Johns (1996)

The books are better
I wasn't raised as a Disney kid, so I was only peripherally aware of this film growing up, maybe saw some of it on TV a time or two, but never in the movie theatres or from start to finish.

Recently, however, my kid and I read the first four "Mary Poppins" books and were thoroughly charmed by their odd, acerbic humor. So I thought, hmmmm, maybe we should try the movie as well, even though I knew, vaguely, that the Julie Andrews MP was much different than the mysterious faerie-nanny we had come to know from the books. Although the Disney Poppins isn't entirely sugary-sweet, she is much more benevolent and feel-good than the grouchy, cross nanny in the books. Also, though I love Dick Van Dyke dearly, having his character Bert in the film from start to finish is a big change (Bert only appears in two or three stories in the books) and he often overwhelms the rest of the film. The Banks family is also greatly altered - instead of a spaced-out humbug, the father becomes a foreboding, socially retrograde prig, while the mother (also a space cadet in the books) is made more sympathetic, a foil for the crabby dad. (And the interjection of her being politically active, as a voting rights suffragette, seems oddly out of place: the books were never about the parents, and they are made much more central here...)

There is some innovative animation and creative, imaginative visualizing of the story, but far too many alterations and new material created out of whole cloth to suit a "Mary Poppins" purist, which I guess I am. Since we love the books so much, I previewed this film alone, and I think I'll hold off for a few years before we give it a whirl as a family: I really think it would ruin the magic of the Travers text, and replace it with something much simpler, much cheaper, and far less wondrous. (ReadThatAgain book reviews)

Julie Andrew is a star
This movie is just amazing. I feel everybody should watch this film, IN FACT i just sat down with my friend who had not watched it a few months ago and made her! If you like this movie, I would also recommend "the sound of music".[[ASIN:B000AP04OM The Sound of Music (Two-Disc 40th Anniversary Special Edition)]]

Julie Andrew is a star
This movie is just amazing. I feel everybody should watch this film, IN FACT i just sat down with my friend who had not watched it a few months ago and made her! If you like this movie, I would also recommend "the sound of music".[[ASIN:B000AP04OM The Sound of Music (Two-Disc 40th Anniversary Special Edition)]]