...Pleasing but ultimately unsatisfying.
Nanny McPhee (2006)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:128
Fresh:93
Rotten:35
Average Rating:6.6/10
Consensus: A bit alarming at first, Nanny McPhee has a hard edge to counter Mary Poppins-style sweetness, but it still charms us and teaches some valuable lessons.
Rated: U [See Full Rating] for mild thematic elements, some rude humor and brief language
Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:21-10-2005
Synopsis: Emma Thompson, whose first screenplay won the 1995 Oscar® for Sense and Sensibility, returns to screenwriting with Nanny McPhee, a motion picture adaptation of the "Nurse Matilda" books by... Emma Thompson, whose first screenplay won the 1995 Oscar® for Sense and Sensibility, returns to screenwriting with Nanny McPhee, a motion picture adaptation of the "Nurse Matilda" books by Christianna Brand. Thompson, the only person to have won Oscars® for both acting and writing, also plays the title role in Nanny McPhee, opposite Colin Firth, Kelly Macdonald and-in her first role for the big screen in two decades-Angela Lansbury. In this dark and witty fable, Thompson portrays a person of unsettling appearance and magical powers who enters the household of the recently widowed Mr. Brown (Firth) and attempts to tame his seven exceedingly ill-behaved children. The children, led by the oldest boy Simon (Love Actually's Thomas Sangster), have managed to drive away 17 previous nannies and are certain that they will have no trouble with this one. But as Nanny McPhee takes control, they begin to notice that their vile behavior now leads swiftly and magically to rather startling consequences. Her influence also extends to the family's deeper problems, including Mr. Brown's sudden and seemingly inexplicable attempts to find a new wife; an announcement by the domineering Aunt Adelaide (Angela Lansbury) that she intends to take one of the children away; and the sad and secret longings of their scullery maid, Evangeline (Kelly Macdonald). As the children's behavior begins to change, Nanny McPhee's arresting face and frame appear to change as well, creating even more questions about this mysterious stranger whom the children and their father have come to love. Nanny McPhee is directed by Kirk Jones (writer/director of Waking Ned Devine). The producers are Lindsay Doran (in her third collaboration with Thompson, following Sense and Sensibility and Dead Again) and Working Title's Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. [More]
Starring: Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Kelly MacDonald, Celia Imrie
Starring: Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Kelly MacDonald, Celia Imrie, Derek Jacobi, Imelda Staunton, Angela Lansbury, Celia Bannerman, Eliza Bennett, Elizabeth Berrington, Phyllida Law
Director: Kirk Jones
Director: Kirk Jones
Screenwriter: Emma Thompson
Producer: Glynis Murray, Lindsay Doran, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner
Composer: Patrick Doyle
Studio: Universal Pictures
Reviews for Nanny McPhee
The young 'uns could certainly do worse than Nanny McPhee as they await the next instalment of Potter.
Unfortunately, Colin Firth seems as though he's on auto-pilot and the relationship between his character and Evangeline is unconvincing, if not borderline inappropriate.
This whimsical and wonderfully nasty children's tale is thoroughly enjoyable, if not hugely notable.
Nanny McPhee really works ... despite all of its common plots and ideas, because it stays true to storybook conventions that have never and will never get old.
An exquisitely designed fable that will delight adults as well as their offspring through its beguiling innocence and hushed, low-key charm.
Nanny McPhee falls back on the Nickelodeon principle "If all else fails, hit 'em with a retina-searing overload of visual and aural information."
There are many different kinds of children's movies, and this one tries to be all of them at once -- including one of those in which the children are smarter than the adults.
Its redeeming virtues are Thompson, Firth and Kelly Macdonald as Firth’s adoring housemaid; they manage to give genuine, affecting performances in the midst of all the outlandish, obnoxious goings-on.
I found myself tearing up right on cue, (Patrick Doyle knows all my buttons) but sincerely, enjoying the magical tale as much as if I were a small child.
Should play well with the small fry, though adults may be more bothered by the clumsy shifts in tone.
It relies on a good story and interesting characters a lot more than it does on eye candy.
The kids will love the candy-box sets and costumes like confectionery-shop windows, the whimsy and farcical grotesqueness of it all.
Latest News for Nanny McPhee
April 14, 2009:
Nanny McPhee Sequel Looms ![]()
Emma Thompson is putting together a "Nanny McPhee" sequel, to be titled "Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang," and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Rhys Ifans, Maggie Smith, and Asa Butterfield... More...
February 01, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Keaton and Kids Hope to Score Touchdown
As the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts get ready to rumble at the Super Bowl on Sunday, Hollywood goes into counterprogramming mode and targets female moviegoers with a... More...
January 25, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: "Epic" Comedy Battles Oscar's Finest
A quartet of poorly-titled films will hit the multiplexes on Friday hoping to grab some business opposite a string of acclaimed releases fresh from earning their Oscar nominations. More...
March 30, 2006:
Critical Consensus: "Slither" Is Certified Fresh, "Ice Age 2" Is Lukewarm, "ATL" Is Hot, And "Basic 2" Is Very, Very Bad
This week at the movies, we've got a pair of sequels that will appeal to widely disparate demographics ("Ice Age 2: The Meltdown," "Basic Instinct 2"), a... More...
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