Disney Mary Poppins Response

Disney’s Mary Poppins strays quite far away from its original source material. Firstly, there are large discrepancies in the character’s roles and the ways they are presented. Blatantly, two of the Banks’ four, later in the second book it becomes five, children are cut from the movie, John and Barbara. This could have been done in order to constrict time and allow there to be a deeper connection with both children left, Jane and Michael, so that the audience could better understand Poppins’ relationship with the two children without having to dive into two more character arcs. Mrs. Banks is turned into a suffragette, and while this would leader a viewer to believe that she is a more strong and independent woman, her and Mr. Banks’ roles in the family really emphasize the patriarchy the film is contextualized in. In the initial twenty minutes, both Mrs. Banks and Mr. Banks sing songs that showcase the stereotypes of the time period concerning the power structure, as Mrs. Banks dreams of equal rights while calling men stupid, yet yields without any resistance to Mr. Banks’ song remarking the age of man he lives in and how he abides over his kingdom, or the household. This is especially present in the effort to find another nanny, as Mrs. Banks admits her inept qualities in picking a nanny, and instantly believes Mr. Banks will correctly select a new one. And, although Mary Poppins takes over after hearing from the letter Mr. Banks tries to destroy, he proceeds to take full credit and Mrs. Banks lauds him for it. Mr. Banks also plays a very different role in his character arc. Rather than being defeated by the bank and being a representation for poor parenting and an incapable nature, Mr. Banks is given an emotional storyline. After his career seemingly falls into shambles, he instead plays at an appeal to pathos, and gains sympathy from the viewer as they sense the pain of his shortcomings. However, Mr. Banks returns triumphant. Rather than a man defeated, Mr. Banks gains the same “happily ever after” treatment that is consistent across Disney movies. Along with this, Bert, played by Dick Van Dyke, sees a massively increased roll in the film, which brings a more silly and children oriented feeling to the film. The biggest difference, however, is Poppins herself. While she still has a propensity for mirrors, enjoys viewing herself and believing in her perfection, she is completely changed in her demeanor. While the book version of Poppins is sly and cutting, more of the stern leader than Mr. Banks desired for the children, the Disney Poppins is a beaming and cheerful character, who is extremely kind in her demeanor. While she does still carry a certain manipulative nature in order to reach her intended goals, sometimes looking down on Mr. Banks when initially meeting him, she is wrapped in an air of kindness that was completely foreign to the original source material. Overall, the Disney story is definitely geared to a more family friendly or children centered audience due to its bright colors and happy resolutions. While the original source material was not written for children, Disney new exactly who his targeted audience was.