Looking for Mary Poppins

“I’ve retired so many times now it’s getting to be a habit.”
Dick Van Dyke

Looking For Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins has been part of my life just like it has been in yours. You grew up with it and practiced saying the S word.

Each time that I’ve seen this movie, there has been an evolution in my understanding of Mary Poppins; things I missed as a kid. As I got older, I appreciated all the chimney sweeps shaking Mr. Banks’ hand, each and every one, to bring him good luck. I noticed the “winds of change” then and much later in other movies like The Holiday or The Parent Trap.

It was Disney proper who made the movie Saving Mr. Banks that really pointed out that Mary Poppins was about the dad. He is the one who had the choice to change, no one else. It was his progression as a character that led us to flying kites!

Since then, I’ve read several of the books that the movie is based on. All good books but I appreciated the movie all the more, it was and is really that good.

Today, I am off with my sister to see Mary Poppins Returns.

What to expect? Well, it has to meet expectations, so it will be “the same but different”. There will be magic and songs and fun ideas.

And can we pause, just for a moment, to appreciate Angela Lansbury? She will be in this movie and she has to be at legendary status by now. Remember, she played the sister in National Velvet; the movie that made Elizabeth Taylor a star as a child. What a career.

This time around, we will have CGI; no judgement on that! We will have plenty of star power. We can assume, but hope for surprise, that the grown up children; the parents, are the one’s who will change. I don’t know if the music writers can keep up with the originals but that is why we go see!

Grab your sister, get some popcorn and settle in to some Disney.