THE NANNY DIARIES
US, 2007, 105 minutes, Colour.
Scarlett Johansson, Laura Linney, Paul Giamatti, Nicholas Reese Art, Donna Murphy, Alicia Keys, Chris Evans.
Directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini.
The Nanny Diaries is based on a satirical novel of 2002, written by Emma Mc Laughlin and Nicola Kraus who had spent a total of eight years as nannies in about thirty families in affluent upper-Manhattan. The novel had a scathing portrait of the people of the upper-Manhattan area - the film is scathing but less so, a touch more benign despite the horrible behaviour of some of the characters.
The film takes an anthropological point of view, especially in the opening sequences in the museum and the tableaux of various people in New York City. This is a story of a girl from New Jersey, from a poor family, who accidentally becomes a nanny, becomes attached to the child she is looking after, is used as a slave by inconsiderate employers.
Scarlet Johansson is good as the nanny. Laurel Linney gives a superb performance as a selfish and arrogant New York matron. Paul Giamatti is very good as
the neglectful husband.
The film contrasts the world that Annie came from with the world in which she finds herself, immersing herself, and writing a kind of anthropological essay about this different culture. She does have the opportunity at the end to make a video to voice all her criticisms and target the Laurel Linney character, Mrs. X.
The writer-directors, Shari Springer- Berman and Robert Pulcini were responsible for the excellent film, American Splendour with Paul Giamatti.
1.An anthropology of Upper Manhattan? For American audiences? Worldwide? American wealth and privilege, arrogance? American privilege and class distinctions?
2.The moral about the wealthy, society, self-centredness, children, family, rearing children and consequences?
3.The opening voice-over from Annie? The museum, the commentary, the various tableaux, the sociological and anthropological observations? The introduction to New York, the career women in the street, their CVs? The Upper Manhattan wives and their empty and full lives?
4.The character of Annie, her voice-over, her life with her mother, going to the interview, the question of who she was? The graduation? The job, discussions with Lynette? Getting out at the wrong stop, the failure of the interview? Sitting in the park, imagining she would be a bag lady?
5.Grayer and his being in the way of the vehicle, Annie saving him, his embracing her? Mrs X, her arrival, fuss, giving the card, the collage of all the other wives wanting her services? The interviews and her reactions? Mrs X taking Annie to lunch, her faux pas about the burger? Her lack of qualifications to be a nanny?
6.The detail of her leaving home, singing with Lynette for freedom, arrival at the house, not telling her mother the truth, Maria’s lack of welcome, the note from Mrs X, the details of the rules, the apartment, Mrs X’s wardrobe, taking the bath – and discovering her real room?
7.The New York world, apartments, offices, taxis, the Fourth of July party, museums? The upper-class life and the lower-class life? Ordinariness – and the role of the subway?
8.The women leading glossy magazine lives, tofu food, elegant clothes, not having any work but having no time, going to seminars about nannies?
9.The nannies, Annie and her lack of experience, knowing it only from films, the umbrella, the Mary Poppins music and images? Meeting the other nannies, the three groups – and the fulltime nanny? The talk, the nannies amongst themselves, their characters, lack of attention to their own families, the hard work? The way they were treated?
10.Annie, her life, the various jobs, slaving for Mrs X? Mr X and his not even looking at her? His treatment?
11.Grayer, picking him up from school, hard, misbehaving? The Harvard man and his help? The bond between the two? The humiliation when he first saw her? Grayer and the secrets, his name of Grover, his coming to depend on her, Mrs X and the various parties, his being bored, his birthday party and the elegant clowns? Her giving him peanut butter and jelly? The day off, taking him to the museum, his exhilaration, on the subway? Eating the wrong food?
12.The Harvard man, help, Lynette and Annie out, the bar, invited over, the men and their crassness, Annie’s hard words? Harvard’s apology, sending the roses (and Mrs X throwing them out)? Asking for dates, being late because of the inquiry by the expert? The night together? His inviting her to the Hamptons, her feeling she couldn’t go? The end and the bond with him?
13.Laura Linney as Mrs X, no regard for anyone else, imperious, Mr X and his money fixation, his deception of his wife, Annie seeing this at the Fourth of July party? His attempts at reconciliation, the anniversary and his staying in Chicago and lying, the party, going to Nantucket? The loud arguments? The effect on Grayer? Mr X’s mother and her coming, no help for Annie?
14.Annie’s mother, her concern, the phone calls, wanting to visit, Annie telling lies, fixing up the apartment with Lynette, her boyfriend cooking? Grayer’s health, having to tell her mother the truth, her mother coming to help?
15.The final clash, her being fired, leaving? Grayer and his being upset? The apartment with the camera, Annie’s tantrum, talking to tape condemning Mrs X?
16.The women’s groups, the fashionable women, the woman in charge and facilitating, playing the video? Allowing the video to go through, Annie and her condemnation, Mrs X and her tears, leaving the room?
17.The Harvard man bringing Mrs X’s letter, her apology, personalising her name, leaving her husband, mothering Grayer, glad that he was wanting Annie a little less each day?
18.Popular anthropology, someone living in another culture and absorbing it, understanding and finding themselves? Hopes for a better world? The critique?
