History TearJerker / MaryPoppins

[[caption-width-right:350:''Before the mortar of his zeal has a chance to congeal...\\
The cup is dashed from his lips. The flame is snuffed a-borning.\\
He's brought to rack and ruin in his prime.'']]

-->You're a man of 'igh position, esteemed by your peers\\

Because their dad, 'e always knows just what to do.\\

Though childhood slips like sand through a sieve\\
And all too soon they're up and grown\\

And it's too late for you to give.

The cup is snatched from his lips. His flame is snuff ab'rning.\\
He's brought to rag and ruin in his prime.

[[caption-width-right:350:''The cup is snatched from his lips. His flame is snuff ab'rning.\\
He's brought to rag and ruin in his prime.'']]

* The [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic song]] "Feed The Birds".
** Doubly so when you learn that "Feed The Birds" was Creator/WaltDisney's favorite song. He would frequently ask Music/TheShermanBrothers to play it for him after their Friday afternoon strategy sessions. They played it at his funeral. And even after he died they would go to his empty office on a Friday afternoon and play it for him. Y'all can go cry now.
** And triply so when you learn, years later, that the bird lady was played by Jane Darwell, already no spring chicken when she won the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Supporting Actress for playing Ma Joad in 'Film/TheGrapesOfWrath'' a quarter of a century earlier. It was her last film role.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mary_poppins_disneyscreencapscom_15906.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"Practically perfect people never permit sentiment to muddle their thinking."]]

-->A man has dreams of walking with giants.\\

-->'''Michael:''' (hands over his tuppence to his father) Here, father. You can have the tuppence.\\

--->With every job when it's complete\\

*** The absence of the bird lady heavily implies that she passed away, and that by denying his children the chance to give their money to her and telling them to ignore her, they'll never be able to show the woman kindness ever again. In other words, not only did Mr. Banks take his children for granted, but life itself. Of all his actions in life, this is one that’s impossible to make up for.

*** In fact, the entire sequence of George leaving the Banks' family home as he heads down the dark, lonely streets up to the cathedral scene is easily the biggest tearjerker in the entire film. Humbled and broken, and now fully aware of his shortcomings as a father, the once proud Mr. Banks somberly prepares to face judgment from his superiors and the all-likelihood of losing the financially secured life he had worked so hard for his family up to this point. "Uncomplaining, alone, and silent," just as Bert described, right to the bitter end.

*** In fact, the entire sequence of George leaving the Banks' family home as he heads down the dark, lonely streets up to the cathedral scene is easily the biggest tearjerker in the entire film. Humbled and broken, and now fully aware of his shortcomings as a father, the once proud Mr. Banks somberly prepares to face judgment from his superiors, and the all-likelihood of losing the financially secured life he had worked so hard for his family up to this point. "Uncomplaining, alone, and silent," just as Bert described, right to the bitter end.

*** In fact, that cathedral scene is easily the biggest tearjerker in Disney history.

--->George, dear, I know it hurts your pride, dear,\\
But you can't just run and hide, dear\\
Why can't you see that ''I'm'' here,\\
And I am on your side!

-->Illusions may shatter, but memories stay\\

** What makes it worse is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utBBAqD3i1E when Mr. Banks goes past the cathedral]] as he makes his way to getting fired; a DarkReprise (or perhaps regular reprise, since it sounded dark anyway) swells as he looks at the utterly empty steps of cathedral, then up into the air.

-->George, dear, I know it hurts your pride, dear,\\

** And triply so when you learn, years later, that the bird lady was played by Jane Darwell, already no spring chicken when she won the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Supporting Actress for playing Ma Joad in 'Film/The GrapeOfWrath'' a quarter of a century earlier. It was her last film role.

** Doubly so when you learn that "Feed The Birds" was Creator/WaltDisney's favorite song. He would frequently ask the Sherman Brothers to play it for him after their Friday afternoon strategy sessions. They played it at his funeral. And even after he died they would go to his empty office on a Friday afternoon and play it for him. Y'all can go cry now.
** And triply so when you learn, years later, that the bird lady was played by Jane Darwell, already no spring chicken when she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for playing Ma Joad in ''The Grapes of Wrath'' a quarter of a century earlier. It was her last film role.

The famous "good for nothing" of Cherry Tree Lane.

* Just a passing remark at the time, but Dawes Jr.'s remark about how, when Dawes Sr. laughed himself to death over the "wooden leg" joke, he'd never seen his father happier in his life is ''really sad'' when you unpack it. Poor Dawes Sr. had evidently been just as closed-off and distant from his child as George Banks had been. But ''his'' grim facade of respectability never cracked enough for him to share even a moment of happiness with his family until Dawes Jr. was a grown man. Sand through a sieve, indeed.

* Happy tears more than sad but these lines from ''Chim Chiminey'':

When the's 'ardly no day\\

Cor... what a sight...\\



!!Disney musical

* Mary's departure and the moment when she says goodbye to Bert and kisses him on the cheek.

But you can't just run and hide, dear, for can't you see that ''I'm'' here,\\

** George's lament that precedes this, a DarkReprise of "Cherry Tree Lane," is also a tearjerker: