Penguin waiters. A Spoonful of Sugar. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Chalk drawings that lead to new worlds. Laughter that defies gravity. And of course, a happily ever after. These are the images that suffuse Disney’s 1964 film, Mary Poppins, coming together to create a college of the airiness, joy, and ethereal magic that is quintessential of “The Disney Version.”
If this movie was not named Mary Poppins, I probably would not have even thought it was adapted from P.L. Travers’ earlier novel. The stark differences between the book and Disney’s adaptation are striking—a version that previously had a healthy balance of gloominess and of happiness and of the ups and downs concomitant to the trials and tribulations of life was replaced with a story of overwhelming positivity and upbeat music. In P.L. Travers’ novel, Mary Poppins was portrayed as more of a strict, cruel dictator who very much lived by the motto “my way or the highway.” However, in Disney’s remake (or perhaps, more appropriately, drastic reinvention) of the original story, although Mary Poppins is still stern and slightly vain, she becomes a much more mellow and understanding figure. She doesn’t automatically shoot down all of Jane and Michael’s wishes, but actually listens to some of their requests such as when they want to be transported to the quaint countryside depicted in the chalk drawing. This is the Mary Poppins I would want as my nanny—the cheery Julie Andrews who shows me tough love at times, but who also shows me joy and magic and the world.
There were many sentiments I appreciated about the movie, and many elements that left me disappointed. What I appreciated was the overarching message that I believe Disney was attempting to send his viewers: in life, if we look past the surface, we can find that great magic exists. Mary Poppins, time and time again, taught not only the other characters in the movie but also us that if we don’t take life for granted, we can be pleasantly surprised by its hidden depths. A seemingly boring task such as cleaning, for example, can be transformed into a “game” if we choose to experience it with the mindset that we can have fun. Life is, at its core, what we make of it. If we choose to see the carpet bag as an empty, odd-looking sack that can’t possibly carry many possessions, we will never be able to experience all the magic and possibility that lies within. When Mary Poppins miraculously pulls out objects from her bag such as a lamp that seem too big to be hidden within, Disney is reinforcing the notion that if we let go of our preconceived notions and expectations, we can discover unexpected magic and explore unventured territories. Again, this message to live with a flexible mindset is further enhanced through the scene with the chalk drawings. By using our imaginations, we are able to travel to uncharted worlds such as the English countryside that they travelled to in the film.
However, certain scenes and character dynamics in the film were problematic. For instance, although Disney portrayed Mrs. Banks as a staunch advocate of the women’s suffrage movement, by making her a neglectful, clueless mother, he also sent the message that perhaps she should solely focus on homemaking instead of putting her effort into a noble cause. In addition, although Mrs. Banks is progressive in her belief that women should vote, she seems hypocritical by not applying her women’s-empowerment ideals into her daily life. For instance, she lets Mr. Banks run the patriarchal household, and he is the one who makes the decisions for the family. By portraying the wife as subordinate to the husband, Disney is sending his viewers the message that women were meant to be followers while men were meant to be the leaders. The ending scene of the movie further undermines the significance of the women’s suffrage movement—by having Mrs. Banks use her “Votes for Women” sash to make the tail for the kite, Disney seems to be implying that Mrs. Banks cannot both pursue her advocacy rights and be a good mother at the same time. In the end, she must let go of her role in the suffrage movement so she can spend more time with her kids. Given how important the suffrage movement was to ensuring that women worldwide were given the rights they deserved, this message is rather archaic and frustrating.
Of course, in the end, Disney had to finish off with that much-expected “happily ever after.” I may have (ok, I definitely) rolled my eyes when everything seemed to perfectly fall into place, with Mr. Banks being made partner at the bank and both the Banks parents finally investing time and energy into their children’s lives. Could Disney have made the ending any more predictable? I certainly don’t think so. However, I do understand that the “happily ever after” had the important function of leaving viewers with a note of hope and optimism for the future. All in all, Mary Poppins was an entertaining movie to watch (I mean, who doesn’t love cute penguins dressed up as waiters?), but I was aware that many of the messages sent were problematic.
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