules. His wife, played by Glynis Johns, is always fighting for women's rights (and hence, not at home that much), is so sweet-natured, you can forgive her for never being around. Supporting roles are likewise great - Ed Wynn as the oft-laughing (and floating) Uncle Albert, Jane Darwell (in her final role) as the Bird Woman and Hermione Baddeley and Reta Shaw as the oft-put upon Cook and Housekeeper for the Banks - pretty much every character is memorable and even if they are only on screen a short time leave that indelible image.
It's very rare when all the elements of a film come together and meld so well together. But the actors support the music - the music supports the story - and it will illicit such emotion that it did surprise me after all this time how darn good it made me feel. I think even the most jaded adult out there would find something to be happy about and those with children - you couldn't hope for a better family film. In the end, I have to echo Mary Poppins herself: "Practically perfect in every way."
