The age rating for the 1964 “Mary Poppins” has been increased in the U.K. due to “discriminatory language.”
On Friday, the British Board of Film Classification upped the Disney movie’s cinema rating from U, meaning it contained “no material likely to offend or harm,” to PG for “discriminatory language.”
Though the BBFC did not disclose the language causing the reevaluation, the Daily Mail reported it involves a racially insensitive term for the Khoekhoe, an indigenous group in South Africa.
In a statement, the BBFC said, “We understand from our research that parents are concerned about exposing children to discriminatory language which they may find distressing or repeat without realizing the offense.”
The original “Mary Poppins” starred Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, becoming a phenomenon upon its release and later adapted into a Broadway musical.
The film received a sequel in 2018, “Mary Poppins Returns,” with Emily Blunt as Poppins and Van Dyke making a cameo appearance in the film.
