CONTENDERS

As “The Front Runner” ends, a dejected Hart turns to his wounded wife and says, “Let’s go home.” Hart, warts and all, is pictured as an extraordinarily capable senator whose departure from public life left a void. The press is pictured as too preoccupied with the moment, with scoops, GOTCHA headlines and unmindful, as Hart eloquently predicts when he bows out of the race, that civil democracy will be its victim. I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I was a little skeptical about “Mary Poppins Returns.” As one of the hoards of people who obsessed over the first film as a child, I didn’t particularly WANT her to change or to be reimagined; I wanted her to stay exactly as she was when I knew her and loved her the most. But this is exactly the problem that I am bumping into more and more as I get older: I am becoming rigid, I am becoming cynical. I am becoming a … *gasp*… GROWNUP. It’s awful.

And it’s exactly the reason I imagine this utterly unique creature was conjured up in the first place.

So, as I watched my favorite nanny make her familiar aerial entrance, as I heard her impart those same wonderful lessons, I encountered the perfectly timed superpower of this character for the second time in my life: For two hours, I remembered magic.

I was swept away on an adventure that was both familiar and completely original. Here was Mary Poppins returning after many years to again tend to the Banks children, now grown up with a new set of problems and children of their own. From beautifully scripted scene into tenderly composed song, into a hand-drawn animation sequence, into raucous dance numbers, into delicious and unexpected cameos; it was abundantly clear that such care was taken in building the written world, both musically and with dialogue, to create something timeless. David Magee went to great lengths to honor the legacy while reminding us to dream anew. Most importantly, his story teaches new audiences the same delicious lessons I remember learning: to play, to imagine, to sing, to be curious. To never ever get stuck, because we never ever are.

I heard the outstanding Emily Blunt speak about why she loves the character of Mary Poppins — she said it’s not because she carries magic with her, but that she DISCOVERS magic in everything. It’s already there, it just needs to be paid attention to. David’s writing pays loving attention to the magic at the heart of this story. And isn’t that the thing that’s the hardest to hold on to as we grow up? To remember to believe in unbelievable things?

That magic is not only possible but inevitable?

Sigh …

Thank you, Miss Poppins. I’ve missed you.