Nanny McPhee (2005)
September 8th 2010 03:16
Nanny McPhee Promotional Poster - image sourced from Google
Two -Time Oscar Winner (Best Actress Howards End, Best Screenplay Adaption Sense and Sensability) Emma Thompson stars as the magical Government nanny, Nanny McPhee in the 2005 adaptation of the Nurse Matlida books. She also showed her writing skills by writing the movie.
A recently widowed Mr Brown (Colin Firth), finds he is unable to secure a Nanny for his 7 misbehaving children after the most recent of the nannys runs screaming from the house in the opening sequence of the film.
The children descend on the kitchen, where cook Mrs Blatherwick (Imelda Staunton) has it in writing the children aren't allowed, and proceed to cause havoc and mayhem, tying the beleagured cook to the table and systematically destroy everything in site.
Into this chaos appears the homely, over weight, wart covered Nanny McPhee and her magical walking stick. As she pulls the children under control with magic, she says "When you need me but do not want me, I will stay, but when you want me but do not need me, then I will go. Sort of sad when you think about it but that's how it goes."
Head terror-child Simon Brown (Thomas Sangster) says to her "we'll never want you" to which she replies simply, "then I guess here I stay."
Nanny McPhee sets 5 lessons for her tenure with the Brown family, and as each lesson is learnt, both Nanny and children undergo a transformation.
Angela Landsbury as the snooty Aunt Adelaide, advises Mr Brown that what he needs is a wife, and if he is not married within the month she will cut off his allowance, which means he will lose his children and his home. As she descends on a Sunday Afternoon for tea, the children attempt to create problems by dressing a variety of farmyard animals in their best clothing.
Aunt Adelaide advises she is there to take home with her the eldest daughter, to provide her with an education and a better chance at marriage, and while the children dodge and try to hide, and Mr Brown tries unsuccessfully to get Aunt Adelaide to realise he won't let them take anyone, one of the myraid Brown Children Eric (Raphael Coleman) calls out to Nanny McPhee who is on her Sunday afternoon off, begging for help.
This leads to Aunt Adelaide deciding to take home the family Donkey - who does look rather fetching in Aunt Adelaide's best bonnet and does quiet a good dance - and it falls to the children to decide who will be the one to move in with Aunt Adelaide.
The person you need is Nanny McPhee
As the carriage drives away and the 7 Brown children remain it turns out that the scullery maid, Evangeline (Kelly MacDonald) has been selected for a chance at an education and better marriage prospects.
Mr Brown sets out to find a wife, and settles on the aptly named Mrs Quickly (Celia Imrie) who has already buried 3 husbands and is searching for number 4. When Mrs Quickly comes calling, she seems to be the childrens very worst fears personified in the form a wicked Stepmother. Launching their best attempt to scare her away, the children rejoice when she leaves, and it is then that Mr Brown, who has done his best to shield his children from their predicament tells them about Aunt Adelaides demands.
The wedding sequence of Mr Brown and Mrs Quickly is alot of fun - I want a pink sheep and a yellow sheep if I ever get married - and with Nanny McPhee tranformed into Emma Thompson with only a buck tooth to go - the children set about disrupting the wedding.
A food fight ensues - I never thought I'd live the see the day Angela Landsbury would get a cake to the face - and the scullery maid and the widower finally admit what was plain as the warts that once lived upon Nanny McPhee's face. They are in love and want to get married.
As the wedding takes place in a snowy August field - this scene is particularly magical to watch - Nanny McPhee and her magical walking stick walk away into distance, her job complete.
Nanny McPhee is a childrens movie, and it makes no bones about it. It is magical and funny, and light hearted. There is no attempt to put hidden messages and deeper truths beneath the lessons it teaches about self acceptance, being true and doing what you know to be right.
I really enjoyed this movie. I watched it after a particularly awful day and it was the perfect way to relax, and switch off my mind.
In 2010, a sequel Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang was released. I've not seen that yet, but I will. If you're looking for deep hidden meanings and a film you have to think your way through, this isn't it. But if you just want to relax and harken back to a more innocent time Nanny McPhee is the perfect excuse to get inot your pyjamas, eat chocolate pudding and relax.
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