Nanny McPhee

Emma Thompson - Nanny McPhee
Colin Firth - Cedric Brown
Kelly Macdonald - Evangeline
Celia Imrie - Selma Quickly
Derek Jacobi - Mr. Wheen
Patrick Barlow - Mr. Jowls
Imelda Staunton - Mrs. Blatherwick
Thomas Sangster - Simon Brown
Angela Lansbury - Great Aunt Adelaide

Emma Thompson, whose first screenplay Sense and Sensibility (1995) won an Academy Award, returns to screenwriting with the dark, whimsical and predictably-plotted Nanny McPhee, a loose adaptation of the little known 1960s Nurse Matilda books by Christianna Brand. Brand is best known for the Alastair Sim mystery-thriller Green for Danger (1946). Thompson plays the eponymous Mary Poppins-like governess opposite Colin Firth, Kelly Macdonald and Angela Lansbury in her first big screen role for two decades. Nanny McPhee is director Kirk Jones first film since his debut Waking Ned (1998) seven years ago.

Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson) enters the household of the recently widowed undertaker Mr. Brown (Coln Firth) and attempts to tame his seven exceedingly ill-behaved children. The children, led by the oldest boy Simon (Thomas Sangster), have managed to drive away 17 previous nannies and are certain that they will have no trouble with this one. But as Nanny McPhee takes control, they begin to notice that their vile behaviour now leads swiftly and magically to rather startling consequences.

Her influence also extends to the family's deeper problems, including Mr. Brown's sudden and seemingly inexplicable attempts to find a new wife; an announcement by the domineering Aunt Adelaide (Angela Lansbury) that she intends to take one of the children away; and the sad and secret longings of their scullery maid, Evangeline (Kelly Macdonald). As the children's behaviour begins to change, Nanny McPhee's arresting face and frame appear to change as well, creating even more questions about this mysterious stranger whom the children and their father have come to love.