Mary Poppins
According to a 2010 paper from the journal Culture and Religion, the film “attempts to create a new Christian aesthetic structured around liberation and social transformation.” Poppins herself could represent Mary, or a Christ figure. There are also several nuances of the film that upon thinking about cannot be ignored. Mrs. Banks, the mother and suffragette in the movie, is admittedly scared of her husband and never refutes him; this could be a hint that he could be physically abusive towards her. There are also several drug references in the movie; for example, Uncle Albert’s scene where he was floating on the ceiling but sobs violently and collapses can represent the surges of euphoria that come crashing down instantly during a bad trip.
The Brave Little Toaster
This movie is full of cutesy kitchen appliances come to life. It’s also full of really messed up parts. If you weren’t already traumatized by the angry air conditioner, it is hinted at that when he explodes, it was due to deep psychological scarring brought up by the appliances when they tell him that he is permanently attached to the wall, and he explodes- thus killing himself. The toaster’s entire journey can be considered a metaphor for the search for God, and there are many themes suggestive of Christian imagery, such as “City of Light” and “opening up the gates.”
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Okay, this one is obviously a bit messed up. There is a pretty defendable theory that Willy Wonka is a murderer, and created the Chocolate Factory for the purpose of luring in power-thirsty and spoiled children to lure them to their deaths. There’s also the concept of slave labor when it comes to the Oompa Loompas; he even referred to them as “little funny colored people.”
Alice in Wonderland
Once again, okay, if you paid attention at all during this one you probably realized it’s kinda messed up. There’s the chain-smoking blue caterpillar, the arguably seriously mentally ill Mad Hatter and Queen of Hearts, and drug implications with Alice’s size changes and “hallucinations.” If this wasn’t already strange enough sounding to be a children’s movie, it has been investigated that Lewis Carroll, the original author of Alice in Wonderland, had a questionable relationship with a young girl named Alice, which supposedly inspired his writing of the book.