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| Nanny McPhee (Widescreen Edition) |
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List Price: $29.98
Buy New: $12.54
You Save: $17.44 (58%)
Buy New/Used/Collectible from $8.79
Avg. Customer Rating:  (based on 59 reviews)
Sales Rank: 134
Category: DVD
Director: Kirk Jones (iii)
Publisher: Universal Studios
Studio: Universal Studios
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
Label: Universal Studios
Format: Ac-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 99 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
UPC: 025192630927
EAN: 0025192630927
ASIN: B000F1IQNM
Release Date: May 9, 2006
Theatrical Release Date: January 27, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
With hairy warts, a stern-looking unibrow and one extremely protruding buck-tooth, Nanny McPhee is a wonderfully comedic substitute for Mary Poppins in this entertaining family fantasy. By loosely adapting Christianna Brand's Nurse Matilda children's books of the 1960s, Oscar-winning screenwriter Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility) has also given herself the plum role of Nanny McPhee, who can tame even the most unruly children with a tap of her magic walking stick. Her latest challenge is the bratty brood of a recent widower Mr. Brown (Colin Firth), who's under pressure to find a new wife or lose his much-needed allowance from wealthy Aunt Adelaide (a tailor-made role for Angela Lansbury). His love for scullery maid Evangeline (Kelly Macdonald) remains unspoken as he wincingly woos the eagerly merry widow Mrs. Quickly (Celia Imrie), but Brown's raucous rugrats have a plan to make things right, especially after they've come under the benevolent influence of Nanny McPhee, whose peculiar brand of discipline works wonders for everyone involved. Both quintessentially British and universally appealing, this wildly colorful comedy (thanks to a bold palette of costume and production design) was capably directed by Kirk Jones, whose appreciation for comic actors was equally apparent in his critically acclaimed 1998 comedy Waking Ned Devine. With just a hint of darkness to offset the whimsy, Nanny McPhee offers a splendid match of director, cast and material, guaranteed to please Wallace & Gromit fans and anyone else with a taste for British zaniness. --Jeff Shannon
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Customer Reviews: Read 54 more reviews...
 Wants, needs and everything in between June 27, 2006
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Colin Firth plays Cedric Brown, the father of seven boisterous and slightly out of control children whose sole mission in life is to get rid of the endless string of nannies that their father tries to bring in to train them. After the recent death of their mother, the children--led by the clever and devious Simon, are sure that their father will remarry an evil stepmother who will treat them badly and further alienate them from the sole parent they have left. In order to avoid this occurrence, and entertain themselves in the process, they think up any number of methods to terrorize each person who comes in to try to bring order to their wayward lives. After the resignation of the 17th nanny, the agency that Mr. Brown uses "Nannies of Distinction" refuses to send him another. A whisper in the air tells Mr. Brown "what you need is Nanny McPhee." Fortunately for Mr. Brown, nothing could be closer to the truth.
Nanny McPhee brings a bit of magic along with a lot of order when she appears in the Brown household. Her mission is simple: teach the children five lessons and ensure that she is no longer needed. She tells Simon, "When you need me but do not want me, then I must stay. When you want me and no longer need me, then I have to go." She teaches the children to say please and thank you, to go to bed, wake up, and get dressed when their told, to listen, and to love.
A bit of a fairy tale, the magic interspersed throughout Nanny McPhee made it charming and cute. It's not a new tale to have boisterous children in need of control brought to heel by a firm nanny, but the magical elements and transformation of Nanny McPhee from a witchlike hag to a beautiful governess add an unexpected twist. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and would recommend it to parents, children, or anyone in the mood for a bit of fantasy.
 'I did knock': A Delightfully Served Bit of Pastiche with Meat under the Frosting June 24, 2006
9 out of 11 found this review helpful
Because of its silly packaging and dependency on graphics that appear to dumb down the prospective audience, NANNY McPHEE may not gain the position on the lineup of really good movies before the public right now. But for those who can ignore the packaging, inside is a DVD that is a smart, cleverly written with style and grace by star Emma Thompson (based on the novels Nurse Matilda), directed with aplomb by Kirk Jones, and with a cast of irresistible, irascible children and adults, magical movie that is way over the top in color and slapstick in some places but remains a fluffy delight!
The story is simple on the surface: Colin Firth plays Mr. Brown a recently widowed father of seven children whose business (a funeral director) keeps him away from home, resulting in a clan of kids who are as boisterously misbehaved as any children ever encountered. All nannies hired run away in terror at encountering the children: their only constants are the scullery maid Evangeline (Kelly Macdonald) and the cook Mrs. Blatherwick (Imelda Staunton). Brown is under the thumb of Aunt Adelaide (Angela Lansbury) who threatens to cut off her necessary financial support unless Brown remarries immediately. In a wonderfully otherworldly manner the name of Nanny McPhee resounds and the grossly unattractive, warty, obese and bucktoothed (only one!) strange nanny appears to assist. She speaks softly and carries a big walking stick, an implement that can bring magical changes when tapped on the floor. She sates she will stay despite the fact the children need her but don't want her and will leave when the children want her but don't need her. The manner in which this gentle and odd nanny affects the changes she demands (going to bed on time, getting up on time, saying please and thank you, etc) works wonders - not only for the children but also for Brown's response to the demands of the aunt.
Emma Thompson is wonderful as the ugly but gradually beautified nanny, Colin Firth shines as the father, and the supporting cast of seven superb child actors (Thomas Sangster, Eliza Bennett, Jennifer Rae Daykin, Raphael Coleman, Sam Honywood, Holly Gibbs, and the infant sisters Barnes), Imelda Staunton (`Vera Drake') , Celia Imrie (`Calendar Girls'), Angela Lansbury, and even Derek Jacobi and Patrick Barlow in small supporting roles make this fairy tale entertaining and instructive! 'Tis a pity the movie sinks to recreation of the old and very tired food fight sequence at the wedding, but after all this is mainly a film for children and as such guarantees belly laughs. It is a lot of fun and has some important lessons for children AND adults, and it makes for a light but delightful evening of sharing. Grady Harp, June 06
 A MUST SEE!!! June 24, 2006
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This has got to be one of my favorite movies of all time. I'd rate it right up there with Ever After! The basic jist, Mr. Brown's wife is dead and he doesn't know how to deal with his kids. They are little monsters!!! Goes through a whole bunch of nannies and can't find one that will stay, understandably. Nanny Mcphee arrives one night and their whole world is turned upside down in some very fun and unusal ways. Whoever thought a magical stick and a dancing, whistling donkey could do the trick?
There's a good bunch of laughable slap stick,lessons to be learned, heart felt moments, and a touch of romance.
I loved all the acting. Felt the cast preformed to their utmost best. (Actually felt for the characters) The script was well done.
Grab the family, some popcorn, take a chance and dare to believe!
Fun Family Film June 23, 2006
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Cedric Brown has just had another Nanny quit. His unruly brood of seven children drove her screaming out into the street and he is desperate to find a replacement. His scullery maid, Evangeline, does what she can to help, but Brown goes to the Nanny agency to find a full-time Nanny. However, no Nanny will work with the Brown family. Mr. Brown hears a mysterious voice telling him he needs to hire Nanny McPhee, so when she shows up at his doorstep, he is only too glad to offer her employment. Nanny McPhee has magical powers that she uses on the children, but that only solves one of Mr. Brown's problems. His late wife's Aunt Adelaide has been sending him money to help support the family, but she threatens to withhold the money unless Mr. Brown remarries quickly. Desperate to marry (and unable to recognize who he truly loves), Brown arranges to marry a truly obnoxious woman who threatens the happiness of the entire Brown family. But not to worry, Nanny McPhee still has some magic up her sleeve.
Nanny McPhee is a very nice, enjoyable family film (although it will probably appeal more to women than men). The movie is a cross between "Mary Poppins" and "The Sound of Music" (without the singing). It has lots of magic and silly goofy fun (as an adult I groaned at yet another food fight in a movie, but kids will love the scene). There's lot of eccentric characters, starting with Nanny McPhee herself and onto the cook, Aunt Adelaide, Mr. Brown's coworkers, and Mrs. Quickly, the would-be second Mrs. Brown. Kids will love the sight gags, especially the ones involving animals. Adults will appreciate running gags such as Nanny McPhee insisting "I did knock" each time she magically appears in a room.
The actors all have fun with their parts. Emma Thompson (who also wrote the screenplay) has particular fun as Nanny McPhee. Colin Firth is appropriately bewildered as Mr. Brown who has no control over his children or the women in his life. Angela Lansbury has great fun as nearly blind Aunt Adelaide. Kelly Macdonald is radiant as Evangeline, willing to do anything for Mr. Brown and his family. The child actors are all good. Thomas Sangster is a standout as the troublemaking Simon; but then again, his is the showiest role amongst the children.
Highly recommended for family viewing.
Nanny McPhee is here to save the Brown family from themselves June 20, 2006
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Nanny McPhee reminds me of Mary Poppins, although for every similarity, such as explaining when she will leave as soon as she shows up, there is a difference, her medicine tends to move about on the spoon and does not taste like anything good. However, Nanny McPhee, who is passed on the Nurse Matilda stories of Christianna Brand, is more reminiscent of the Mary Poppins of P.L. Travers books than of the beloved Disney film, which is a reminder that in Great Britain children's books are not quite as cheerful as their American counterparts. After all, when we talk about the first generation of children in English literature we are talking about Oliver Twist and the other poor souls depicted by Dickens. Nanny McPhee certainly looks like she could come from a Dickens novel, perhaps the woman who stole the curtains from Ebenezer Scrooge's bed before the corpse was cold.
The story begins with an empty chair because the mother of seven Brown children has died. Their father, Cedric Brown (Colin Firth), does makeup for dearly departed at the Funeral home of Mr. Wheen (Derek Jacobi) and Mr. Jowls (Patrick Barlow), which does not provide enough for him to feed his entire family. Fortunately there is money provided by his wife's Aunt Adelaide (Angela Lansbury), but she insists that he get married if he wants the practice to continue. Meanwhile, the daily problem is finding a nanny for his children, who take great pleasure in driving off every single one of the nannies hired to take care of them and keeping statistics on their accomplishments. This leaves Evangeline (Kelly Macdonald) the scullery maid and Mrs. Blatherwick (Imedla Staunton) the cook to try and carry on despite the children running absolutely wild. But they have run out of nannies at the local nanny office. Fortunately, whispered voices and newspaper advertisements assure Mr. Brown "What you need is Nanny McPhee."
The next thing we know, Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson, who once again doubles as screenwriter, having adapted the original stories), is at the door. She finds the children running rampant in the kitchen and explains two things. The first is that she will stay as long as she is needed but not wanted, but when she is wanted but no longer needed she will leave. The second is that it is time for them to go to bed. Led by Simon (Thomas Sangster), the oldest, the children decide that what they should do is stay up all night. Then Nanny McPhee ominously raises her gnarled cane and slams it on the floor, setting out a wave of magic. Suffice it to say, the Brown children are soon persuaded that made they should do what Nanny McPhee says, even if it means forcing themselves to say "please."
We also learn that there are five lessons that Nanny McPhee intends to teach these children and the chief charm of this story is that her primary tool of persuasion is not her magic, but double insistence that the children live with the consequences of their actions and that they think of ways to solve their own problems. One of the interesting aspects of this story is that every time the children learn a new lesson, one of Nanny McPhee's warts disappears and she seems to be turning into, well, Emma Thompson. Meanwhile, Aunt Adelaide thinks it would be best if she raised one of the Brown children as her own and Mr. Brown is trying to summon the nerve, if not the stomach, to propose to Mrs. Quickly (Celia Imrie).
Of course Nanny McPhee will set things to right in the end, but not without some help from the Brown children themselves. The ending smacks of nanny ex machina, but that is to be expected in such a tale, which is target squarely on the little folk. This is not a film where adults have to figure out the larger allegory meaning of the story or laugh at in-jokes that are over the heads of their children. Still, I think older viewers will be more moved by the ending where there is certainly something to be said for how Nanny McPhee dresses a bride for her wedding.
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Copyright Runningonkarma.com 2006
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