‘Mary Poppins’ Gets New Age Rating in UK For ‘Discriminatory Language’

Sixty years after its original release, Mary Poppins has been given a new age rating in the U.K. due to the film’s use of “discriminatory language.”

As reported by Deadline, the Julie Andrews-starring classic will be re-released in select U.K. cinemas next month in celebration of its 60th anniversary. But with the re-release comes a new BBFC (the British Board of Film Classification) classification, meaning the film will go from U-rated to PG.

In the U.K., a U-rating means “Suitable for all. A U film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over.” Whereas a PG rating means “General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. A PG film should not unsettle a child aged around eight or older.”

The BBFC cited “discriminatory language” as the reason for the rating change, though it did not provide specifics. However, according to The Daily Mail, the language in question relates to the movie’s repeated use of the term “Hottentots.”

Historically used by white Europeans to refer to the Khoikhoi, indigenous nomadic pastoralists, the word is now considered racially insensitive.

The Everett Collection

In the film, Reginald Owen’s Admiral Boom uses the word twice, once in reference to chimney sweeps, whose faces are blackened by soot.

According to the Mail, the BBFC said the issue stemmed from a lack of condemnation for the Admiral’s language in the film.

“We understand from our racism and discrimination research… that a key concern for… parents is the potential to expose children to discriminatory language or behaviour which they may find distressing or repeat without realising the potential offence,’ the BBFC said in a statement.

Directed by Robert Stevenson and produced by Walt Disney, Mary Poppins was first released in 1964. With songs written and composed by the Sherman Brothers, the film became a critical and commercial success, earning $44 million during its original run, making it the highest-grossing film in 1964 in the United States.

It received a total of 13 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and won five, with Andrews picking up the trophy for Best Actress.