The 2005 family movie may be 20 years old, but Nanny McPhee still holds up today. With Emma Thompson portraying the titular character, being supported by equally big names of Colin Firth and Imelda Staunton, the film is in no shortage of good quality actors. They pull off the whimsical tone of the movie excellently, giving it a ‘camp’ feel without it being too much. The extravagantly mismatched decorated house and saturated costumes further add to this feel, serving as a reminder of the slight fantasy theme present as well.
Behind all this, there is a good story, one dealing with a series of quite complex themes. These aren’t simply misbehaving kids, the plot takes time to show they’re acting out as a product of their mother’s death and their father becoming more distant, with each child having their own fleshed out personality. There is a particular focus on Thomas Brodie-Sangster’s Simon, the eldest boy who is clearly the leader, but evolves into using this for the good of his family. It also delves into Mr Brown’s (Colin Firth) grief for his wife, showing him talking to the chair she used to sit in as if she was still there.
These are very mature plotlines for a film primarily aimed at children, yet it manages to balance it out well with its use of comedy, for example with Mr Brown’s colleagues in the funeral home. There are even some jokes for adults in there, particularly with Celia Imrie’s Mrs Quickly and her misunderstanding of Mr Brown’s actions for sexual advances, cementing it as a film for the whole family.
The actual romantic pairing of the film, Evangeline (Kelly Macdonald) and Mr Brown have some lovely moments as well. They clearly have a connection and chemistry even when she is his scullery maid, making their eventual marriage a very satisfying ending and a good conclusion to the earlier themes of grief.
Nanny McPhee may seem like a simple film for kids, but actually the different layers come together to make a very well balanced movie. The messages of taking responsibility for your actions and fighting for your loved ones come across brilliantly, giving it a heart which sometimes is missing from media aimed at kids today, making it very much still relevant.
4/5
Image Credits – The Movie DB
