Fantasies of Agelessness and Age Hierarchies in Mary Poppins Returns

Abstract

In my chapter, I investigate how aging and the passing of time are depicted in the film Mary Poppins Returns (2018) and how they shape the narrative and give it ageist undertones. As a sequence to the 1964 Mary Poppins original film, the 2018 film hints at the passing of time which is evident in the age of the Banks children who have grown up. However, time has not passed for Mary Poppins as she is portrayed by a young actor (Emily Blunt). I explore how this casting choice affects the film and which ideas it reveals about aging, and especially, women aging in Hollywood. I also focus on Mary Poppins' role in the domestic realm organizing intergenerational relations and its effect on the film plot. Lastly, I connect the casting of Mary Poppins as a young woman to the erasure of older people in film and the childhood nostalgia promoted by Disney, the producer of the film.