NANNY McPHEE
UK, 2005, 98 minutes, Colour.
Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Kelly Macdonald, Angela Lansbury, Celia Imrie, Imelda Staunton, Derek Jacobi, Patrick Barlow, Thomas Sangster.
Directed by Kirk Jones.
The title ‘Nanny’ takes us back to an England of a hundred years ago or more – or back to Mary Poppins. Mary Poppins has imprinted herself on the world’s imagination, not only through the Disney film but with the new and successful musical. And a nanny looks like Julie Andrews.
Enter Nanny Mc Phee.
The screenplay for this fantasy-comedy was written by its star, Emma Thompson. She had read some stories by Christianna Brand about a severe Nurse Matilda. Since Nurse didn’t sound as severe as Nanny and since Roald Dahl had commandeered the name, Matilda, the title Nanny Mc Phee was chosen for bringing Christiana Brand’s children-changing blend of witch and fairy godmother to the screen. Emma Thompson is very well served by commercials director, Kirk Jones, whose only other film has been the entertaining Waking Ned.
It is quite an enjoyable show. Perhaps it should be said that it seems designed to appeal to a more feminine sensibility, younger girls, their mothers, grandmothers and aunts. Actually, fathers who become desperate at misbehaving children might also enjoy it when they see Nanny’s tactics for obedience and control. And, actually, I have been told that children get a lot of laughs at the various antics.
Nanny Mc Phee (no personal name at all) looks the opposite of Mary Poppins – well, at least the opposite of Julie Andrews. Swathed in black, she has a double nose, startling warts, wispy bunned hair and a tombstone buck tooth. She does not claim to be practically perfect but she exudes a certain presumption that she believes she is. And, by the end of the film, she has woven her magic and we have seven well-behaved boys and girls.
These seven are the children of newly-widowed Colin Firth, an undertaker who has withdrawn from his children, grieving the death of his wife. The children have become champions of malice in getting rid of seventeen nannies – they really are most obnoxious, not just naughty. However, the scullery maid, Evangeline (Kelly Macdonald) sees the goodness beneath the surface (and we are not surprised at her final Cinderella- Eliza Doolittle transformation).
While Nanny Mc Phee has the advantage of just banging her stick on the floor to bring about some magical change, she also relies on the children themselves to use their brains and their better instincts to remedy bad situations. Some of these still have the touch of the farcical, but the good intentions (and accepting of the consequences) are important. Indeed, Nanny Mc Phee’s methods after the instilling of some discipline and good manners have the qualities of sensible counselling.
The film has some broad jokes and some witty dialogue. Emma Thompson makes the character of Nanny her own. She creates a very interesting character – and we can look forward to articles about her and her pedagogy and psychology.
The children are a motley lot – and not all that attractive even when they are finally good. But Thomas Sangster as the eldest son, Simon, should be on the way to a successful career.
Adults will enjoy Colin Firth as a kind of distracted Mr Darcy. There are some supporting cast to relish, especially Angela Lansbury as the snooty Aunt Adelaide and Celia Imrie as a common, gold-digging widow and fearfully prospective stepmother. Imelda Staunton is the harassed cook and Derek Jacobi and Patrick Barlow do a kind of pantomime duo dame impersonation as two funeral parlour assistants.
It is all comic make-believe but it does make its point about good behaviour and good parenting.
1.Audience impressions of nannies? 19th century tradition? Early 20th century? The Mary Poppins image?
2.The re-creation of England about 1900, the country house, the village? Interiors and exteriors? The jaunty score?
3.Colour photography, the special use of garish colours? Icing and cake – and the culmination in the cake fight?
4.The world of magic, the combination of witch and fairy godmother? Nanny Mc Phee in the tradition of nannies – and the opposite of Mary Poppins?
5.The expected plot, the father, the children, the nanny, disobedience and obedience, transformation? Audiences waiting for the transformation – but how?
6.The children’s misbehaviour, the nannies leaving in despair, Cedric Brown and his story, his grief for his wife, his looking after his children, not being able to control them? The detailed scenes of their being naughty – and obnoxious? Evangeline and her liking them? The cook and her exasperation, preparing the meals? Their father, disobedience, sending them to bed without a meal? The reasons for his behaviour and his not coming to terms with the death of his wife? Talking to her in the chair?
7.Evangeline, nice, liking the children, wanting to give them extra meals, obeying orders, her infatuation with Cedric, her interactions with the cook? Her being sent to Aunt Adelaide for training and reading? Her trying to read – and Nanny Mc Phee talking about the book, Evangeline’s return as a lady, the combination of My Fair Lady and Cinderella? Her story being the end of the book and her not having to read it?
8.The introduction, the voice-over, the explanation of the chair? Cedric and his talking to his wife? Going to the office, his being closed to listening to his children? His exasperation with the nannies, going to the office, its being closed, hearing the voice? The newspaper with the telephone number missing? Aunt Adelaide and her demands that he marry within the month? His dependence on her? The decision that Mrs Quickly would be a possible wife? His relationship with his assistants, at the mortuary, with the dead bodies? The practical pranks of the assistants?
9.Nanny Mc Phee’s sudden arrival, her entering rooms but saying she had knocked? Her look, clothes, the air of mystery, her sense of presence, her stare with the atmosphere of Zen contemplation? Her manner of speaking? Finding the children messing the kitchen? Controlling them, their moving faster and faster, Simon having to say ‘please’? The going to bed, pretending to have the measles, unable to get out of bed? Their changing, her relenting? Allowing them to have a meal? Her rules and lessons and listing them?
10.Simon as the oldest child, in charge of the children, the nice sister and her trying to do the right thing? Mischief, malice? The baby? The reasons for their behaviour? Simon refusing to say ‘please’ but being forced to? The gradual transformation in the children, Nanny Mc Phee knowing their names? Change in manners? Simon and having to use his brains? Aunt Adelaide and her wanting to take one of the children, substituting Evangeline? Encouraged by Nanny Mc Phee, going to his father at the office, exasperation at his not listening? Mrs Quickly and the mischief at her visit, the apology? Nanny Mc Phee making him realise the consequences of decisions? His visiting Nanny Mc Phee’s room? The wedding, the clothes they had to wear, the hint about the bees, their theatrics with the bees – leading to the cake fight? And their father calling off the wedding? Success, nominating Evangeline?
11.Mr Brown in himself, his dependence on Aunt Adelaide, his reliance on Nanny Mc Phee, bewildered, the approach to Mrs Quickly, her garish clothes, the visit, his being scared off? The apology, the wedding? His breaking it off? Admitting that he loved Evangeline?
12.The sketch of Mrs Quickly, her vulgarity, garish clothes, her friend? The plans, the visit and all the mischief the children went on with, eating the worm…? The children’s apology? The build-up to the wedding, her exasperation, the cake fight and her leaving?
13.The sketch of the assistants, their pantomime style? Assisting Mr Brown and supporting him?
14.Aunt Adelaide, haughty, promising her word and keeping it? Her comment on her niece and her children? Her control over Cedric, wanting him to marry within the month? Offering to take a child, taking Evangeline, transforming her? Her arrival for the marriage – and her being pelted with cake?
15.The physical transformation of Nanny Mc Phee, each time the children obeyed and learnt her lesson, her wrinkles and warts disappearing? Her saying that when she was needed she would stay, but when she was wanted but not needed she would go?
16.The happy ending, Evangeline and her transformation – and reverting to type, her love for Cedric, being a stepmother, the reconciliation with the children? Nanny Mc Phee’s achievement, control, manners? Family: love and communication?
