Awesome Adaptations (4) - Mary Poppins

Awesome Adaptations is a weekly bookish meme, hosted at Alisa Selene’s books blog, Picturemereading.  Anyone can play along! Each week there is a new category of adaptation to blog about. Any format (television series, film, web series, etc.) is acceptable as long as it is based in some form on a book. If you’re playing along on your own blog, just mention Picturemereading in your post and include the banner above. Let them know which film you’d pick and why it is an awesome adaptation worth watching. Oh, and don’t forget to share the link to your own post in the comments for that week’s challenge so that everyone can read your thoughts!

An awesome adaptation of a children's book

Title: Mary Poppins

Adapted from Mary Poppins series by P.L. Travers

I've recently re-watched this film (imperative after seeing the stage musical a month ago) and where the stage musical is probably more accurate to the original book series, I much prefer the film with it's lighter, sweeter story line.  I have never read the book series but it seems that Mary Poppins in the book is much more satirical and impatient with the children.  And from the stage musical I think there were also darker elements in the books that was entirely done away with in the Disney movie.

Watching the movie, there is such a life-affirming joy in the way Mary Poppins transforms the lives of the Banks and in the character of Bert, the lovable transient, with an enviably carefree lifestyle.  I love the fantasy-type scenes in the drawing, and the tea party on the ceiling - they are filled with memorable characters and celebrate wonder and ... just complete joy.  I find this movie so uplifitng, with a beautiful message for children and adults.  Let's go fly a kite!

This awesome adaptation is rounded out by flawless Julie Andrews (I mean, she is practically perfect in real life right?  Unfair.) and the wonderfully melodic soundtrack that never intrudes on the story and just adds to the magic of the film.  That's it in a nutshell really.  This film is completely magical!