Although there are still a few weeks before most kids get their much anticipated Spring breaks, another “family-friendly” franchise flick arrives which hopes to give a bit of warmth to the chilly last weeks of Winter. Now December, and 2024, finished up with two such films, MUFASA: THE LION KING which is a rare sequel/prequel in Disney’s series, and another adventure of the video game superstar, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3. Like the latter, this new release is the third outing, and it also mixes a CGI-animated character in a live-action world. However, it also shares its origins with the current (for the last two weeks) box office champ DOG Man, which is based on a beloved series of children’s books. Now can the filmmakers score a rare “hat trick’ as the first sequel is so admired that it was ‘name-checked” at the end of the Nicholas Cage comedy THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT? Perhaps that’s why they’re “shaking things up” with a change in locale as we join PADDINGTON IN PERU.
The film actually starts off in that exotic land with a short flashback as our hero Paddington the bear (voice of Ben Whishaw) has a last visit with his adored Aunt Lucy (voice of Imelda Staunton). Then it’s back to the present day as Paddington returns to his train station to obtain a photo, in a coin-automated booth, for a passport, which will confirm that he’s now a legal British citizen. Back at his home with the Browns, matriarch Mary (Emily Mortimer) is concerned that the family is drifting apart. Son Johnathan (Samuel Joslin) barely leaves his room as he invents gadgets to aid in his video game mania, while daughter Judy (Madeleine Harris) is (sigh) deciding on a college, Even papa Henry (Hugh Bonneville) is busy trying to impress his new American boss (who thinks he “plays it safe”) at the insurance company. A postal letter changes everything as Paddington gets news from the Reverend Mother (Olivia Colman) who runs the Home for Retired Bears in Peru. It seems that Aunt Lucy deeply misses him as her behavior has become increasingly odd. Paddington must return to his homeland, and the Browns will join him on the trip (that’ll show Henry’s new boss). But when they arrive the Reverend Mother informs them that Lucy wandered away, into the dense jungle. Later, Paddington visits her room and discovers a note with a map that leads to Rumi Rock. Grandmother Bird (Julie Walters) stays behind with the RM (she fears the outside world), as the Browns venture out to the village in hopes of hiring a guide and a boat. Luckily both appear as they meet Captain Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas) and his “first mate”, daughter Gina (Carla Tous). Ah, but things take a turn as he discovers that the map will take him to the fabled lost land of gold, El Dorado, which was sought by his greedy ancestors. Gina suspects her papa has “gold fever”, but can she ‘snap him out of it” before his zeal causes disaster for the Browns and prevents a reunion between Paddington and Lucy?
Although it’s been nearly eight years since our last cinema “visit”, the cast of regulars nimbly slip into their roles as though they were comfy slightly worn slippers. Whishaw still gives a mellow melodic gentle tone to the little bear’s “pipes”. Bonneville also brings lots of warmth to the bumbling, often befuddled, but caring patriarch. Harris and Joslin ease into the “young adult” stage of the Brown siblings. Walters is a grey-haired energetic dynamo as the plucky Granny Bird. Plus we get a nice cameo from Jim Broadbent as sage shopkeeper Mr. Gruber. As for the new “additions”, Mortimer takes over from Sally Hawkins as the sometimes melancholy (feeling the empty nest blues) matriarch, who provides a gentle “nudge” to point everyone in the correct direction. That’s when she’s not stifling a “swoon” over the dashing seafarer Cabot given the full swashbuckler swagger from the wry Banderas. He’s having a blast, especially when he’s donning wigs and period costumes to play the branches of the Cabot family tree. Tous is a terrific “level head” as she sees her papa “going for the gold”. Matching Banderas in the “embracing the silly” is the zany Colman, spicing up her lines with a sweet “sing-song” cheerfulness deftly parodying cinema’s “cute clergy” (crooning like a crazed maria from THE SOUND OF MUSIC), or evading inquiries with a vapid vagueness. These screen vets are happily enjoying a romp in the Paddington playground.
Oh, that playground has a new supervisor in director Dougal Wilson who takes the reigns from Paul King (who contributes to the whimsical screenplay). Thankfully he keeps the tone light and breezy presenting a magical timeless version of London while expanding the focus to present a very adventurous, slightly dangerous (the fishes nibble too much) classic pulp-novel version of Peru. Unfortunately, the pace lags a bit once the Browns are separated in the lush leafy jungle, and Cabot’s pursuit resembles a mix of the Looney Tunes Coyote and Indiana Jones (a boulder that seems to have a mind of its own) which may get the tykes a bit squirmy (a six or seven minute trim would’ve been a help). That and the lack of a great campy villain (miss you Phoenix B.) contributes to this being the weakest of the trilogy. But the standards set by the previous two are so high, especially among so much dreary family fare, that this is still an engaging watch. And really, we’d follow the Browns anywhere, especially when they join PADDINGTON IN PERU.
3 out of 4
PADDINGTON IN PERU opens in theatres everywhere on Friday, February 14, 2025
Happy Wednesday fellow movie geeks. The first trailer has arrived for PADDINGTON IN PERU!
As you can from the two posters, the film will open in U.S. theaters on January 17, 2025 and will debut in UK cinemas two months earlier on November 8, 2024.
PADDINGTON IN PERU brings Paddington’s story to Peru as he returns to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now resides at the Home for Retired Bears. With the Brown Family in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and up to the mountain peaks of Peru.
Directed by Dougal Wilson, PADDINGTON IN PERU stars Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Antonio Banderas, Olivia Colman, Julie Walters, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Carla Tous and Jim Broadbent. Ben Whishaw and Imelda Staunton both return as the voices of Paddington and Aunt Lucy.
PADDINGTON (2014) grossed $282,463,312 worldwide on an estimated budget of $55 million. In the US and Canada, it grossed $76,271,832 and had an opening weekend of $18,966,676. PADDINGTON 2 (2017) grossed $227.3 million worldwide, with $40.9 million in the US and Canada and $186.4 million in other countries. It had an opening of $11,001,961 in 3,702 theaters.
PADDINGTON 2 received three nominations at the 71st British Academy Film Awards: Outstanding British Film, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor in a Supporting Role, for Hugh Grant.
Ben Whishaw will again star as the voice of the marmalade-loving bear, with Aunt Lucy still voiced by Imelda Staunton.
Hugh Bonneville, Dame Julie Walters, Madeleine Harris and Samuel Joslin also return.
But Sally Hawkins has handed the role of Mrs Brown to Emily Mortimer.
Announcing her departure, Hawkins said she “loved” her time making the first two films but it was “the right time to hand the reins over to another”, adding: “One can’t get much better than the truly wonderful Emily Mortimer – she is extraordinarily special.”
Another addition to the cast, Olivia Colman, stars as a guitar-playing nun who works at the Home for Retired Bears. She tells Paddington and co that Aunt Lucy is “on some sort of quest”.
He then embarks on a mission to find her, with the help of a boat captain, voiced by another newcomer, Antonio Banderas. Dame Julie Walters returns as Mrs Bird, in her first film role in three years.
“Attention all units: An unusually attractive nun is causing mayhem in the cathedral dome. Activate emergency protocol. Stop that stunning sister!”
It’s rare for a sequel to outshine its predecessor, but 2018’s PADDINGTON 2 succeeded admirably. This Friday, June 26th, PADDINGTON 2 will play mornings for a week at The Galleria Cinema in St. Louis (30 St Louis Galleria St, Richmond Heights, MO 63117) For more info and showtimes, go HERE
PADDINGTON 2 was my favorite film of 1918. Read my complete review HERE
How about some music in your movie this weekend? Yes, it’s a comedy/drama all about an unknown talent ready for their turn in the spotlight (and the recording studio). Sure, we just had a musical fantasy a couple of weeks ago with YESTERDAY (though it has a solid footing in the real world). And earlier this Summer we were treated to the musical biography of Sir Elton John in ROCKETMAN, just a few months after the story of the band Queen, BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, nabbed a quartet of Oscars. Yes, those flicks are really set in the rock and roll/pop world. So how about some other music genres like country/western (whoops, more about that term later)? Here’s a sweet fiction film about a young woman chasing her Nashville dream. Now, here’s the unique twist: it’s set across the pond, too! The film’s lead is an aspiring singer from the poor side of Glasgow, Scotland. But here’s another curve, her tale is closer to WALK THE LINE than COAL MINER’S DAUGHTER (two terrific country music “biopics”). Alright folks, let’s give a listen to the song stylings of WILD ROSE….make her feel welcome…
Rose-Lynn (Jessie Buckley) is feeling especially wild when we meet her on the day of her release from a woman’s correctional facility (a nicer name for the big house, the joint, etc.). Before she gets her envelope of personal effects, she is fitted with an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet (tough to wear her white leather cowgirl boots over that). From 7 PM to 7 AM she has to be home, near the router that signals the police. Ah, but she’s thrilled to be out. First, it’s a quick “talk” with the ole’ boyfriend. Then it’s back to her “flat” (a public housing complex) where her dutiful mum Marion (Julie Walters) is tending to Rose’s kids, five-year-old Lyle (Adam Mitchell) and eight-year-old Wynonna (Daisy Littlefield) during their mom’s year-long absence. Lyle’s a hyper lil’ chatterbox that’s attached to his gran, while Wynonna barely says a word as she stares at Rose. After Marion goes over the kids’ schedules and organizes the bills, Rose has to get a job. She can’t go back to singing at the Glasgow “Grand Ole’ Opry'”, so she scores a house cleaning gig. But it’s at a plush mansion run by Susannah (Sophie Okonedo). While she’s out shopping, Rose vacuums while wearing headphones and belting out country (not country/western, she will insist vehemently) tunes near the top of her lungs. As she finishes her “set” Rose looks up to see the delighted faces of her employer and her two young kids. Susannah’s praise prompts Rose to “flat-out” ask her for money to travel to Nashville USA (um, that’s a “hard” no). But she has some connections to the BBC and records a video file of Rose-Lynn singing a tune, then sends it to their resident country DJ Bob Harris. Soon Rose-Lynn becomes a “project” for Susannah, who wants to organize a fund-raising concert. But as Rose-Lynn begins to see her dreams come true she relies too much on Marion and takes too much time away from her own kids. Can Rose-Lynn find a balance or must she compromise, and forget those hopes before she falls into her old bad habits?
This engaging tale hits all the right notes mainly due to the star-making turn by the titanic talents of Ms. Buckley. It’s quite a showcase, one that presents her wide range of musical and dramatic skills. Buckley gives us a heroine to roots for but doesn’t sugarcoat her. Though we get no flashbacks, it’s understood that Rose-Lynn led a very wild, irresponsible young life, with little regard for her family nor future. She’s got a tough outer shell, but Buckley shows us that her desire to be worthy of her beautiful children (and her mum) inspires her to really embrace the realities and responsibilities of adulthood. Still, she can frustrate us as she knowingly begins down the wrong path. With subtlety Buckley shows us that turmoil, as Rose-Lynn can’t ignore Lyle’s heart-wrenching pleas and Winonna’s disgusted blank glare. And then there’s that powerhouse singing voice, squeezing every bit of emotion from the lyrics that originated almost in another world. The sequence of her singing to the computer camera is as compelling as any CGI blockbuster battle. I’ll be very interested to see where this takes her career, one with many more great performances, no doubt. And she’s got two wonderful screen partners, first with Walters who is a true force of nature as mother Marion. We can see that Rose-Lynn has put her through the emotional wringer, so Marion has formed her own protective barrier against her daughter’s pleading and excuses. She’s quick to push Rose back to reality, tiring of being the “safety net” that accommodates her whims. But as the film winds down, Walters shows us her softer side as Marion might hope for a more fulfilling life for her offspring. On the “flip” side (ah, music recordings), there’s the lovely Ms. Okonedo as Rose-Lynn’s boss turned promoter/producer. She’s charmed by the crude crooner but doesn’t want to become the “fairy godmother” by granting every monetary wish. Okonedo shows us that Susannah was in a pampered unchallenging routine, one that needed a swift kick from those worn but shiny boots. This impressive trio gives the story wings, enabling it to soar.
At the controls of this high-flying fable is director Tom Harper, guided by the screenplay from Nicole Taylor. They create great bits of whimsy, as when members of her back-up band start to suddenly appear around the house as Rose-Lynn croons during her daily chores. But then they pull us back to reality as Rose-Lynn awakens during the pre-dawn hours to clean her own dingy apartment, and then keeping up to date on the kids’ schoolwork (even suppressing a “belly laugh” as she reads an essay, no doubt from the precocious Lyle). This sharpens the impact of those scenes of her letting those lovely kids down (Lyle’s cries of “I hate you!” cut deeper than any blade). The same is true of a brutal exchange between Rose-Lynn and Susanne’s hubby (he’s not a fan). Kudos to them for not giving us another standard rags to riches, “you can have it all” parable. They show us the harsh realities of chasing a dream, that sacrifices are made, and the past can’t be swept away. Even more important is the realization that your goals are not unique, that many others with even more talent are even closer to “grabbing that big brass ring”. Luckily these themes are balanced with the joyous musical sequences, even ending with a powerful “story summation” anthem that’s written by Oscar-winner Mary Steenbergen. Simply put WILD ROSE is wonderful. Tis’ a shame it’s not been on the air since 1997. I’d love to see Jessie Buckley pop up out of the cornfield on TV’s “Hee Haw”. Glasgow…saaluuute!
3.5 Out of 4 Stars
WILD ROSE opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas and Tivoli Theatre
It’s rare for a sequel to outshine its predecessor, but PADDINGTON 2 succeeds admirably. The loveable bear with the blue duffel coat and red hat returns to the big screen in a funny, charming, and occasionally emotional adventure that gives audiences more of what they loved in the first installment…and then some. 2018 has begun well.
PADDINGTON 2 opens with a brief prologue showing baby Paddington rescued by his bear Uncle Pastuzo (Michael Gambon) and bear Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton), who permanently postpone a visit to London to take care of him. Jump ahead a couple of decades and Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) is now a permanent resident of Windsor Gardens in London with his adopted family, the Browns (Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonneville, Julie Walters, Madeleine Harris, and Samuel Joslin – all returning from the 2014 original). The bear is searching for the perfect gift for cherished Aunt Lucy’s 100th birthday and finds it in the form of a unique pop-up book of London’s landmarks at an antique store run by Mr Gruber (Jim Broadbent). But the book is pricey, so Paddington gets a job cleaning windows in the neighborhood, but soon finds himself framed for breaking and entering the store and stealing the book. The real thief is the crafty Phoenix Buchanan (Hugh Grant), a former stage star reduced to acting in dog food commercials who has his own, greedier designs on that book which he’s discovered houses a treasure map. This leaves the Brown family to try and clear Paddington’s name while the poor bear attempts to adjust to life in prison.
On every level, PADDINGTON 2 is a remarkable work – far ahead of any (mostly) live-action family movie in recent memory. The cast is a who’s who of British thesps and all seem to be having a swell time: Hugh Bonneville is a doting dad who worries too much while Sally Hawkins is his sweet-natured wife, training to swim the English Channel. The background is peppered with folks like Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters, Joanna Lumley, and Peter Capaldi as Mr. Curry, back on his one-man quest to rid the streets of Paddington. Tom Conti shines in one of the funniest slapstick scenes as a judge who’s the victim of Paddington’s first go as a barber and he’s brought back for a couple of punch lines. But it’s the film’s two major new characters that really kick PADDINGTON 2 into high gear. Hugh Grant as Phoenix handily steals every scene he’s in. Whether hawking “Harley’s Gourmet Doggy Din-Dins” or reacting with shock when he realizes he has left home without his favorite ascot, Grant shows comic chops I didn’t know he had. My favorite is Brendan Gleeson who displays brilliant comic timing as Knuckles McGinty, the feared prison chef who bonds with Paddington over their shared love of all things marmalade.
PADDINGTON 2 offers a continuous stream of visual inventiveness, with a palette of bright paint-box colors and clever gadgets (the briefcase Paddington always carries contains nothing but an extending ladder which continually comes in handy). The prison sequences are priceless, eye-popping highlights, with pipes used for secret talks, an escape by a hot air balloon made of tablecloths, and a single red sock that dyes the prisoner’s uniforms pink. Unlike so many movies made “for kids,” PADDINGTON 2 has nothing in the way of gags related to bodily fluids, kid-friendly cussing, or rude behavior (even in prison!), yet it’s funnier than any film I saw last year. It takes a certain level of maturity to maintain this level of sweetness and the scriptwriters deserve a gold star for good behavior. If PADDINGTON 2 had been released a month ago, it would easily have made my list of last year’s best. It’s wonderful.
Get ready to sing and dance, laugh and love all over again with MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN.
Ten years after Mamma Mia! The Movie grossed more than $600 million around the world, you are invited to return to the magical Greek island of Kalokairi in an all-new original musical based on the songs of ABBA.
With the film’s original cast returning, Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters, Amanda Seyfried, and Christine Baranski as well as new additions including CHER, Andy Garcia and Lily James (Cinderella, Baby Driver), the musical comedy will open on July 20, 2018.
MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN is produced by Judy Craymer and Gary Goetzman, producers of the original film. Craymer is also the creator and producer of the worldwide smash-hit stage musical.
Ol Parker, writer of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, writes and directs the sequel from a story by Catherine Johnson, Richard Curtis and Parker. Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus return to provide music and lyrics and serve as executive producers. Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Phyllida Lloyd, Richard Curtis and Nicky Kentish Barnes also serve as executive producers.
Reprising their roles from Mamma Mia! The Movie are Academy Award winner Meryl Streep as Donna, Julie Walters as Rosie and Christine Baranski as Tanya. Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper reunite as Sophie and Sky, while Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgård and Oscar® winner Colin Firth return to play Sophie’s three possible dads: Sam, Bill and Harry.
As the film goes back and forth in time to show how relationships forged in the past resonate in the present, James will play the role of Young Donna. Filling the roles of Young Rosie and Young Tanya are Alexa Davies (A Brilliant Young Mind) and Jessica Keenan Wynn (Broadway’s Beautiful). Young Sam will be played by Jeremy Irvine (War Horse), while Young Bill is Josh Dylan (Allied) and Young Harry is Hugh Skinner (Kill Your Friends).
Following the worldwide hit “Paddington,” one of the most successful family films of all time, this much-anticipated sequel finds Paddington (Ben Whishaw) happily settled with the Brown family in London, where he has become a popular member of the local community, spreading joy and marmalade wherever he goes.
While searching for the perfect present for his beloved Aunt Lucy’s hundredth birthday, Paddington sees a unique pop-up book in Mr. Gruber’s antique shop, and embarks upon a series of odd jobs to buy it. But when the book is stolen, it’s up to Paddington and the Browns to unmask the thief.
Reuniting many of the original film’s cast while welcoming those in new roles, PADDINGTON 2 stars Golden Globe nominee Hugh Bonneville (“Downton Abbey”), Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins (“Blue Jasmine”), three-time Golden Globe nominee Brendan Gleeson (“The Guard,” “Into the Storm,” “In Bruges”), Oscar nominee Julie Walters (“Billy Elliot,” “Educating Rita”), Oscar winner Jim Broadbent (“Iris”), and Oscar winner Peter Capaldi (short, “Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life”), with Golden Globe and BAFTA Award winner Hugh Grant (“Four Weddings and a Funeral”), and BAFTA winner Ben Whishaw (“The Hollow Crown”) as the voice of Paddington. The starring ensemble also includes Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, and Oscar nominee Imelda Staunton (“Vera Drake”) as the voice of Aunt Lucy.
Paddington’s return to the big screen was again helmed by BAFTA-nominated director Paul King (“Paddington,” “Come Fly with Me,” “The Mighty Boosh”) from a script written by King and Simon Farnaby (Sky TV’s “Yonderland,” “Mindhorn”), based on the best-selling and internationally adored books by Michael Bond, creator of Paddington Bear. The score is composed by Academy Award winner Dario Marianelli (“Atonement”).
Ready to win a Family Four-pack of passes and be the first to see PADDINGTON 2 in St Louis??!!
WAMG invites you to enter for the chance to win FOUR (4) seats to the advance screening of PADDINGTON 2 on Saturday, January 6th at 10:00am in the St. Louis area.
Question: Paddington Bear arrived at Paddington Station from __________ _____.
ENTER YOUR NAME, ANSWER AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
3. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house.
Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) returns to the Banks home after many years and uses her magical skills to help the now grown up Michael and Jane rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives in MARY POPPINS RETURNS, directed by Rob Marshall.
Here is the first glimpse of Golden Globe winner Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins in MARY POPPINS RETURNS, the all new sequel to Disney’s 1964 film “Mary Poppins.”
Directed and produced by Rob Marshall, MARY POPPINS RETURNS also stars Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer and Julie Walters with Colin Firth and Meryl Streep.
The film, which introduces three new Banks children, played by Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh and newcomer Joel Dawson, also features Dick Van Dyke and Angela Lansbury.
The film is set in 1930s depression-era London (the time period of the original novels) and is drawn from the wealth of material in PL Travers’ additional seven books. In the story, Michael (Whishaw) and Jane (Mortimer) are now grown up, with Michael, his three children and their housekeeper, Ellen (Walters), living on Cherry Tree Lane. After Michael suffers a personal loss, the enigmatic nanny Mary Poppins (Blunt) re-enters the lives of the Banks family, and, along with the optimistic street lamplighter Jack (Miranda), uses her unique magical skills to help the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives. Mary Poppins also introduces the children to a new assortment of colorful and whimsical characters, including her eccentric cousin, Topsy (Streep).
The film is produced by Marshall, John DeLuca and Marc Platt. The screenplay is by David Magee based on The Mary Poppins Stories by PL Travers with Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman writing all new songs and Shaiman composing an original score.
Please feel free to share with your readers. MARY POPPINS RETURNS will be released in U.S. theaters on December 25, 2018.
Production on MARY POPPINS RETURNS, the all new sequel to Disney’s 1964 film “Mary Poppins,” has commenced at Shepperton Studios.
The film, which stars Emily Blunt (“The Girl on the Train,” “Into the Woods”) and Emmy, GRAMMY and Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton,” “Moana”) and is directed and produced by Oscar nominee, Emmy and DGA Award winner Rob Marshall (“Into the Woods,” “Chicago”), is scheduled for release December 25, 2018.
The film also stars: Ben Whishaw (“Spectre”), Emily Mortimer (“Hugo”) and Julie Walters (“Harry Potter” films) with Colin Firth (“The King’s Speech”) and Meryl Streep (“Florence Foster Jenkins”).
In addition, Dick Van Dyke plays Mr. Dawes Jr., the chairman of Fidelity Fiduciary Bank, which is now run by William Weatherall Wilkins (Firth).
MARY POPPINS RETURNS introduces three new Banks children, played by Pixie Davies (“Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children”), Nathanael Saleh (“Game of Thrones”) and newcomer Joel Dawson.
The film is produced by Marshall, Emmy® winner and Golden Globe® nominee John DeLuca (“Chicago”) and Oscar® andTony® nominee and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Marc Platt (“La La Land”).
The screenplay is by Oscar nominee David Magee (“Life of Pi”) based on The Mary Poppins Stories by PL Travers with Oscar nominee and Tony winner Marc Shaiman (“Hairspray”) and Emmy nominee and Tony winner Scott Wittman (“Hairspray”) writing all new songs with Shaiman composing an original score.
Amongst Marshall’s award-winning creative team are Oscar®-winning director of photography Dion Beebe, ASC ACS (“Memoirs of a Geisha”); two-time Oscar-winning production designer John Myhre (“Memoirs of a Geisha,” “Chicago”); three-time Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell (“The Young Victoria,” “The Aviator,” “Shakespeare in Love”); Oscar-winning hair and make-up designer Peter Swords King (“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”); Oscar-winning set decorator Gordon Sim (“Chicago”); Oscar-winning production sound mixer Simon Hayes (“Les Misérables”); and Emmy® nominated editor Wyatt Smith (“Doctor Strange,” “Into the Woods”). The film is choreographed by Marshall and DeLuca with Joey Pizzi (“Chicago”) serving as co-choreographer.
MARY POPPINS RETURNS is set in 1930s depression-era London (the time period of the original novels) and is drawn from the wealth of material in PL Travers’ additional seven books. In the story, Michael (Whishaw) and Jane (Mortimer) are now grown up, with Michael, his three children and their housekeeper, Ellen (Walters), living on Cherry Tree Lane. After Michael suffers a personal loss, the enigmatic nanny Mary Poppins (Blunt) re-enters the lives of the Banks family, and, along with the optimistic street lamplighter Jack (Miranda), uses her unique magical skills to help the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives. Mary Poppins also introduces the children to a new assortment of colorful and whimsical characters, including her eccentric cousin, Topsy (Streep).
PL Travers first introduced the world to the no-nonsense nanny in her 1934 book “Mary Poppins,” which Disney adapted for the screen and released in August, 1964.
The film, which was directed by Robert Stevenson and starred Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, was the top-grossing film of that year and nominated for 13 Oscars, winning five.
However, the subsequent adventures of Mary Poppins remained only on the pages of PL Travers’ seven additional books, which she published between 1935 and 1988.
BROOKLYN is a film about a young Irish woman, Eilis, who moves to America in the 1950s and then returns to Ireland after a family tragedy. It seemed a perfect role for actress Saoirse Ronan (pronounced “Sear-sha”), who was born in New York but when she was three, her parents took her to their native Ireland when they returned there. Now 20 years old, Ronan first gained wide notice for her role in ATONEMENT when she was 12.
Ronan spoke recently about BROOKLYN by phone in a conference call. Here is a portion of that interview, edited for length and clarity.
Movie Geeks: “How does your own experience coming to the country compare and influence the movie in turn?”
Saoirse Ronan: “When you’ve had your own personal experience of leaving home yourself and it is as emotional as it can be, you can’t help but allow that to sort of influence how you play someone, I guess, and how much meaning it holds for you. It influenced everything I did in the film, the fact that I had gone through it myself.”
MG: “I was wondering, do you think the movie is more so a testament of how universal love can be or rather how conducive 1950s America is as a melting pot to connect an Italian and an Irish through the environment that Brooklyn affords?”
SR: “I think it’s the former. It depends on the person I think, but we’re dealing with two people here, especially Eilis, who kind of naturally is quite an open person. I think when she goes over to New York, I know I’ve even felt this going over to New York even though I was born there, but I am very, very Irish, and we are kind of a nation that’s really celebrated in the city, and so I think she has this confidence. She’s kind of seen as exotic by him you know, and he’s fascinated by her because she’s different. I do think there’s a fascination on his end that allows her to have this sort of confidence. Yes, I think their love kind of rises about any cultural differences or anything like that. As I said before, what brings her back ultimately of course, is waking up and realizing that she’s got this man at home back in New York that really loves her. But it’s also, because of the time, she couldn’t divorce, she had made a vow to this man, and that was where she needed to be.”
MG: “In Colm Toibin novels, ‘Brooklyn’ included, they’re often said to focus heavily on character detail and on gestures more so than the story itself, did you ever find yourself referring to the novel more than the script when you were trying to portray Eilis?”
SR: “No, I didn’t. I usually don’t. I had read the book previously maybe about two years before I knew about the film and before the film was properly being developed, but I’ve always found—I mean I’ve also been very, very lucky that I’ve had great scripts that are very well written already, and it’s kind of all the reference and all the text that I need. But Nick was able to adapt this very colorful, rich piece of literature for film, and any question, I guess, that we had, John was there for that.”
MG: “Eilis arguably undergoes both a physical and an emotional transformation in this movie because she becomes confident, she becomes older, she’s more comfortable, she’s stronger because of what she’s been through, and you do a really great job in the movie of manifesting this physically, so I was wondering what preparation that you took in preparing for this role and sort of manifesting her physicality, and also does it differ from the preparation that you’ve taken in before other roles?”
SR: “When I did a film called ‘Atonement’ a few years ago when I was about 12, the director on that, one of the first things that we worked on apart from the accent, was the way a character would walk. And so that’s always been quite important for me, and I think from that it naturally meant that a character’s emotional face really reflected and fed into their physicality as well, and it kind of naturally starts to happen. Yes, I guess it was just one of those things that sort of naturally, as you say, manifested through the course of the script, but the more confident emotionally the character was, I guess I just kind of naturally stood in a different way.”
“I think when a character has purpose as well, when a young woman has purpose and she knows where she’s going, your walk is going to always reflect that. And so I think it was just one of those things that really kind of happened naturally. I could feel that like when we brought Eilis back home to Ireland in the second half of the film, she was more in control of herself. She, as you said, has been through quite a life experience since she’s been away, has gone through fear and grief and love, and has taken on so much responsibility for herself. And so, just like it would in real life, that just kind of naturally reflects or feeds into the way you hold yourself, I guess.”
MG: “I was wondering what it felt like filming so close to where you grew up? Well, I know some of the scenes were shot in Ireland, so what was it like filming so close?”
SR: “It was weird. It was really weird. We actually shot in Enniscorthy where the book and the film were set, and Colm Toibin, the author, is actually from there. To go there, which is like 25 minutes away from where I grew up in Carlow, and it’s a place that we used to go to the cinema when the film that we wanted to see in our one-screen cinema in Carlow wasn’t on, we would go to Enniscorthy, so I knew the faces there, they were quite familiar to me and there were a lot of extras who would be in the dance hall or at the church, and would come up to me and say like, do you remember me from years ago? We played basketball together or were at sports together. These were people that I wouldn’t have known personally, but kind of met in passing. “
“To have a life that even I’m not part of anymore, that was very much my childhood colliding with work which had always been kept so separate when I was kid was bizarre and amazing. It was really amazing. It was great to be surrounded by really kind of Irish characters. This wasn’t imitated in any way. We were surrounded by the Irish spirit, so I think it really helped the film.”
MG: “You’ve done a very eclectic mix of films and now developing into more mature roles, what do you look for when you’re considering a script and what attracted you to this script specifically?”
SR: “I think one of the really important things for me and it always has been is that I’m always doing something different. The project that I’m looking at for the future needs to be different to whatever I’ve done in the past. Obviously, you can’t always make a dramatic change, but I feel like you need to do that as much as possible in order to grow and learn more and just being able to really adapt to different types of personalities that you’re playing.”
“What I’ve found more as I’ve gotten older and where I’m at personally kind of at this stage now in my life, it’s important for me to play someone who maturity-wise is at the same kind of place. It’s always important that they’re not just the crutch to somebody else’s character, that they’re interesting and well written and intelligently written. I would never want to play someone that’s just the girl next door or something like that, I’ve never found that interesting. I’ve always kind of thought when I look at the likes of Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton that so many of the roles that they’ve taken on could have easily been a man, and it could’ve been a male character because it’s not necessarily gender specific, it’s very much just about this person that they’re playing, and so that’s kind of what I’d like to emulate too.”
MG: “Something that I thought was very interesting about the immigrant story and that of your parents is that unlike earlier generations, it was easier travel-wise to go back to the old country, so earlier generations really had to make this kind of choice; they didn’t have the opportunity to go back. Could you talk about that aspect of the story and whether your parents’ decision colored how you played the character?
SR: “My mom and dad went over in the ’80s, they took a plane. I mean even for them, they were illegal when they were here initially, so they couldn’t go back for about three years to Ireland, and even that was like a huge, huge thing. You can imagine how much of a sacrifice it would have been for someone in the ’50s and even earlier to physically get on a boat and watch their country disappear into the distance. I can’t imagine how terrifying that would be, and it’s so kind of finite. There’s such finality to it that I’d imagine was really kind of terrifying and heartbreaking.”
“Yes, I think the fact that—just since I had made the film I talked to Mom specifically more so about how it felt to leave, and she told me about, because my dad had gone over ahead of time, when she went to the airport and her sister and her father brought her to the airport, and my Auntie Margaret even says now, like I was Rose. She bought her her plane ticket, and it was the hardest thing she ever had to do, but she knew it was the right thing for my mom, and that was heartbreaking for them. Regardless of the fact that she was getting on a plane, she would’ve been there in a few hours, and if she really needed to she could’ve come back ultimately, to actually essentially give up your younger sibling was a huge thing to do, and to talk to them about it definitely helps me to feel the weight of that situation.”
MG: “One thing that made Eilish’s story as an immigrant to America in the 1950s different from the story of immigrants of earlier generations is that she can change her mind and go back to Ireland. And after she’s been in New York for some time, she does go back to Ireland for family reasons, for a visit, but once there, she considers whether to stay or go back. That’s part of the emotional crux of the film, not just the romance. And that’s a choice immigrants of earlier generations didn’t have an option to make – but in the 1950s, they could.
SR: “Yes, I mean if you were lucky. But if that family tragedy hadn’t of happened, she probably wouldn’t have come back. She maybe would’ve come back once more, but that was something that of course, brought her back home, but she wouldn’t necessarily have done that otherwise. But yes, you’re right. I mean in earlier cases, the majority of people that were going over there where going over there to work because there was no work at home and they had no money. As we said in the film, even in the ’50s, the men who went over 40, 50 years before, who didn’t kind of achieve the American dream and didn’t make an awful lot of money and didn’t become rich or whatever else they were told they were going to be maybe when they went over, [well they] were stuck there. Generations before, of course, that was even more so, that kind of feeling of very much sticking to that one place. Yes, it was a huge sacrifice, and they were incredibly brave to do what they did, to give everything up at home.”
