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Nanny McPhee
By Kimberly Sielen

Release Date: January 27, 2006

Starring: Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Angela Lansbury

Genre: Family Fantasy

MPAA Rating: PG for mild thematic elements, some rude humor, and brief language

Recommended for Ages 7+

Nanny McPhee is a whimsical family film which follows in the footsteps of Mary Poppins.  Set in England, Cedric Brown (Colin Firth) is a widower with seven very naughty children.  They have scared off seventeen nannies, and are ready for the next one.  It seems, however, that there are no nannies left who will work for the Browns.  This is quite a problem for Mr. Brown who, on top of his job as a mortician, must find a new bride within a month or his family will lose their allowance from his controlling Aunt Agatha (Angela Lansbury).  Just when things are looking bleak, Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson) appears on the doorstep and gets straight to work.  She finds the children not in bed like they are supposed to be, but instead in the kitchen wreaking havoc.  They have tied the cook to the table and hanging from the walls and ceiling. So, Nanny McPhee teaches them a lesson—they will do whatever they are doing faster and faster, putting them in grave danger, until Simon, the oldest son, says the word "please." 

Soon the Brown children realize that Nanny McPhee is a force to be reckoned with.  The next morning they decide that they are going to stay in bed all day, pretending to have the measles.  Unfortunately for them, their plan backfires and they not only end up sick, but also literally stuck in their beds.  The children continue to challenge Nanny McPhee until one day Aunt Agatha arrives and they realize that they need her help.  It is only then that the children realize that they truly need each other to survive.

Offensive content is kept to a minimum in Nanny McPhee.  The expression "shut up" is used once, and adult characters use family friendly alternates to swearing when greatly upset.  In this sense, the cook says things like "poor them my Aunt Fanny" and others.  Comical violence is also an issue because the children are willing to do anything to get rid of the nannies.  Their first encounter with Nanny McPhee nearly gets baby Aggie cooked in a pot, but everything is fixed without any harm done.  Also, the children go to drastic measures to prevent their father from proposing to the widowed (and much cleavage showing) Mrs. Quickly, including putting an arrow under a chair cushion, placing worms in the food, and hiding their frog in the teapot.  When Mr. Brown figures out what is going on he tries to shield Mrs. Quickly, but it is so clumsily done that he appears to be coming onto her instead of protecting her.  No one is injured in any of the violence, and there is no sexual content.

With that said, Nanny McPhee is full of positive values.  The Brown children who ran wild in the beginning learn "to do exactly as they are told."  They learn to use their brains and hearts instead of making mischief, and support each other unconditionally.  Overall, this magical film is appropriate for children seven and older.

Family Movie Reviews

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