Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang

Story

Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang, directed by Susanna White, is a sequel to Nanny McPhee (2005), based on Christianna Brand’s Nurse Matilda books.

In this new movie, the story is set in the war-torn countryside of 1940s England. The movie opens with scenes of domestic chaos. Isabel Green (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is trying to balance running a small farm, working in a shop, and raising three children while her husband is away at war. Just as Isabel reaches the end of her tether, the incredibly ugly Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson) appears at the door and offers to help.

Although initially suspicious of Nanny McPhee, the Green children (Oscar Steer, Asa Butterfield and Lil Woods) and their visiting cousins Cyril (Eros Vlahos) and Celia (Rosie Taylor-Ritson) soon come to respect and like this unconventional woman.

Other characters in the movie are Mrs Docherty (Maggie Smith), the doddery owner of the village shop where Isabel works; Mr Docherty (Sam Kelly), who is the volunteer bomb-raid warden; Phil Green (Rhys Ifans), Isabel’s scheming brother; and two female hit-women, Miss Topsey (Sinead Matthews) and Miss Turvey (Katy Brand), who are trying to get back unpaid gambling debts from Phil.

Themes

Separation from a parent; family breakdown; war and death

Violence

This movie contains a great deal of physical and verbal violence. For example:

Children yell at each other.
Grown-ups yell at children.
Children hit and slap each other.
Girls pull each other’s hair.
Boys try to choke each other.
Children hurt themselves. They pull their own hair, and bang their heads on walls and floors.
A girl repeatedly slams another girl’s head into the floor.
A young boy wanders around a room smashing objects with a cricket bat.
A chauffeur pulls a screaming girl out of a car by her feet and then falls into a muddy pool of water.
A man is grabbed around the neck by two women and pulled through a hedge.

Sexual references

None of concern

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

None of concern

Nudity and sexual activity

This movie shows some characters passionately kissing each other.

Product placement

None of concern

Coarse language

This movie contains some mild coarse language and insults.

Ideas to discuss with your children

Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang is a fast-paced comedy that is likely to appeal to audiences of all ages. The young cast members provide particularly convincing performances.

The movie initially shows a great deal of violence between children. But it goes on to send a strong message about learning to work with others, rather than just fighting. It also emphasises family and community loyalty in a sincere and warm way. Viewed from a more critical perspective, however, this movie could also be seen as suggesting that you can use coercion and fear to enforce obedience.

Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children include sharing, helping each other, faith, loyalty, and courage.