The last time I went to the movies, I gasped at the admission price — $9.50 to see a movie that wasn’t that entertaining. Add time, gas and popcorn, and curling up on the couch in my pajamas with the remote usually wins out.
We can download free movies, but they’re either ones nobody would watch unless they were chained to the wall or they’re the latest shoot-’em-up flicks which aren’t my cup of tea.
With the closing of most mom-and-pop video stores, it’s been practically impossible to find an old favorite movie to spend the evening with. That’s when the Fort Bend County Library came to the rescue. All branches have a fabulous selection of new and vintage Academy Award winning films and documentaries.
I started to pick up a new release, but then I saw a box that immediately brought a smile to my face – “Mary Poppins.” Later that evening, I sat down in front of the computer with a cup of hot chocolate and revisited a wonderfully engaging movie.
Based on the novel of the same name by P.L. Travers, the 1964 movie “Mary Poppins” was an instant smash and won six Oscars. The movie’s long-lasting popularity is due in part to Julie Andrews’ gorgeous voice and Dick Van Dyke’s agile dancing, but mostly we love the story about a magical nanny who comes to take care of two mischievous children, Jane and Michael Banks.
Mary is a strict nanny but one who combines kindness with authority and surprise. We also meet a chimney sweep and artist named Bert who’s played by Van Dyke. Bert accompanies the children and Mary on quite a few adventures in the movie, and Bert’s a tour guide we’re happy to have on our journey.
The film was one of the first movies to mix live acting and animation. That innovative action starts when Michael, Jane, Mary and Bert jump into a sidewalk chalk drawing of a peaceful English countryside and enter a world of dancing penguins, swift race horses and bounding carousel horses.
Viewers who know their Walt Disney history will recognize the legendary drawing talents of the “nine old men” of Disney in the animation sequences, especially the penguin waiters. Best of all, viewers will find Walt Disney’s whimsical touch from beginning to end.
The supporting characters add humor to the movie, from the two bumbling Banks housekeepers to Michael and Jane’s parents. Mother Winifred is more interested in women’s rights than she is her own children, and their serious and practical father, George, has little time for Jane and Michael.
The toe-tapping musical numbers are from brothers Richard and Robert Sherman who went on to create songs for “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and Charlotte’s Web.” I’ll admit to singing along, from the toe-tapping “Step in Time” to the poignant “Feed the Birds” and trying to find a way to use supercalifragilisticexpialidocious in a sentence.
My favorite song is “Let’s Go Fly a Kite.” Whenever I’m having a tough day, I invariably find myself thinking it might be a splendid idea to send a kite soaring up where the air is clear.
For those looking for sex, violence and car crashes, “Mary Poppins” isn’t for you. But if you’re looking for a reminder that the simple things in life – feeding the birds and flying a kite – are the most important, there’s no better way than to sit back and enjoy a jolly holiday with Mary.
This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.