Mary Poppins (1964)
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A magical nanny with a unique sense of style arrives in Edwardian London to help a struggling family.
The story
In 1910, the Banks family in London struggles with the behavior of their children, Jane and Michael, who frequently run away. After their nanny quits, the parents seek a new one. A mysterious woman named Mary Poppins arrives, having been summoned by the children's own advertisement for a kind nanny. She takes the children on various adventures, including a journey into a painting and a visit to a whimsical uncle. As she works to improve the family's dynamic, she uses her unique brand of lifestyle and magic to bring harmony to the household.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1910 London, the Banks children, Jane and Michael, are unruly and often run away. Their father, George, is a stern man who hires Mary Poppins after she appears from the sky with their 'perfect nanny' advertisement. Mary takes the children on magical outings, including a trip into a painting with her friend Bert, a street painter. They visit her eccentric uncle, Albert, who floats due to uncontrollable laughter. A conflict at a bank involving a small amount of money leads to a chaotic bank run, and the children get lost in the East1nd, where Bert helps them. After a series of whimsical adventures, including a rooftop dance with chimney sweeps, George realizes the importance of spending time with his children. He eventually reconciles with his neighbors and finds happiness. Mary Poppins eventually tells the children she must leave, and the family finds a new sense of joy and togetherness as she flies away.
- First release year
- 1964
- Runtime (minutes)
- 139
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Robert Stevenson
- Writers
- Bill Walsh · screenplay; Don DaGradi · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Julie Andrews · Mary Poppins; Dick Van Dyke · Bert; David Tomlinson · Mr. Banks; Glynis Johns · Winifred Banks; Karen Dotrice · Jane; Matthew Garber · Michael; Ed Wynn · Uncle Albert
- Genres
- musical comedy; comedy; fantasy; musical fantasy
- Themes
- family dynamics; magic; imagination
- Tone and mood
- whimsical; magical; sentimental
- Setting
- Edwardian London, 1910
- Premise and plot tags
- musical; fantasy; nanny; children
- Source material / true-story basis
- P. L. Travers's book series Mary Poppins
- Franchise connections
- Mary Poppins
- Reception
- The film was received to universal critical acclaim and commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1964 in the United States.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 95% · scale: percentage · review count: 60; Rotten Tomatoes · score: 8.5 · scale: 10; Metacritic · score: 88 · scale: 100 · review count: 13
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Actress · win; Academy Award · Best Film Editing · win; Academy Award · Best Original Music Score · win; Academy Award · Best Visual Effects · win; Academy Award · Best Original Song · win
- Production trivia
- The film was the only Disney film to receive a Best Picture nomination in Walt Disney's lifetime.; The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 2013.; The film's production was based on the first novel in the Mary Poppins series.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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