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Am I going to be that asshole that dissents on Mary Poppins being a canonized great? Well, yes and no. I think Mary Poppins is a great movie – in parts. The pacing is all over the place, and nearly a third of the film is occupied by the boring story involving Mr. Banks and the bank. Yet there’s still quite a bit to recommend here, like the stretch from “A Spoonful of Sugar” through “Stay Awake,” which is the longest sustained bit of greatness, joy, and weirdness in the film.
There’s actually a large amount of weirdness and quirk in Mary Poppins, but only some of it is fruitful and humorous. If they removed Reginald Owen’s Admiral Boom and Ed Wynn’s hysteric Uncle Albert from the final film, things would only improve dramatically. Admiral Boom’s running gag of firing a cannon off his roof every day at 8am and 6pm is just not funny.
And a great chunk of the first thirty minutes is given over to the parents, which wouldn’t be a problem if they were engaging characters, but they’re not. Mr. Banks is a working stiff, properly English to the core, and, obviously, in dire need of a lesson in what matters the most in life. Mrs. Banks is a daffy suffragette, who cries for women’s rights on one hand, and on the other proudly states how happy she is that her husband handles things so she can’t bungle it. These aren’t characters, they’re walking punchlines. At least Mrs. Banks gives us “Sister Suffragette.”
Much better is the entirety of Dick Van Dyke’s dual roles as Bert and the elderly banker. Yes, that attempt at a cockney accent is atrocious, but he’s having such a fun, whimsical time all by himself that it can be forgiven, even ignored. Bert’s a jack-of-all-trades, and his reoccurring appearances in various odd jobs always provides a bit of warmth, acting as something of guide for the audience in the earliest scenes as an introduction to the world of the film. His chaste romance with Mary is endearing, and he can evidently sense her presence as exhibited in one of the first scenes. Acting as a one-man-band, Bert goes around making silly songs about the people watching him, when he suddenly freezes up, notices a change in the wind, and smiles to himself about “something” coming/happening that’s been there before.
These subtle nods to Mary Poppins’ witchy powers and being keep a tiny bit of darkness creeping underneath the sentimental, placid surfaces. While she is sweet and gentle, there are flashes of cold steel in Julie Andrews’ performance. These flashes are hints of just how all-powerful and magical her nanny really is, and that she’s a witch who could just as easily burn London to the ground as she could enchant you with an afternoon spent in an animated chalk drawing. Andrews keeps some of the pricklier edges of P. L. Travers creation as Uncle Walt goes about the business of bluntly rounding off everything else to make it child-proof.
Having said that, all of the good in Mary Poppins is firmly found in Andrews and Van Dyke’s performances, and their quirky chemistry together. “Jolly Holiday” is an extended flirtation between them, and they prove a case study in opposites attracting. Mary is reserved, even her dancing is more prim and proper than Bert’s rubbery kicks and wild flailing, but they work so well together. Plus, we get to watch Van Dyke dance in unison with a group of animated penguins, and that’s just damn charming. Two numbers stand out with them leading the way, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” and “Step in Time.”
“Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” is the most famous scene in the entire film, and with good reason. Not only is a fun bit of nonsense, but it allows for a bit of levity to exude from the typically prim Poppins as she engages with a series of animated characters. In a film not wanting for joy, this scene in particularly is a ribald, riotous colorful blast. While “Step in Time” is just one hell of a dance number. It perhaps goes on a bit too long, but it’s a series of energetic jumps, kicks, leaps, and spins that provides the single highest moment of dance in the film.
A general sense that Mary Poppins is a little bloated at times cannot be escaped, yet it’s still generally a light, weird affair. By the 60s, a musical was a well-oiled enterprise and Mary Poppins, even for all of its flaws, is a very good original movie musical. The special effects are charmingly lo-fi and tactile to modern eyes, the Sherman Brothers songs are generally strong across the board, and the two leads are just fantastic. There’s a whole depth of empathy and feeling here, and in its own imperfection it is no less indelible.
