Nanny McPhee Returns (2010)
Wouldn’t Emma Thompson have made a wonderful Mary Poppins? Unfortunately, she didn’t get picked for the remake, but hopefully she had the last laugh. Not only did she get to play P.L. Travers in Saving Mr. Banks, but years earlier, she got to write and star in her own magical nanny series: Nanny McPhee. This nanny gets blown in by the wind, has a cane instead of an umbrella, a talking raven, a stern demeanor that secretly builds character, and leaves just when the family wants her to stay. Sound familiar? The big difference between the two magical nannies is their appearance. Mary Poppins is practically perfect in every way, and Nanny McPhee is hideous, who gets prettier when the children’s insides get prettier.
I’ve seen both Nanny McPhee movies, and I liked the sequel better. I’m a huge Maggie Gyllenhaal fan, and not only does she look absolutely gorgeous, but she gives a wonderful performance. She’s holding down the fort during WWII with her three kids and her struggling country farm. Her brother-in-law, Rhys Ifans, is in debt to the mob and is constantly trying to talk Maggie into selling her share of the farm. Because of the bomb threat in London, the family’s rich, spoiled cousins are sent to stay with Maggie and her children, but they don’t get along. As Asa Butterfield, Lil Woods, Eros Vlahos, Rosie Taylor-Ritson, and Oscar Steer nearly tear each other apart and drive Maggie up the wall, the wind blows in an unexpected visitor. Nanny McPhee to the rescue!
Nanny McPhee Returns was unexpectedly hilarious and unexpectedly touching. From watching pigs do synchronized swimming to the tongue-in-cheek “Enemy Plane” scenario, I laughed far more than I’d expected. In one scene that brings the children closer together, they rescue the runaway piglets from the farm before the buyer appears, but Rosie found and put on Maggie’s wedding dress for the day (before the chaos) because it was the nicest outfit she could find. The gown covered in mud and the veil torn to shreds, Maggie’s heartbroken – especially because her husband hasn’t written from the front in months. Instead of yelling, crying, or scolding, she merely smiles and plans a picnic to celebrate their rescue of the pigs. She hugs and kisses the kids, and consequently, the audience mops up their tears with their handkerchiefs.
If you keep your eyes open, you’ll see Maggie Smith as Maggie G’s dotty employer. It’s a very silly part, but it’s still funny. Ralph Fiennes plays the rich cousins’ father for a few minutes, and Ewan McGregor is the patriarch fighting in the war, seen for a few seconds in a flashback. For my fellow saps, pop this one in for a great matinee day.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. The very first thirty seconds of the film are of a staircase spinning around in a circle, and that will make you sick. In other words, “Don’t Look, Mom!”
More Maggie Smith movies here!
I’ve seen both Nanny McPhee movies, and I liked the sequel better. I’m a huge Maggie Gyllenhaal fan, and not only does she look absolutely gorgeous, but she gives a wonderful performance. She’s holding down the fort during WWII with her three kids and her struggling country farm. Her brother-in-law, Rhys Ifans, is in debt to the mob and is constantly trying to talk Maggie into selling her share of the farm. Because of the bomb threat in London, the family’s rich, spoiled cousins are sent to stay with Maggie and her children, but they don’t get along. As Asa Butterfield, Lil Woods, Eros Vlahos, Rosie Taylor-Ritson, and Oscar Steer nearly tear each other apart and drive Maggie up the wall, the wind blows in an unexpected visitor. Nanny McPhee to the rescue!
Nanny McPhee Returns was unexpectedly hilarious and unexpectedly touching. From watching pigs do synchronized swimming to the tongue-in-cheek “Enemy Plane” scenario, I laughed far more than I’d expected. In one scene that brings the children closer together, they rescue the runaway piglets from the farm before the buyer appears, but Rosie found and put on Maggie’s wedding dress for the day (before the chaos) because it was the nicest outfit she could find. The gown covered in mud and the veil torn to shreds, Maggie’s heartbroken – especially because her husband hasn’t written from the front in months. Instead of yelling, crying, or scolding, she merely smiles and plans a picnic to celebrate their rescue of the pigs. She hugs and kisses the kids, and consequently, the audience mops up their tears with their handkerchiefs.
If you keep your eyes open, you’ll see Maggie Smith as Maggie G’s dotty employer. It’s a very silly part, but it’s still funny. Ralph Fiennes plays the rich cousins’ father for a few minutes, and Ewan McGregor is the patriarch fighting in the war, seen for a few seconds in a flashback. For my fellow saps, pop this one in for a great matinee day.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. The very first thirty seconds of the film are of a staircase spinning around in a circle, and that will make you sick. In other words, “Don’t Look, Mom!”
More Maggie Smith movies here!