Tribute to Mary Poppins

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I'm bored on my last day at the school. I'm done. I have a TV and VCR in here that never gets used, except when I test tapes. Some teachers bring a boombox to work today - I put Mary Poppins in the VCR.

It occured to me that it's been a while since I've watched the whole thing, though I do still have most of it memorized. My brother and I watched it endlessly as kids. We had inside family jokes about a lot of it. My grandmother had the soundtrack on cassette and I'd put that on quite often. I know all the words to all the songs. I still think of the words to "Stay Awake" when I can't sleep, and it still helps.

I often forget just how much I love this movie. Every time we watch Fantasmic I feel compelled to wave at the chimney sweeps on the roof of the Twain. Mary and Bert are among the few characters at the park that I actually would like to have a moment with.

I swear, I can cry at many of the moments in this film. I almost did when Jane and Michael sang the nanny advertisement letter.

Yeah, this movie hits me in my weak spots. I'm now realizing that there are so many levels to my love for it.

There's the childhood/family connection. I can't stress that enough. My brother traveled to England a while ago, and along with visiting Abbey Road made sure to visit the building used for the Tuppence a Bag sequence.

There's the pure fantasy aspect. Yes, the effects have aged, but the actual happenings are still perfectly viable. Watching carousel horses racing along carving lines in the dirt with poles attached to nothing still brings a smile. Mary floats down with confidence, and while the Love to Laugh sequence really suffers from perspective problems, the levity is still contagious.

"Sometimes a person we love, through no fault of his own, can't see past the end of his nose." I have family that is like this in various ways. I'm sure we all do.

Then there's the heart of the story. The idea of stopping to smell the roses. Of being firm but indulging in playfulness, not only with kids, but with ourselves. I realize that in working with kids and anticipating parenthood, Mary Poppins is my hero. Sure, I can't make cleaning up so fun that a child will say "I don't want to go on an outing, I want to tidy up the nursery again", but I can do my best. We all battle with becoming jaded. I hope I can maintain a balance of youthfulness and responsibility in all things. Michael's tuppence hits close to home, as I save for the future but indulge myself as well.

You've seen me often ponder what fantasy is, what Disney is. Thinking about this leads me to why Mary Poppins is so iconic. It's a fantasy about fantasy. The message is that joy is important. That laughter is necessary. That cold hard reality can eventually overwhelm your happiness.

If you haven't seen this in a while, dust it off and post here of the memories it kicks up. I'm going to purchase the DVD. I don't buy movies often, but I must have it.

...

On a less poignant note, here are a couple things I noticed: Where do the nannies go when they're blown away? Do they break limbs when they land miles away? Are their memories wiped?

Also, I'd suppose this all occurs during the summer holidays. No school for the kids at all. I'm sure they go to boarding school.

Please God don't let them remake this one.

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

Please God don't let them remake this one.

I hear they're going to remake it with Jessica Alba as Mary.


I'm joking.

I love this movie, too. It always leaves me with such a lump in my throat when it ends. You want her to stay, but you know she isn't needed anymore.

Julie Andrews is perfect in this film. So is Dick Van Dyke. And I've always wanted to live on Cherry Tree Lane. But not near that sea captain, he's crazy!

I always thought the movie lagged when the kids go to the bank and it gets pretty dark (literally) after that. But they pick it right up again with the 'Step in Time' number.

I like Disney's take on this story for the film. The book is pretty heavy in places and Mary isn't all that pleasant always either.

I think it's one of my all time favorite Disney live action flicks.

[Alex]

I've still never seen it in its entirety (or even in its majority or plurality).

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

I've still never seen it in its entirety (or even in its majority or plurality).

Alex grew up and had to leave the nursery.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

GC - even as a kid I liked the part where the kids were running through London, then caught by Bert. Bert's talk with them is great. The only part I ever didn't love was the Sister Suffragette number, and I now dig it. As a kid, the whole irony of Mrs. Banks' character (women's rights activist but subservient to her husband) was completely lost on me.

I tried reading the book but it was pretty awful, IMHO. Mary was a total biatch in it, and there's no story arc at all. She shows up, crazy things happen, then she leaves. I'm glad Disney made a whole new story out of it.

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

I've still never seen it in its entirety (or even in its majority or plurality).

I knew you'd post this. I would recommend you see it, but as you watch movies constantly, I figure if you were going to see it you'd have seen it by now.

[Alex]

I assume if I saw the movie, I'd get that?

My big problem is that I really don't like Julie Andrews. I know that is sacrilege but she is just so...something. She has one of those looks about her that makes me want to punch her in the face just so I can watch her nose bleed.

I know, that is wrong of me. But it is visceral.

Fortunately it is apparently only on screen. When I've met her at a few of the Disney events (and by "met" I mean was physically within punching distance not that we really interacted) she seemed perfectly normal. It probably wouldn't have gone well if I had been compelled to punch her as she worked the red carpet at the premiere of Princess Diaries 2.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

<shakes head with a smile> Only Alex. Only...Alex.

[Scrooge McSam]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

<shakes head with a smile> Only Alex. Only...Alex.

Read my mind! LOL

Yes yes yes The suffragette number never meant anything to me as a kid. When I watched recently, that part was a big stand out.

[Matterhorn Fan]

I believe Mary Poppins to be the best movie ever made. Nothing else comes close.

I'm crying just thinking about it.

[Prudence]

A wooden leg named Smith!

I've always loved the suffragette number, but for some reason other people tend not to remember it's there. Pity.

My brother used to watch this Over. And. Over. and I got sick of it for a time, but that wore off and I love it again.

Oooh! One of my favorite Disney things I've done was the tea with Mary Poppins. Ryan and I went with my brother and his wife and it was SO much fun! Mary was just amazing. I still don't understand why they cancelled this. Every time we go to Disneyland we wish we could do it again.

(are you listening to me, Disney magical dream people?!)