Review: Mary Poppins

Dir. Robert Stevenson (1964)

Odds are good you’ve seen Mary Poppins, it came out in 1964 and is a pop-culture touchstone. If you haven’t seen it, go see it, I’m going to be getting pretty spoilery in this review. Go see it, that’s the short version of this review.

This was a hard one to review as I grew up watching this one frequently. I hadn’t seen it in many years before this write-up and attempted to watch the movie with fresh eyes. That said, I’ve loved this movie since before I could walk, so there’s my bias. I’ll be as objective as possible, but it is what it is.

The first thing that struck me upon re-watching this film was just how very weird it is. It has a level of quirk usually only seen in indie comedies these day. Think about it, there’s a possibly homeless man who is the only character that recognizes the audience and communicates with them directly, but not as a narrator, as a friend. There are two men who live on top of a house and shoot cannons across the city; one is named, of course, Admiral Boom. The children’s mother and their cook have a no-nonsense discussion about saving rotten eggs to throw at the prime minister. An umbrella decides to start talking 5 min from the end of the film, it was never really set up as a character, but it is now apparently! This is one odd duck of a movie!

Another element that leapt out at me is just how full of herself Mary Poppins really is! She’s a perfect combination of straight-laced confidence and cunning manipulator. Mary isn’t here for the kids, they’re not that bad to begin with, she’s here to knock some sense into their father...to force him to BE their father. She’s utterly amazing! 

The songs are catchy and occasionally moving, the antiquated visual effects still hold up incredibly well, and the story is equal parts fanciful and emotional. There’s a mix here of kid-centric material, such as an entire sequence linking loss of gravity to uncontrollable laughter, as well as sequences that will hit adults right in the feels. The section of the film where the children’s father, Mr. Banks is walking to work late at night to his own career’s end is heartbreaking. The camera angles, the music, the lack of dialogue, this is one of my favorite parts of the movie. 

The movie often gets distracted by it’s own rabbit trails, which can lead to some portions dragging a bit. Some of the songs go on far too long but, perhaps it’s my bias, I find myself disappointed when these bits end. From a strict film-making standpoint, songs like “feed the birds” don’t feed the story, but I think they go a long way towards establishing a feeling, a tone for the film. One that sticks with its audience long after the credits have rolled.

The acting here is all pretty great. Dick Van Dyke turns in a hilariously bad attempt at a cockney accent but, once again this could be my bias, but it kind of ends up becoming part of the character and making him all the more crazy and charming. The kids are cute, but not too cute. Mrs Banks, Glynis Johns, is perfection as a staunch feminist in the streets and a subservient housewife as soon as her husband shows up. Her struggle to maintain both sides of her is underplayed to perfection and is one of my favorite character through-lines of the movie. Mr Banks is played by the ever-typecast David Tomlinson. This is the role he was born to play and he totally sells the overbearing control-freak workaholic who’s entire life is crumbling around him.

But the standout is, of course, Mary Poppins herself. Julie Andrews IS Mary Poppins and Mary Poppins IS Julie Andrews. I will never believe otherwise. From her deadpan delivery of hilarious lines to her angelic singing voice, Julie Andrews dominates this movie. She is the dark mysterious figure, frightening and strange. She is the warm teacher, pulling back the veil on just how amazing every-day life is to the entire Banks family. She is the relationship doctor, knowing exactly what’s wrong, how to cure it, and how to bend the people in her way from enemy to unwitting ally. Mary Poppins is a force of nature and without Julie Andrews, this movie would not have half the impact and relevance it still holds to this day.

If you love musicals, watch Mary Poppins.

If you love amazing practical visual effects, watch Mary Poppins.

If you enjoy interesting, comedic characters, watch Mary Poppins.

If you have never seen Mary Poppins, watch Mary Poppins.

If you’ve watched it many times, watch it again.

In my opinion, Mary Poppins is “practically perfect in every way”.

-Josh Evans