“Mary Poppins Returns” a Dazzling Sequel
By Melanie Gable
*Hi, everyone! I’m so excited that Erin invited me to guest write this review for her blog! I attended a press screening for “Mary Poppins Returns” for the purposes of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
When Walt Disney Studios first announced that they would be making a sequel to their beloved, Oscar-winning 1964 film “Mary Poppins,” Disney fans’ reactions on social media were decidedly mixed. A movie musical that combined live action film with animation, the original “Mary Poppins” has stood the test of time and captivated multiple generations. Some of the film’s enthusiasts were elated by the prospect of revisiting Cherry Tree Lane (the setting of the first movie) and seeing a new Poppins story, while purists thought the property should be left alone.
But fans needn’t have worried, because “Mary Poppins Returns” simultaneously pays homage to the original film and does its own dazzling thing, exploring new territory in the Poppins-verse, with nostalgic nods to “Mary Poppins” peppered throughout the sequel. Deftly directed by Rob Marshall (“Into the Woods,” “Chicago”), who certainly knows his way around a musical, “Mary Poppins Returns” is a lively, enchanting, and loving tribute to P.L. Travers’ Poppins books and a (practically) perfect companion piece to the first film. If you missed what the cast had to share about the film the other day, make sure to check that out too!
The movie takes place in Depression-era London, two decades after the events in “Mary Poppins.” Jane and Michael Banks, the sibling charges of the magical nanny in the original movie, are all grown up, with grown-up problems. Michael (Ben Whishaw), now a struggling artist and father of three children, is dealing with the recent passing of his wife and the subsequent chaos his house is thrown into as he attempts to keep up with the financial and emotional responsibilities of single fatherhood. Jane (Emily Mortimer), a busy, independent woman campaigning for workers’ rights, still has the warmth and sweetness of her childhood self, checking in on and helping her brother whenever she can. Michael’s loyal housekeeper and cook, Ellen (Julie Walters), is getting on in years and, though well-intentioned, is prone to being scatterbrained and clumsy. The Banks children – Annabel (Pixie Davies), John (Nathanael Saleh), and Georgie (Joel Dawson) – assume additional responsibilities to help with the household as various tasks, such as grocery shopping, fall through the cracks. We are also introduced to Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), a charming, optimistic lamplighter and acquaintance of Bert, Dick Van Dyke’s chimney sweep character in “Mary Poppins,” who is soon drawn into the Banks’ family drama.
Fidelity Fiduciary Bank, the place of Michael’s employment, soon comes calling with bad news: due to late payments, Michael must now pay back his entire mortgage on 17 Cherry Tree Lane by the end of the week, or he will lose the property. Though the sum is more than Michael makes in a year and all seems lost, there is one ray of hope – the shares his father, a partner at Fidelity Fiduciary, owned in the bank. As Jane and Michael search the home for the shares certificate, they come across various mementos from their childhood, including the lovingly patched kite featured in the song “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” at the end of “Mary Poppins.” In a moment of frustration and grief, Michael takes a box of his childhood relics to the curb, including the kite, to be picked up for disposal. The kite almost immediately catches a gust of wind, skittering along the street and eventually taking to the sky.
As the Banks children cut through the local park on their way to the market, Georgie spots the old kite flying wildly in the wind and begins to chase it. As the kite ascends higher and higher into the cloudy sky, Georgie finally catches hold of the string and crosses paths with Jack the lamplighter, who helps him reel it in. Into the fray floats Mary Poppins in her signature style, holding the kite in one hand and her parrot umbrella in the other, chin held high, toes pointed outward, and an air of mystery and magic about her. Jane and Michael are shocked when Mary Poppins arrives unceremoniously at 17 Cherry Tree Lane with Michael’s children in tow. She’s clearly the same nanny they remember, and shows no visible signs of aging since they were children. At Jane’s insistence (because Poppins might be down on her luck and need the work), Michael reluctantly hires Mary Poppins to care for his children. As is her way, Mary Poppins begins infusing fun and whimsy back into the Banks’ children’s lives, while steering the family toward the solutions to their problems behind the scenes.
