Two classics for all ages—with no shortage of special effects!
Star Wars (1977; Disney+)
Luke gets his chance to Skywalk and learn the power of the Force when two droids, a mysterious but kind mentor, an intergalactic war, and the prospect of a pretty princess come to his doorstep. I decided to rewatch this film before reviewing it, and I must report that it is quite satisfying. It’s a bit slow in the beginning, but this gives it a down-to-earth charm that none of the subsequent, fast-paced films have. It feels like an experiment, part drama part comedy, made in the innocent hope that this sort of optimistic film could work for people. And boy, it did!
It starts with a Wow. Then another. And then, it feels like a Shakespeare play, opening on comedic side characters before introducing our heroes. (Tall C3PO and stout R2-D2 are a comic duo, like Laurel and Hardy—C3PO says everything, R2-D2 says nothing.) The first line is even like the opening line of Hamlet (“Who’s there” vs. “Did you hear that?”). The film sure takes its time before introducing our main characters, and then more time before the exciting action sequences—and then you forget how long it took because the excitement just keeps ramping up. Like Han says about his ship, the movie may not look like much, but it’s got it where it counts.
Character development is where it counts. Man, they get a lot of emotion out of that mute R2! My favorite scene was when Luke was getting into Red 5. It would have been so easy for the third act to get so caught up in the action that it stopped slowing down to attend to the characters’ relationships. Instead, they ask if Luke wants a different, newer R2, and he says, No way, that R2 and I have been through a lot together. And C3PO says something touching that completes the story arc of his relationship with R2-D2. Then, even the final action sequence introduces every Red Fighter with a facial close-up. It humanizes them individually, so that even when they die you feel like you care and they mattered. All the time it takes on all these sequences—because it’s a simple plot—is rewarded by the colorful characters and the heart that fills their relationships.
And the constant special effects. By a crazy coincidence, I actually own the original trilogy on VHS tapes from 1990 (alas, fullscreen, haha). This means that I am watching them in the original form, not the “Special Edition” version that George Lucas released in the late 90s. (For some reason, George couldn’t stop tinkering with it: “I’ve added some special modifications myself,” says Han…)
This is important because the special effects in 1977 are very different from the CGI “upgrades” added later. It’s the whole array of 1977’s possibilities: miniatures, matte paintings, stop-motion animation, and rudimentary CGI. It’s a gorgeous movie, non-stop excitement, as we never know what visual magic tricks are coming next. Like the action, they just keep ramping up, from basic but diverse alien costumes to cutting-edge CGI graphics at the climax. Because back then, George knew that CGI wasn’t the answer to everything: “Use the force, Luke.”
Also, in case there was any confusion, Han shot first. Actually, just Han shot. Just Han.
For sensitive viewers: Two mild swear words. Action sequences where people are shot with blasters or their ships blow up. Brief scenes with distance-Force-choking and smoking skeletons.
Mary Poppins (1964; Disney+)
Two neglected children meet a mysterious, magical nanny who educates while entertaining—and not just the children. This could easily be called Disney’s best live-action film. The actors are delightful, the humor is gentle, the story is heartwarming, the songs are moving, the sets are rich… and the special effects are everywhere. Like Star Wars! It’s a whole array of special effects, one after another. Here, they’re so well executed and woven into the story that you forget them—but they fill the movie with a sense of wonder and expectation that something beautiful and good is just around the corner.
Julie Andrews plays an unforgettable Mary Poppins. She’s very self-confident, but in an understated way. She always wins, but with such subtle verbal sleight-of-hand that we really might call her a magician. (It took me many years to get the joke when she sings, “You’d never think of pressing your advantage,” but then I finally looked at Bert’s face…) As for her magic, it always means something. It’s not just having fun with the kids—it’s teaching them responsibility, at home and away, practical and emotional.
This strong woman character is particularly interesting in the mid-60s, as second-wave feminist started to get off the ground. Indeed, feminist suffrage is precisely what the children’s mother is neglecting them for. Mary Poppins swoops into this “age of men” to attend to the children and to reform the father. The story affirms traditional “feminine” values of care while also affirming the capacity and responsibility of men to find freedom in this same kind of generous affection. And feminism aside, the movie is a powerful relief for all of us tempted toward workaholism or holding our money too tightly. It has mind and heart, educating while entertaining, with depth and outstanding quality that reward multiple viewings.
It also has Dick Van Dyke! Still alive and dancing, I’m glad to say, even at 100 years of age! This movie exemplifies a very important aspect of his career, which flailed a lot—and not the dancing kind of flailing—prior to his role in Broadway’s Bye Bye Birdie. He finally hit it big with The Dick Van Dyke Show in the 1961 and then succeeded astoundingly in Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Then… he disappeared. Well, he kept acting, and he went in some meaningful directions, but none of his other movies worked for audiences. I think I’ve figured out why. He never works as a solo act, because he’s so great at showing love. He’s great at being paired up with someone and being a kindly man, be it Laura Petrie, Mary Poppins, “you two,” or just that girl he sang “Put on a Happy Face” to. He needs someone to play off of, because he represents a generous kind of humor, one that doesn’t make fun of others, but makes himself the clown to build someone else up.
I know this is an odd movie to pair with Star Wars, but it turns out that there’s a connection, and once again, it’s the special effects. Matte paintings are painted screens placed close to the camera, painted with so much detail that they look like vast backgrounds beyond the characters. Peter Ellenshaw made the matte paintings for Mary Poppins and various other Disney live-action films. The matte paintings in Star Wars are by P.S. (Harrison) Ellenshaw, his son.
Use the force, Mary!
For sensitive viewers: The two children get lost in the city and briefly encounter a creepy woman who offers to take them home. They escape immediately and safely. It’s not a bad teaching moment for your young child.
Nathan’s Writing Update
I’m happy to report that my book chapter on Frozen II came together this week. This was an unexpected turn of events, and it puts me on track to polish off the first half of my book by the end of this summer! I just have to go through and fix up my chapters on Bolt and Frozen.
As you may have guessed, we are exploring one last series of far-away films this summer: my three favorite Star Wars movies. What are your three favorites? Write them in a comment below!