It recently came to my attention that some of the younger members of my family had never been introduced to one of my favorite family films, Mary Poppins. I gasped. I guffawed. I made many noises that were probably none too appealing. I vowed to change this injustice. No little one should go without introduction to Julie Andrews’ Mary Poppins and if you’re no longer “little” and still haven’t been introduced, I think now is a fine time to rectify that situation.
For those who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Miss Poppins, the film follows the Banks children, two children who are unable to keep a nanny. After their last nanny, Katie Nana (who some might vaguely recognize as Elsa Lancaster, who once portrayed the Bride of Frankenstein in James Whale’s movie of the same name) abruptly quits, the Banks family finds themselves desperately in need of a new nanny.
It’s through the shredded written request for a nanny, written by the Banks children that magically finds its way into Mary’s hand, that leads them to the magical experience of knowing Mary Poppins. With Dick Van Dyke as Burt, Mary’s longtime vagabond friend, Mary and the children embark on adventure after adventure as the children learn that there’s more to life than just fun and games.
The music of Mary Poppins makes the film truly enjoyable. From Julie Andrews teaching the children about work with “A Spoonful of Sugar” to Burt’s lonely monologue about the chimney sweep profession, “Chim Chim Cheree”, the music alone is worth the price of the DVD.
Personally, some of the lessons I learned through the film as a child still pervade my thoughts today. “With every job that must be done, there is an element of fun” usually runs through my mind each time I face a difficult task. As such, I usually find that there is an element that I can find within each task that makes it easier to undertake.
The film is one of Disney’s best and, no doubt, will continue find new fans both young and old.
Mary Poppins is available on DVD through Amazon.com.