"Who looks after your father? Tell me that. When something terrible happens, what does he do? Fends for himself, he does. Who does he tell about it? No-one."
This is such a contrast with his son Michael Banks in Merry Poppins Returns. George Banks is a real man, maintaining that famous British "stiff upper lip". Even though he didn't cause the run on the bank, he is taking responsibility for his children without flinching. In Merry Poppins Returns, Michael Banks cries like a child in front of his children when he got yelled at by his boss. What a wimp. George is bravely going to his firing from the bank without burden his children or even his wife.
That is probably my favourite line in the whole movie. It is generally accepted now that the film is about Mr Banks, but I see it as it is about the the children as well, learning to realise that they need to help their father just as he learns that what his children need is his attention and affection. It is interesting that it is actually Bert and not Mary Poppins who delivers both of these lessons. I will never understand how David Tomlinson never won an Oscar for his performance.
Banks really was the hidden protagonist of this movie. He's the one with the greatest arc. The one who truly changes throughout the course of the film. He's redeemed.
Well that's the thing isn't it? He hired her to help make the children better, but in reality she was there for all of them. Especially him. To teach the children to be better to/for their father, and to teach their father to be better than himself for others. Easily why this is the best scene in the film. Not a word is spoken but u feel it with every step and note of music.
It's one of the only examples I can think of where a character is presented as the antagonist in the first act and becomes the protagonist by the third act. A beautiful plot device I wish was used more often.
Mr Banks is really the emotional heart of the film. And it's because Bert teaches the children about how difficult their father's life is whilst also telling Mr Banks not to let his children's childhood slip through his fingers that ultimately unites the family.
I couldn't help but cry watching Travers cry, while Walt comforts her with those kind words of assurance. Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks were PERFECT in their performances.
@@Emper0rH0rde I just assumed she was sleeping somewhere else. I didn't consider the possibility that she died. Would that symbolize the un-noticed passing away of simple human kindness?
As an employed adult I see now how this scene is powerful. I didn’t get the point of the long walk as a child, but now it is so moving. Like Bert said, Mr. Banks has no one to look after him, he has gather the courage and face his impending doom of being fired. Unlike his children, he cannot run away from the bank, but has to face the consequences of bringing his children to his hostile workplace. The way he looks so small in comparison to the bank that looms threateningly over him is chilling.
Another thing that now I am grown caught me the attention is the way Mr. Banks was treated. A top manager or shareholder, who spent all his life working hard for that company, fired and humiliated like any other chump just because the firm suffered a big loss and to clear its face it wanted to found a scapegoat to pin the blame on...because Business is Business :( these phenomena happened before and still happens today more then ever.
It’s funny as an adult you understand Mr. Banks’ dilemma and trouble and sympathize more for him, he still went onto the bank knowing he’d be fired and faced it with courage and responsibility making no excuse, that’s a true gentleman.
When I way young, I always recounted his as a grumpy, villainous dad. But now as an adult, you get a completely different perspective of the movie. That's what makes one of my favourites Disney's. It is something for everyone.
That's the thing about the classic disney movies. As a kid you are rooting for the main character because those mean parents are getting in the way of them following their dreams. As an adult you see exactly where the parents are coming from and how their children's actions are affecting them, for good or ill, and you start to side with the parents more.
100%. Perhaps the greatest performance in all of Disney history, and one of my favorites in film generally. Someone who can so seamlessly and elegantly juxtapose cold and aloof with vibrant and joyous? Mr. Tomlinson's performance moves me ever more as I move on to college from high school; it helps me realize that we all need that moment with the 'Man named Smith', to bring the childhood back to our adult lives. The man deserved a goddamn Oscar, he did.
Tomlinson was heartbreakingly good in the role. And Glynis Johns as Winifred Banks was gorgeous, clever and a feminine feminist, and a perfect acting partner for him. A shame that she's retired as I'd have loved her to have had some role.
I agree. I also loved him as the villainous Thorndyke in "Love Bug" and a fraudulent college professor by the name of Emelius Browne in "Bedknobs And Broomsticks".
@@Gambit771 sufragettes are literally fighting for women rights so of course they are feminists. It's not a bad thing to be, especially back in those days when women were considered less than men.
The symbolism of him not only being alone in London but also walking past everywhere the children and Mary Poppins had been...this is one of my favorite movie scenes ever. Cinematographic masterpiece...
Two minutes Disney at their best. No words needed. The moment the choir kicks in, on the empty stairs at St. Pauls is one of the strongest moments in movie history
All the chaos, silliness, and drama of the film, and what got through to him was a Chimney sweep saying "look mate, your kids are only young once, best make the most of it now before it's too late."
1:00 The way the music swells, with choir accompaniment, along with the look on Mr. Banks' face, carries with it a heavy implication that the bird woman hadn't simply gone home for the night.
I have a headcanon, that Mary Poppins was a guardian angel. When Mary Poppins was singing the song, “Feed the Birds” she was talking about her last moments when she was alive. She was the old woman feeding the birds.
The first time I watched Mary Poppins after watching Saving Mr Banks, I bawled my eyes out, just from the poignancy behind the score's meaning of him walking to the bank.
When I was little, Mister Banks was by far my least favorite character. I just saw him as a wet blanket who didn't want anyone to have any fun. Now, he's my favorite character. This scene probably bored me as a kid but brings me to tears every single time I watch it as an adult and the A Man Has Dreams scene hits so close to home now. David Tomlinson should have won Best Supporting Actor that year- it's criminal that he wasn't even nominated.
rubytuesdaygypsy well 1964 was a great year for movies also. You had stiff competition with career favorite perennial behemoths like Dr. Strangelove & My Fair Lady, which dominated that year.
I remember as a child disliking Mr. Banks. I understood that he had a change of heart thanks to Bert, but that’s about it. It’s understandable to completely miss the point as a child but as an adult, looking at Banks through a different lens, the character breaks my heart. Instead of being angry at his treatment of his children, I now see how heartbreaking that disconnect truly is. He’s a man, trapped in the vicious cycle of a thankless job. He’s in despair, and takes out his anger (unjustly, of course) on his family and especially his son and daughter. When I was little I thought the whole point of this movie was about Mary and what she does to brighten the lives of the kids, but it’s really Mr. Banks’ film. It’s about redemption. The entire thing can be summed up in this scene. Beautiful score, David Tomlinson is brilliant. Just perfect!
You beat me to it by 3 years. I totally misunderstood Mr. Banks. I still feel a bit bad about that. He is just an honorable suffering hardworking man who needs a good big ol' hug time to time.
Same here as a child I didn’t really like Mr Banks and thought he was odd but when I watched the film back as an adult I understand he was in a difficult situation this part of the film gets me every time Xx
Haha, I'm 2 years behind you, and I also remember this scene choking me up at age 5!!! 'There's that poignant, haunting music again,' I thought ...remembering it from earlier in the film. I'd be a mess right now if I wasn't on antidepressants :)
Because of “Saving Mr. Banks,” this scene brings tears to my eyes. I can hear Jane tearfully asking, “Father in a cage?” Bert: “There he is in that cold, heartless bank day after day, hemmed in by mounds of cold, heartless money.” 😢😢😢
This film is so amazing. A simple message of the kids just wanting to be with their father and a father just wanting to provide for his children and wife. Such a simple but powerful message.
Even though I already enjoyed the movie as a kid, I appreciate it even more as an adult because of its message of inner youth and sharing fun memories with your family. So Amen to You
David Tomlinson has to be one of the most underrated actors to work for Disney. He made Mr Banks such a memorable, intriguing, heartbreaking character and it’s only as you get older that you realise how important he truly is and can appreciate David’s performance. The way he acts and injects so much life and emotion into a scene with just his eyes is spellbinding.
Nostalgia Critic is right this scene is very powerful. And on another note, when I bought the soundtrack I was disappointed this wasn’t included on it. I know it’s a version of feed the birds, but the music is great even without the words
Being a grown man, you can't help but sympathize with Mr. Banks character. Everything that happens to him, his job, his life, his choice of nanny affects his children. The weight of being a family man who's about to be fired is gut wrenching.
As a kid, I could always feel the emotional weight behind this walk, and I mostly understood what was happening to Mr. Banks, but until I was older, the sheer brilliance of this scene and the way it was shot didn’t hit me. The crescendo in the music as Mr. Banks steps out of his house and onto the sidewalk always gives me chills. And Tomlinson somehow finds a way to put so much emotion into his walk, even though we never get any close-ups on his face.
I had not noticed the expression in his manner of walking, but yes, even his gait communicates. So much said through music, imagery and otherwise silence.
Walt Disney made films for all the family, for children and the child in all adults that never grew up. This scene though, of all his films, truly captures something which is rare in his films and that is purely - the struggles and pain of what it means to be an adult. It is rare that Disney focused on what it means to be an adult - the responsibilities we face and the challenges we have in balancing time and energy to our own dreams as well as our dreams for our loved ones or for society at large. In a way, all his films are about that spirit of goodness and innocence which fades as we leave childhood - and it's about finding a way to keep that into your adulthood. But yes, rarely do any of his films focus on the perspective of an adult who has long forgotten those values or no longer can find a way to live with them in light of the scepticism and at times, downright unfairness and coldness of the adult world. Mr. Banks is a character who all young adults, just moving out of childhood into adulthood, can deeply relate to in that we all can see ourselves slowly getting lost in that deep pool of adult responsibilities so that we'll lose the hope and happiness we used to have. We all fear a world without that light and moreover, a world which is so dark in which we've convinced ourselves that we're happy in it anyway - when truly deep down we are just as miserable and lonely inside as that image of Mr. Banks at 0:14, all a bit lost deep down and feeling like we face the uncertainity of the adult world alone. I think for all these reasons is why this film is so unique and special - in that it truly has meaning as much to an adult as it does to a child. It represents the magic and hope of childhood as well as the much needed light which adults need to remind themselves of, to know that their sacrifices are not in vain and moreover they are not alone in them, nor should they ever feel like they should convince themselves too fully of the adult facade they've had to create for themselves to survive. We all should know our true selves deep down are not lost and that sometimes we need only look no further than our childhood and who were were then to remember who that true self is.
We all go through that moment walking or driving at night thinking about our regrets or mistakes we made for the day but in the end we learn from them and move on
Mary Poppins: a man walking to his job to get fired with no dialogue just silence besides the music of course Mary Poppins returns: an 90s kid's movie like climax
There is no more powerful demonstration in cinema, I'm sure, of the quiet pride of a great, upright, family man whose towering, illustrious, surroundings both form the physical and psychological bricks and mortar of his working life. It was a heartbreaking scene of real tragic power to me, almost like a metaphor for the end of an old system of friendly handshakes and work colleagues as extended family, and an early summoning in of the 'face saving' advertising age, a more feminine age if you want to draw a comparison with Mrs Banks' enthusiasm, where short term phenomena, including 'consistent SEEMING reputation', means more than long term foundation and humanitarian principle .
You might have a point. This was set in 1910, with the Great War just 4 years away and the transformation that brought western societies including (and especially) the British Empire.
As a kid, you think this is about a magic nanny bringing joy to two kids. As an adult, you realize that this isn't the kids story. And it's not Mary's story. It's Mr. Banks story.
So beautiful! I feel like movies just don't have scenes like this anymore. Its like every scene has to be directly related to the plot. There's nothing like this where it takes a break from the plot to just let the music swell and let the emotions sink in. Such a shame.
The scene of him stopping to look at the stairs of Saint Paul’s Cathedral to find the Bird Woman no longer there (presumably passed away) is one of the most powerful and dramatic scenes in the whole movie and as a kid, I couldn’t see it. As an adult, it exploded at me with not a single word stated, only and music and facial expressions. I know exactly how Mr Banks felt, I’ve been on such a walk after leaving a job that was so cold and unrewarding. Even though I hated working there, the looming and brooding dejection that manifested was unbearable upon doing that walk.
@@misterartist1603 i think it’s a different woman in the second movie . The bird woman was homeless and super old . And if you count that the first movie takes place in the 1910‘s where people would only age like to 50-60 years and the second movie taking place in the 1930‘s you can notice how you would have to be lucky to live another 20 years . And the balloon woman still is way to healthy and young. So yeah I think the bird woman passed away .
You know this is one of those scenes that hits you like a truck when you’re older but when you’re young it feels like important in some sense but you don’t know why. That was the magic of Walt Disney and the magic of this movie. Universal feelings and themes that one can identify with. Thank you for posting this!
I first saw this movie when i was a child and my favorite scene was when the kids jumped in the drawing with Mary. Now i’ m 36 years old, and i saw it again with my children. And now as a father i find this scene so powerful. The best scene of the movie, for me.
I saw this movie the year it came out. I was 4 years old. My dad took me, and I wore my Easter outfit. It was the first movie I ever saw on the big screen. My dad is almost 91 now. When I hear this song I cry like a baby. Reminds me so much of him❤️❤️
I just recently rewatched this movie as an adult and this scene is powerful. Especially at 1:14 where banks is standing and the bank looms over him. Bert even says to the children that cages come in all shapes and sizes and that banks is practically in one.
Not just Mister Banks walking to face a terrible event he must confront by himself and alone but also that he is confronted with the fact that he denied his own Son the opportunity to help a Woman in need and with her dissappearance that opportunity to do good is gone .And he must face the consequences of his actions alone .
It's as if the birds are our happiness, the things we really want, and the lady who asks us to feed them is the voice of our conscience, which deep down continues to tell us what is really small and important in this world. Most of us have been like Mr. Banks, on this lonely and silent walk, rethinking our actions and what really matters. I imagine that when Mary Poppins sang this song to the children she wanted to somehow implant that thought in Mr. Banks, being the trigger for Michael to "not want to invest his money in the bank, but rather feed the birds", or invest his time in what he loves, and not save it for something others think is important. This is my favorite scene in the whole movie. A super simple scene, which within the context becomes a poetry.
Timeless is one of my favorite words in the English language. Well said. This was my first live action movie musical. And I’ve learned to appreciate it even more as an adult
The entire movie is a masterpiece but this scene stands out. It truly is the best scene ever brought to film. His shaky walk, the remorse on his face. David Tomlinson didn't need words to convey raw emotion. He didn't need to overact to show the full extent of what was going on.
even as a child watching this scene I was so drawn in. it's one of my favorite scenes in the movie and he has always been my favorite character in the whole film.
The swelling of music when he looks at the steps of the cathedral, and the look on his face- god it never hit me as a kid. But what's going through his head, it's exactly as Bert said. Mr. Banks missed his chance to give to the bird woman, and if he isn't careful, he will miss his chance to give to his kids as well. The passage of time and the loss of opportunities is very real, and Mr. Banks is realizing that.
Like. He didn't want Michael to give to the bird woman because he thought it was an improper waste to do so. He used the same logic to treat his children so coldly. It's just. It's such a good scene.
Yes I'm going to keep going because on top of all that it can also be the fact that Mr. Banks is REMEMBERING the way he spoke to Michael when Michael wanted to give his tuppence to the bird woman, and how he was ignoring his son and his son's wants and happiness the entire time they were at and on their way to the bank, and he'd been doing that their whole lives???
For those who are now grown adults like me can relate to this scene and understand how powerful it is when we understand Mr Banks and why he takes that long walk. Whenever we feel dejected and hopeless we all brood and take time off, but eventually we recover and pull through.
As a father to a young child about Jane and Michael's age, the long walk of George Banks hits incredibly hard. Especially coupled with Bert explaining to the children about how hard George's life is with his familial responsibilities. He knows his family is desperately missing him, but he has to hide all that and the pressures of work for the sake of providing for them. As an adult, I now know exactly what he's feeling.
THIS section is how you make good films. Too bad hardly anyone knows how to do it anymore. The bleak scenes as he walks through the city are indelibly marked onto my memory, even though I haven't seen it in decades. What a hauntingly beautiful passage.
This scene and the loss of Bambi's mother are the most powerful and sad moments in Disney in my opinion, I grew up with Mary Poppins and Bambi with my grandma Jeanette Low. RIP my grandma Jeanette Low, Jane Darwell and Paula Winslowe.
@@Dragon_Lair I was strong with the death of Mufasa (it was sad though) but the scene were adult Simba talks to him in the sky affected me more as a kid. I also did grew up with the Lion King and Fox and the Hound too.
My take on this powerful scene really changed when I became a breadwinner for my family. The workplace can be hostile and unpredictable. None of us are promised another day at the job, whether we’re providing for a family or not. I take walks at the park during my lunch break and this scene never fails to come to mind. It helps me keep perspective.
Superb acting…we all felt the difficulty and heaviness of this walk with him…that expression on his face when he sees there is no birdwoman tonight and the steps are empty….the music and the atmosphere all too heart wrenching
Mr Banks is the only character with a character arc in this movie. All of the other characters start and end exactly the same. This is the movie that should have been called Saving Mr Banks.
Mr Banks reminds me of my late dad... a stern man with a deep courage and warmth ...now he's long gone .... I cry like a baby at this scene... I've got a son of my own ... it hits different now xx
I was born in 1972, and remember seeing this movie as a very small child. For some reason this particular scene where he's walking through the park with silhouette of him with the trees, was the one seeing that I could close my eyes a small child and visualize.. Simply breathtakingly gorgeous.
The orchestral reprise of Feed the Birds and seeing how he looks at the absence of the bird lady on the steps of the cathedral broke my heart and made me cry...
This movie should have won the Academy Awards for Best Art Direction and Cinematography. I know "My Fair Lady" came out the same year and it can keep the Best Costume Design Oscar, but Mary Poppins has those beautiful colors, flawless lighting, integration of paintings as backdrops, etc that make it perhaps the most visually stunning film since "Lawrence of Arabia" two years before.
One of the most remarkable scenes in the movie, and impressive to see that almost every shot is composed using some glorious matte paintings to create the world and emotion. Even watching this scene carefully, it's hard to detect which elements are real and which are painted.
I just re-watched the movie earlier today and sought this scene out to see it again and see what others think just because it strikes like a bolt of lightning - the viewer is really not ready for something this heavy, even though they just listened to this very same song with a bird woman just fifty minutes beforehand. This is all so further augmented by how whimsical most of the movie is, so seeing her not there as they instrumentals rose as they did sent a chill down all of our spines.
This scene and music is ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! This scene sends a powerful message of life being short and how mysterious God is of how he sends his angels (Mary Poppins in this case) in the form of people to help us. I watched this as a kid and love it even in 2022.
"Who looks after your father? Tell me that. When something terrible happens, what does he do? Fends for himself, he does. Who does he tell about it? No-one."
smartalec2001 sad but true
Isn't that the way it is for all adults, in the final analysis?
This is such a contrast with his son Michael Banks in Merry Poppins Returns. George Banks is a real man, maintaining that famous British "stiff upper lip". Even though he didn't cause the run on the bank, he is taking responsibility for his children without flinching. In Merry Poppins Returns, Michael Banks cries like a child in front of his children when he got yelled at by his boss. What a wimp. George is bravely going to his firing from the bank without burden his children or even his wife.
That is probably my favourite line in the whole movie.
It is generally accepted now that the film is about Mr Banks, but I see it as it is about the the children as well, learning to realise that they need to help their father just as he learns that what his children need is his attention and affection.
It is interesting that it is actually Bert and not Mary Poppins who delivers both of these lessons.
I will never understand how David Tomlinson never won an Oscar for his performance.
Dave Smith Well Michael lost his wife & was about to lose the house
Banks really was the hidden protagonist of this movie. He's the one with the greatest arc. The one who truly changes throughout the course of the film. He's redeemed.
Like many said, Mary Poppins came to *see* him, not his children. Thus changing him and then saving his children.
Yeah... 😕
Well that's the thing isn't it? He hired her to help make the children better, but in reality she was there for all of them. Especially him. To teach the children to be better to/for their father, and to teach their father to be better than himself for others.
Easily why this is the best scene in the film. Not a word is spoken but u feel it with every step and note of music.
My dad and I have the same color and the same letter W like yours like you do!
It's one of the only examples I can think of where a character is presented as the antagonist in the first act and becomes the protagonist by the third act. A beautiful plot device I wish was used more often.
When he stops to look at the steps of Saint Paul’s, the look on his face...this film is literally a masterpiece.
Because the Old Woman isn't here. And he remembers Jeanne and Michael said him about the Old Woman with two pence for birds.
Sacha ROLLAND-PIEGUE Jane.
@@sacharolland-piegue9242 Yes. The music in fact is a funeral dirge reprisal of Feed The Birds.....
She is meant to be there, but sadly no more.
When this scene came up in "Saving Mr. Banks", I started tearing up, and I'm doing it again RIGHT NOW 😭😭
He probably regrets refusing to let them feed the birds.
Mr Banks is really the emotional heart of the film. And it's because Bert teaches the children about how difficult their father's life is whilst also telling Mr Banks not to let his children's childhood slip through his fingers that ultimately unites the family.
“It’s alright, Mrs. Travers. Mr. Banks is going to be alright, I promise”
Joe Whitehead goddamn that scene made me burst into tears the first time I watched it
"It's not the children she came to save, Mrs. Travers. It's their father."
Literally the most touching and emotional moment of all film.
😢
I couldn't help but cry watching Travers cry, while Walt comforts her with those kind words of assurance. Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks were PERFECT in their performances.
A scene that could go unnoticed at a first glance.. probably the best and most touching part of the movie
I didn't get it until I rewatched it recently, and I sobbed when the it hit me
@@xiphosura413 The implication that the bird woman had passed away?
Especially when he gets fired, he doesn't get depressed but starts laughing and making jokes
😭 This scene still makes me cry, and "Feed the Birds" instrumental isn't helping 😭
@@Emper0rH0rde I just assumed she was sleeping somewhere else. I didn't consider the possibility that she died. Would that symbolize the un-noticed passing away of simple human kindness?
As an employed adult I see now how this scene is powerful. I didn’t get the point of the long walk as a child, but now it is so moving. Like Bert said, Mr. Banks has no one to look after him, he has gather the courage and face his impending doom of being fired. Unlike his children, he cannot run away from the bank, but has to face the consequences of bringing his children to his hostile workplace. The way he looks so small in comparison to the bank that looms threateningly over him is chilling.
Lumosnight Very deep thinking
Another thing that now I am grown caught me the attention is the way Mr. Banks was treated. A top manager or shareholder, who spent all his life working hard for that company, fired and humiliated like any other chump just because the firm suffered a big loss and to clear its face it wanted to found a scapegoat to pin the blame on...because Business is Business :( these phenomena happened before and still happens today more then ever.
Yet he realizes this was not true when pulling the tuppence out of his pocket. Not any more.
Indeed.
In a sense he's walking to his own demise
It’s funny as an adult you understand Mr. Banks’ dilemma and trouble and sympathize more for him, he still went onto the bank knowing he’d be fired and faced it with courage and responsibility making no excuse, that’s a true gentleman.
When I way young, I always recounted his as a grumpy, villainous dad. But now as an adult, you get a completely different perspective of the movie. That's what makes one of my favourites Disney's. It is something for everyone.
That's the thing about the classic disney movies. As a kid you are rooting for the main character because those mean parents are getting in the way of them following their dreams. As an adult you see exactly where the parents are coming from and how their children's actions are affecting them, for good or ill, and you start to side with the parents more.
Which is part of what Walt was going for. He wanted Disney to provide entertainment for both children and adults.
The saddest and most powerful Disney moment for me!
Disney Village Fans Absolutely
Completely agree 💔❤️
It is more of one of the most powerful moments ever put to film period!!
I thought it was hilarious as a kid
And two years later he would die.
Anyone else feel that David Tomlinson should have been nominated or even won an award for his portrayal of Mr Banks?
100%. Perhaps the greatest performance in all of Disney history, and one of my favorites in film generally. Someone who can so seamlessly and elegantly juxtapose cold and aloof with vibrant and joyous? Mr. Tomlinson's performance moves me ever more as I move on to college from high school; it helps me realize that we all need that moment with the 'Man named Smith', to bring the childhood back to our adult lives.
The man deserved a goddamn Oscar, he did.
Tomlinson was heartbreakingly good in the role. And Glynis Johns as Winifred Banks was gorgeous, clever and a feminine feminist, and a perfect acting partner for him. A shame that she's retired as I'd have loved her to have had some role.
I agree. I also loved him as the villainous Thorndyke in "Love Bug" and a fraudulent college professor by the name of Emelius Browne in "Bedknobs And Broomsticks".
@@Picnicl Careful now. Lets not go insulting Winifred by calling her a feminist.
Bad enough her character was a suffragette but no-one is perfect.
@@Gambit771 sufragettes are literally fighting for women rights so of course they are feminists. It's not a bad thing to be, especially back in those days when women were considered less than men.
The scene where he is just walking says everything without saying a single word. Just beautiful film making.
It’s tough to find anything like it in this day and age. I turned 31 last month and I feel like I was born in the wrong era sometimes.
The symbolism of him not only being alone in London but also walking past everywhere the children and Mary Poppins had been...this is one of my favorite movie scenes ever. Cinematographic masterpiece...
Two minutes Disney at their best. No words needed.
The moment the choir kicks in, on the empty stairs at St. Pauls is one of the strongest moments in movie history
Absolutely
The bird woman is gone
If only I was young enough in the late 90’s to process it
I bet this is where Pixar took notes from.
@@marvinthemaniac7698 And yet they haven’t lost too much of their touch.
All the chaos, silliness, and drama of the film, and what got through to him was a Chimney sweep saying "look mate, your kids are only young once, best make the most of it now before it's too late."
"Childhood is like sand through sieve. And all too soon they've up and grown, and off they flow, and it's too late for you to give."
1:00 The way the music swells, with choir accompaniment, along with the look on Mr. Banks' face, carries with it a heavy implication that the bird woman hadn't simply gone home for the night.
I hadn't even noticed she had gone and the impact it makes on George, such a touch of brilliance that makes this film a masterpiece!
I have a headcanon, that Mary Poppins was a guardian angel. When Mary Poppins was singing the song, “Feed the Birds” she was talking about her last moments when she was alive. She was the old woman feeding the birds.
@@VGFGE There is a theory going on about that.
Arcade Classics Really?
Damn that’s sad
After seeing "Saving Mr. Banks", this scene becomes even more powerful.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Banks will be alright.”
The first time I watched Mary Poppins after watching Saving Mr Banks, I bawled my eyes out, just from the poignancy behind the score's meaning of him walking to the bank.
❤️
it affected the entire movie, making it my favorite by far with Bedknobs and Broomsticks as second... coincidence? I think not.
I know it puts things in a whole new perspective. Like on enormous and profound proportions
When I was little, Mister Banks was by far my least favorite character. I just saw him as a wet blanket who didn't want anyone to have any fun. Now, he's my favorite character. This scene probably bored me as a kid but brings me to tears every single time I watch it as an adult and the A Man Has Dreams scene hits so close to home now. David Tomlinson should have won Best Supporting Actor that year- it's criminal that he wasn't even nominated.
rubytuesdaygypsy well 1964 was a great year for movies also. You had stiff competition with career favorite perennial behemoths like Dr. Strangelove & My Fair Lady, which dominated that year.
@@CKru8789 very true. Becket was also amazing, with Burton and O'Toole that year. Still, a shame
I remember as a child disliking Mr. Banks. I understood that he had a change of heart thanks to Bert, but that’s about it. It’s understandable to completely miss the point as a child but as an adult, looking at Banks through a different lens, the character breaks my heart. Instead of being angry at his treatment of his children, I now see how heartbreaking that disconnect truly is. He’s a man, trapped in the vicious cycle of a thankless job. He’s in despair, and takes out his anger (unjustly, of course) on his family and especially his son and daughter. When I was little I thought the whole point of this movie was about Mary and what she does to brighten the lives of the kids, but it’s really Mr. Banks’ film. It’s about redemption. The entire thing can be summed up in this scene. Beautiful score, David Tomlinson is brilliant. Just perfect!
You beat me to it by 3 years. I totally misunderstood Mr. Banks. I still feel a bit bad about that. He is just an honorable suffering hardworking man who needs a good big ol' hug time to time.
Same here as a child I didn’t really like Mr Banks and thought he was odd but when I watched the film back as an adult I understand he was in a difficult situation this part of the film gets me every time Xx
"Mary poppins didn't come to see the children, she came to see their father, your father."
*save
The line was "it's not the children she came to save. It's their father" and I'm crying again 😭
Magnificent. The bit when he looks across and sees the empty steps and you get the heavenly choir is so powerful.
Michael does in fact feed the birds, he feeds the one who needs it most his father.
A very astute take on the film. Mr. Banks is a harsh raven who needs someone to give him a moment of true caring.
His dad was right. Why should he pay the bird lady money to feed the birds? Bring a slice of bread and do it for free
That’s a nice metaphor, a show of care to the “bird” who needs it most, their father.
Andrew Miller Bert even alludes to it when he says their father is trapped in cage
@@sliat1981
Maybe the Bird Lady needed the money?
"Although you can't see it, you know they are smiling, each time someone shows that they care..."
"Though her words are simple and few,
Listen, listen, she's calling to you."
🥲
This made me cry when I was 5... now I'm 36, makes me cry even harder
Haha, I'm 2 years behind you, and I also remember this scene choking me up at age 5!!! 'There's that poignant, haunting music again,' I thought ...remembering it from earlier in the film. I'd be a mess right now if I wasn't on antidepressants :)
Same... and I think I was about 5 aswell? Lol. Maybe even the first time where I was moved that much.
i am 16 and it still mades me sad 0-0
@@revxlutxon1050 Now I'm 38, lost my dad after posting this... now I just can't even see this scene. I just can't.
My dad and I have the same color like yours like you do!
Childhood slips away like sand through a sieve
And then they’ve up and grown, and then they’ve flown.
@@geroldy4546 Then it's too late for you to give, just that spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down in the most delightful way.
@@BenJabituya And it's never to late to "let's go fly a kite!".
Because of “Saving Mr. Banks,” this scene brings tears to my eyes. I can hear Jane tearfully asking, “Father in a cage?”
Bert: “There he is in that cold, heartless bank day after day, hemmed in by mounds of cold, heartless money.”
😢😢😢
"cages come in all shapes and sizes" and then the camera focuses on the bottle of alcohol... That hit hard...
The columns of the bank really do resemble a cage
That's too sad and deep...
@@RamdomRandoBank shaped some of them, carpets and all
This film is so amazing. A simple message of the kids just wanting to be with their father and a father just wanting to provide for his children and wife. Such a simple but powerful message.
Even though I already enjoyed the movie as a kid, I appreciate it even more as an adult because of its message of inner youth and sharing fun memories with your family. So Amen to You
David Tomlinson has to be one of the most underrated actors to work for Disney. He made Mr Banks such a memorable, intriguing, heartbreaking character and it’s only as you get older that you realise how important he truly is and can appreciate David’s performance. The way he acts and injects so much life and emotion into a scene with just his eyes is spellbinding.
I also love him as the villain in the Love Bug
Nostalgia Critic is right this scene is very powerful. And on another note, when I bought the soundtrack I was disappointed this wasn’t included on it. I know it’s a version of feed the birds, but the music is great even without the words
It’s on The Legacy Collection version of this one.
Being a grown man, you can't help but sympathize with Mr. Banks character. Everything that happens to him, his job, his life, his choice of nanny affects his children. The weight of being a family man who's about to be fired is gut wrenching.
As a kid, I could always feel the emotional weight behind this walk, and I mostly understood what was happening to Mr. Banks, but until I was older, the sheer brilliance of this scene and the way it was shot didn’t hit me. The crescendo in the music as Mr. Banks steps out of his house and onto the sidewalk always gives me chills. And Tomlinson somehow finds a way to put so much emotion into his walk, even though we never get any close-ups on his face.
I had not noticed the expression in his manner of walking, but yes, even his gait communicates. So much said through music, imagery and otherwise silence.
I tear up every time I watch this part for some reason it gets me Xx
Mr. Banks always reminded me of my dad. This scene never fails to bring a tear to my eye.
Walt Disney made films for all the family, for children and the child in all adults that never grew up. This scene though, of all his films, truly captures something which is rare in his films and that is purely - the struggles and pain of what it means to be an adult.
It is rare that Disney focused on what it means to be an adult - the responsibilities we face and the challenges we have in balancing time and energy to our own dreams as well as our dreams for our loved ones or for society at large. In a way, all his films are about that spirit of goodness and innocence which fades as we leave childhood - and it's about finding a way to keep that into your adulthood. But yes, rarely do any of his films focus on the perspective of an adult who has long forgotten those values or no longer can find a way to live with them in light of the scepticism and at times, downright unfairness and coldness of the adult world.
Mr. Banks is a character who all young adults, just moving out of childhood into adulthood, can deeply relate to in that we all can see ourselves slowly getting lost in that deep pool of adult responsibilities so that we'll lose the hope and happiness we used to have. We all fear a world without that light and moreover, a world which is so dark in which we've convinced ourselves that we're happy in it anyway - when truly deep down we are just as miserable and lonely inside as that image of Mr. Banks at 0:14, all a bit lost deep down and feeling like we face the uncertainity of the adult world alone.
I think for all these reasons is why this film is so unique and special - in that it truly has meaning as much to an adult as it does to a child. It represents the magic and hope of childhood as well as the much needed light which adults need to remind themselves of, to know that their sacrifices are not in vain and moreover they are not alone in them, nor should they ever feel like they should convince themselves too fully of the adult facade they've had to create for themselves to survive. We all should know our true selves deep down are not lost and that sometimes we need only look no further than our childhood and who were were then to remember who that true self is.
We all go through that moment walking or driving at night thinking about our regrets or mistakes we made for the day but in the end we learn from them and move on
Very few scenes in cinematic history have moved me the way this one does. It is so beautifully done ...absolute perfection!
The contrast between night London and day London in the movie is just so stark. They did a fantastic job showing the difference
I would just add that the music adds so much power and emotion to the scene, especially on the long walk.
Men can relate very heavily to this scene, the loneliness of manhood, it moves me every time.
I’m 31 still live with my mom and dad. I don’t have a job or ever been in a relationship. Just trying to enjoy adulthood
Mary Poppins: a man walking to his job to get fired with no dialogue just silence besides the music of course
Mary Poppins returns: an 90s kid's movie like climax
Dialogue*
Beside*
Mary*
Oh spelling checks
@@andrewamende3338 Sassy much?
There is no more powerful demonstration in cinema, I'm sure, of the quiet pride of a great, upright, family man whose towering, illustrious, surroundings both form the physical and psychological bricks and mortar of his working life. It was a heartbreaking scene of real tragic power to me, almost like a metaphor for the end of an old system of friendly handshakes and work colleagues as extended family, and an early summoning in of the 'face saving' advertising age, a more feminine age if you want to draw a comparison with Mrs Banks' enthusiasm, where short term phenomena, including 'consistent SEEMING reputation', means more than long term foundation and humanitarian principle .
You might have a point. This was set in 1910, with the Great War just 4 years away and the transformation that brought western societies including (and especially) the British Empire.
1:04 That look says more than any dialogue ever could.
Could not agree more, so wonderful, David Tomlinson is so brilliant
His wife killed herself and his step children. He knew pain.
@@4879daniel Oh God, I wasn't previously aware of that. How terrible for him.
As a kid, you think this is about a magic nanny bringing joy to two kids. As an adult, you realize that this isn't the kids story. And it's not Mary's story. It's Mr. Banks story.
I’m 31 and I know how you feel
@@manuelorozco7760 31 as well.
So beautiful! I feel like movies just don't have scenes like this anymore. Its like every scene has to be directly related to the plot. There's nothing like this where it takes a break from the plot to just let the music swell and let the emotions sink in. Such a shame.
As someone driven to insanity by the state of Post Pandemic Hollywood I know how you feel. Mary Poppins is one of my all time favorites!
The scene of him stopping to look at the stairs of Saint Paul’s Cathedral to find the Bird Woman no longer there (presumably passed away) is one of the most powerful and dramatic scenes in the whole movie and as a kid, I couldn’t see it. As an adult, it exploded at me with not a single word stated, only and music and facial expressions.
I know exactly how Mr Banks felt, I’ve been on such a walk after leaving a job that was so cold and unrewarding. Even though I hated working there, the looming and brooding dejection that manifested was unbearable upon doing that walk.
I started crying when I was five because grandpa said, :She's dead that's why we have to do things while we can.
I was like, wtf grandpa?
That is the moral of Mary Poppins
She's actually not dead
I think Mary Poppins Returns confirmed it
@@misterartist1603 i think it’s a different woman in the second movie . The bird woman was homeless and super old . And if you count that the first movie takes place in the 1910‘s where people would only age like to 50-60 years and the second movie taking place in the 1930‘s you can notice how you would have to be lucky to live another 20 years . And the balloon woman still is way to healthy and young. So yeah I think the bird woman passed away .
0:58 you can just see the guilt seeping out of him
Of the flogging that is to come
I’ve heard some say that this is one of the most emotionally charged scenes in all of cinema. I can’t disagree.
You know this is one of those scenes that hits you like a truck when you’re older but when you’re young it feels like important in some sense but you don’t know why. That was the magic of Walt Disney and the magic of this movie. Universal feelings and themes that one can identify with. Thank you for posting this!
*That* soundtrack. Sends shivers down my spine.
Such a masterpiece of a sequence.
When the music crescendos as he passes St. Paul just... TEARS, SO MANY TEARS.
I first saw this movie when i was a child and my favorite scene was when the kids jumped in the drawing with Mary.
Now i’ m 36 years old, and i saw it again with my children. And now as a father i find this scene so powerful. The best scene of the movie, for me.
You really shouldn't share your age publicly. Just saying you're a grown man and a father is enough.
I saw this movie the year it came out. I was 4 years old. My dad took me, and I wore my Easter outfit. It was the first movie I ever saw on the big screen. My dad is almost 91 now. When I hear this song I cry like a baby. Reminds me so much of him❤️❤️
Such a beautiful powerful scene,the beautiful music fits perfectly with it
My dad and I have the same color like yours like you do!
0:55 ruins me every time, the music swelling as he goes to finally feed the birds, but nobody is there anymore.
Xiphosura his face says “what did I do? Why did I say no to Michael?”
I just recently rewatched this movie as an adult and this scene is powerful. Especially at 1:14 where banks is standing and the bank looms over him. Bert even says to the children that cages come in all shapes and sizes and that banks is practically in one.
Not just Mister Banks walking to face a terrible event he must confront by himself and alone but also that he is confronted with the fact that he denied his own Son the opportunity to help a Woman in need and with her dissappearance that opportunity to do good is gone .And he must face the consequences of his actions alone .
this tune is so haunting
It's as if the birds are our happiness, the things we really want, and the lady who asks us to feed them is the voice of our conscience, which deep down continues to tell us what is really small and important in this world. Most of us have been like Mr. Banks, on this lonely and silent walk, rethinking our actions and what really matters. I imagine that when Mary Poppins sang this song to the children she wanted to somehow implant that thought in Mr. Banks, being the trigger for Michael to "not want to invest his money in the bank, but rather feed the birds", or invest his time in what he loves, and not save it for something others think is important. This is my favorite scene in the whole movie. A super simple scene, which within the context becomes a poetry.
One of the most emotional scenes in cinema, the score, the lighting, the set design, phenomenal
Cinema has somewhat declined since COVID hit! But I couldn’t agree more. I’ve now revisited Mary Poppins four times since the pandemic.
This is a beautiful movie and timeless masterpiece.
Timeless is one of my favorite words in the English language. Well said. This was my first live action movie musical. And I’ve learned to appreciate it even more as an adult
The entire movie is a masterpiece but this scene stands out. It truly is the best scene ever brought to film. His shaky walk, the remorse on his face. David Tomlinson didn't need words to convey raw emotion. He didn't need to overact to show the full extent of what was going on.
RIP Richard M. Sherman.
It’s not the children she comes to save, it’s their father. It’s your father.
even as a child watching this scene I was so drawn in. it's one of my favorite scenes in the movie and he has always been my favorite character in the whole film.
The swelling of music when he looks at the steps of the cathedral, and the look on his face- god it never hit me as a kid. But what's going through his head, it's exactly as Bert said. Mr. Banks missed his chance to give to the bird woman, and if he isn't careful, he will miss his chance to give to his kids as well. The passage of time and the loss of opportunities is very real, and Mr. Banks is realizing that.
Like. He didn't want Michael to give to the bird woman because he thought it was an improper waste to do so. He used the same logic to treat his children so coldly. It's just. It's such a good scene.
Yes I'm going to keep going because on top of all that it can also be the fact that Mr. Banks is REMEMBERING the way he spoke to Michael when Michael wanted to give his tuppence to the bird woman, and how he was ignoring his son and his son's wants and happiness the entire time they were at and on their way to the bank, and he'd been doing that their whole lives???
For those who are now grown adults like me can relate to this scene and understand how powerful it is when we understand Mr Banks and why he takes that long walk. Whenever we feel dejected and hopeless we all brood and take time off, but eventually we recover and pull through.
As a father to a young child about Jane and Michael's age, the long walk of George Banks hits incredibly hard. Especially coupled with Bert explaining to the children about how hard George's life is with his familial responsibilities. He knows his family is desperately missing him, but he has to hide all that and the pressures of work for the sake of providing for them. As an adult, I now know exactly what he's feeling.
In my opinion, this scene is one of the reasons why Mary Poppins is the first Disney movie to be nominated for Best Picture.
This music is beautiful a masterpiece. Just like the entire film.
I lost my job the day before yesterday.
Today, I am watching this.
I always felt this what it was to be a man and father. Protective and shielding his family and kids from the dangers of the world.
That’s part of it, sure
Walt Disney you are master of story telling.
was the master at storytelling.
His lost is still strongly felt. Even nearly 54 after his passing.
THIS section is how you make good films. Too bad hardly anyone knows how to do it anymore. The bleak scenes as he walks through the city are indelibly marked onto my memory, even though I haven't seen it in decades. What a hauntingly beautiful passage.
I didn’t understand why I was crying when I saw this as a child. Now I do.
0:00 - 1:37 the heaviest walk a man can walk
I love that he walks it with such pride and grace. He knows what’s about to happen but he’s not gonna show any kind of weakness.
His final commute to his dream job
This scene and the loss of Bambi's mother are the most powerful and sad moments in Disney in my opinion, I grew up with Mary Poppins and Bambi with my grandma Jeanette Low. RIP my grandma Jeanette Low, Jane Darwell and Paula Winslowe.
Not the death of Mufasa and the time they took with Simba desperately calling for help?
@@Dragon_Lair I was strong with the death of Mufasa (it was sad though) but the scene were adult Simba talks to him in the sky affected me more as a kid. I also did grew up with the Lion King and Fox and the Hound too.
My take on this powerful scene really changed when I became a breadwinner for my family. The workplace can be hostile and unpredictable. None of us are promised another day at the job, whether we’re providing for a family or not. I take walks at the park during my lunch break and this scene never fails to come to mind. It helps me keep perspective.
In my opinion, no Disney movie has ever come close to Mary Poppins. It will always be Walt Disney’s greatest masterpiece.
No doubt about it! The last great Disney movie I saw was Encanto
This is some of the best music ever composed.
One of the most emotional scene ever. Saving Mr. Banks makes me cry even more.
Makes me tear up every time.😢😭
Superb acting…we all felt the difficulty and heaviness of this walk with him…that expression on his face when he sees there is no birdwoman tonight and the steps are empty….the music and the atmosphere all too heart wrenching
Mr Banks is the only character with a character arc in this movie. All of the other characters start and end exactly the same. This is the movie that should have been called Saving Mr Banks.
Best Cinematography EVER
I can't watch this scene without bawling the sweeping orchestral music with his solemn walk gets me every time
Mr Banks reminds me of my late dad... a stern man with a deep courage and warmth ...now he's long gone .... I cry like a baby at this scene... I've got a son of my own ... it hits different now xx
the saddest and most powerful of all the Disney movies it always made me cry this scene🥺
Thinking of all of those single shots in iconic film that could make a painting. 0:17 is one of those shots.
I was born in 1972, and remember seeing this movie as a very small child. For some reason this particular scene where he's walking through the park with silhouette of him with the trees, was the one seeing that I could close my eyes a small child and visualize.. Simply breathtakingly gorgeous.
The orchestral reprise of Feed the Birds and seeing how he looks at the absence of the bird lady on the steps of the cathedral broke my heart and made me cry...
My favorite scene in the whole movie. It's so powerful and I love how much it evokes without a single word.
This movie should have won the Academy Awards for Best Art Direction and Cinematography. I know "My Fair Lady" came out the same year and it can keep the Best Costume Design Oscar, but Mary Poppins has those beautiful colors, flawless lighting, integration of paintings as backdrops, etc that make it perhaps the most visually stunning film since "Lawrence of Arabia" two years before.
One of the most remarkable scenes in the movie, and impressive to see that almost every shot is composed using some glorious matte paintings to create the world and emotion. Even watching this scene carefully, it's hard to detect which elements are real and which are painted.
I never thought of that!
Saw this movie at the drive in when I was five. Wonderful movie for all ages!
The music is so moving. I didn't understand as a child, too young but now, I cry.
This moment always made me cry, even as a kid. I didn't understand why, I just knew it was sad😢. Now I think I get it.
The harp in the background.....it's too much, this is way too beautiful
When you watch this film again as a father knowing that Mary Poppins came to save Mr Banks…😢
I just re-watched the movie earlier today and sought this scene out to see it again and see what others think just because it strikes like a bolt of lightning - the viewer is really not ready for something this heavy, even though they just listened to this very same song with a bird woman just fifty minutes beforehand. This is all so further augmented by how whimsical most of the movie is, so seeing her not there as they instrumentals rose as they did sent a chill down all of our spines.
Doug Walker's favourite movie moment of all time
This scene and music is ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! This scene sends a powerful message of life being short and how mysterious God is of how he sends his angels (Mary Poppins in this case) in the form of people to help us. I watched this as a kid and love it even in 2022.
I know how he feels at this initial moment.
Kinglore2000 you okay? Hope everything is alright!!
I've been there, too. I won't lie, it hurts for a while, but it won't be the end. Keep your chin up and move forward. It gets better in the long run.