There's Something About Mary

The word "magical" has been used to describe many Disney films over the years. While I will always have a special place for the more modern classics, like all time favorites Aladdin and The Lion King, nothing quiite takes me back to my childhood moreso than the those Disney films I saw as a kid. The list is endless...The original Love Bug, The Shaggy D.A. The Witch Mountain flicks, Pete's Dragon, and of course Mary Poppins. Poppins has been released a few times on DVD over the years--by by far the release is the 40th Anniversary Edition. The word magical certainly applies to the film and is not misused one bit.

Meet the Banks family: George the banker father (David Tomlinson), suffragette mother Winifred (Glynis Johns), and the two "impossible" children Jane (Karen Dotrice) and Michael (Matthew Garber). The kids get the attention of their all-business father by getting the best of every new nanny hired to work in the Banks household. Whem Mr. Banks advertises conventionally for another nanny, the kids compose their own ad, asking for someone with a little kindness and imagination. Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews in her screen debut) answers the children's ad by arriving at the Banks home from the skies, parachuting down by her umbrella. She immediately endears herself to the children. Soon after the kids meet Mary's old chum Bert (Dick Van Dyke), currently employed as a sidewalk artist. Mary, Bert, and the children hop into one of Bert's chalk drawings and learn the nonsense song "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" while touring a cartoon countryside, on the way to meet Bert's Uncle Albert (Ed Winn). Mr. Banks is pleased that his children are behaving better, but he's not happy with their fantastic stories. To show the children what the real world is like, he takes them to his bank. A series of disasters follow which result in his being fired from his job.

Directed by Robert Stevenson, the film is just about perfect, as it mixes annimation and live action to tell its story. Adapted from author P.L. Travers' series of books, by screenwriters Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, the movie has something for both young and old to enjoy. The idea of combining animation and live action wasn't done on this scale before its 1964 release. And to this day it holds up quite well. At 2 hours 20 minutes, Mary Poppins manages to zip by faster than some of today's shorter less inspired family films. The songs from composers Richard and Robert Sherman are true classics in every sense of the word. From "Spoonful of Sugar", "Chim Chim Cher-Ee", "Jolly Holliday" and of course "Supercalifragilistic", these songs are among my favorite from the Disney Songbook. Andrews and Van Dyke, (who has always been a favorite of mine since watching reruns of his 60's sit com) were quite the team. Ms Andrews was so good in fact, she won an Oscar, on her first film no less.

The 2 disc DVD set is the only way to watch the film. Mary Poppins has never looked or sounded any better. It's restoration is just great. The audio commentary with recollections from Andrews, Karen Kotrice, Richard Sherman, Robert Sherman and Dick Van Dyke, is pretty good. It may not tell us about any dark days on the set but there's some good information here nonetheless. "Disney's Song Selection" (with or without on-screen lyrics) is great for those would be singers in the family; "Poppins Pop-Up Fun Facts" is a loaded trivia track, with everything that the audio commentary barely touched upon. Disc one concludes with Sneak Peeks at seven other Disney titles.

Disc two has has a lot to offer as well. First, there's the wonderful making-of documentary - at 50 minutes, there's tons of interview footage, some great photos and more recollections by all kinds of members of its creative team. The deleted song, "Chimpanzoo" (which is accompanied by storyboards and early design sketches), is nice to have but I think was wisely left out of the movie. the 17-minute featurette "A Magical Musical Reunion" is a chance for Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke and Richard Sherman to hang out and talk music for a while. The history and development of the wonderful songs makes this a gem. Conversely,The 20-minute featurette "A Musical Journey with Richard Sherman" is, unfortunately not as much fun and the only real disappointment in the entire set. Let's just say, had it been excised, it wouldn't have been missed. Movie Magic looks at the effects of the film and offers a noteworthy deconstruction to offer How They Did It info. Also included is Dick Van Dyke's make-up test and 23 minutes' worth of footage from the gala premiere of the film. Both the teaser and theatrical trailers for the picture are here, as are the premiere greeting from Julie Andrews, two original TV spots, and re-issue trailers for the film's 1966 and 1973 return to theaters. An extensive photo gallery and two cute extras for the youngest viewer. An "I Love to Laugh" TV set-top game and a bonus Poppins animated short, "The Cat That Looked at a King", featuring Julie Andrews, David Ogden Steirs, Sarah Ferguson, and Tracey Ullman strutting their voice talents. Some of the extras can seem like overkill, but overall, this material is a fitting way to celebrate the film.

There's nothing left to say except Mary Poppins is well worth having in anyone's film collection

Just a spoonful of sugar...

this is indeed a Disney Classic if every there was one. a must own. kids and adults will love it. great songs, great story. and the story has a MORAL. spend time with your kiddies. and be a good listener. and go fly a kite.
dick van dyke and julie andrews rock. the animation sequences are lovely, the birds and little animals. and jumping into the chalk painting on the sidewalk... ahhh the memories. every childhood should include many viewings of good ole Mary Poppins. a must. my little Kyle watches all our Disney DVDs and videos over and over and over and over ..... better than out on the street getting into who-knows-what - hummm?!

Now THIS is what I call a movie!

It doesn't matter if you're 7 or 70. This movie pleases everyone. It's got a great soundtrack (don't know if it's still available but I inherited my mom's old LP record!), great acting (anything with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke has to be good), and has some scenes where live action and animation are combined. This was all done without the technology of today, yet another reason to appreciate the work in this film. The remastered DVD editions are great. Not sure what extras come with the newest one but the one I saw in 2001 had a good section about the making of the film.

I recommend this to anyone, and it will come as a blessing if you're sick of the garbage that Hollywood is making today.