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THE NANNY DIARIES

"Children Are Our Most Precious Resource"

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What You Need To Know:

THE NANNY DIARIES stars Scarlett Johansson as Annie Braddock, a college graduate who faces an identity crisis. Instead of going into business like her mother wants, Annie decides to take a job as a nanny for two rich parents on the Upper East Side of New York City, played by Laura Linney and Paul Giamatti. Annie finds out that Mr. and Mrs. X (she treats her experience as a field study for college) couldn’t care less about their poor son. In fact, Mr. X doesn’t really care all that much for Mrs. X anymore. The rest of the movie shows Annie’s comical and dramatic struggles with these snooty absentee parents.

THE NANNY DIARIES will make you laugh, cry and think. It is a clever, funny, heartbreaking, ultimately inspiring movie about parents, children, marriage, romance, love, and life. It has the right balance of comedy, pathos, wit, drama, and charm. The actors inhabit their characters perfectly, making them seem like real people you could meet on the street. The biggest drawbacks are the foul language, lying and negative parental figures, but the primary messages are morally uplifting. Thus, caution is advised.

Content:

(BB, Fe, PC, LLL, V, S, N, A, MM) Strong moral worldview overall with one positive reference to God, some feminist elements and some politically correct content about rich upper class snobs in Manhattan; 17 obscenities (including one “f” word), three strong profanities, 11 light profanities, sick boy vomits, and dog defecates on carpet; light comic violence such as pratfalls and nannies chase children, plus woman saves child from being run down by motorized scooter; implied fornication when couple kisses passionately, they enter man’s apartment and they shut the door, plus married man passionately kisses secretary and makes a pass at his son’s nanny; upper male nudity and woman panties are shown; alcohol use; no smoking; and, lying, nanny ruins dinner so she lets her young charge eat peanut butter and jelly concoction from jar and asks boy not to tell his mother, bad parental role models balanced slightly by a couple good parental role models, nanny cameras spy on nanny, philandering married man bullies his wife, woman bullies her nanny, people are rude, man calls his mother a name, and parents neglect child.

More Detail:

THE NANNY DIARIES is a clever, funny, heartbreaking, ultimately inspiring movie about parents, children, marriage, romance, love, and life. One of its few drawbacks is its PG-13 rating, which means that it has some foul language and mature themes, though not salaciously so.

The movie stars Scarlett Johansson as Annie Braddock (who narrates the story), a New Jersey woman who has graduated college as a finance major, with a minor in anthropology. Judy, Annie’s mother, wants Annie to go into finance, but Annie’s first love is anthropology. Her first job interview question in Manhattan’s finance district is, “Who is Annie Braddock?” Annie finds that she has no idea who she is and, panicked, runs out of the interview.

Annie sits on a Central Park bench pondering the question posed to her. Suddenly, she springs to action to save a young boy from being run down by a mechanical scooter. The boy’s mother, a high-class woman from the Upper East Side, profusely thanks Annie. She invites Annie to be her boy’s new nanny and gives Annie her card. Suddenly, Annie is inundated by cards from other desperate mothers in the park.

Annie accepts the first woman’s offer and narrates her experiences tending to the woman’s boy, Grayer. Annie treats her story as if it were an anthropological study. For instance, she calls the woman and her husband Mr. and Mrs. X and thinks of the characters as a life-sized diorama exhibit in a museum.

Annie finds out that Mr. and Mrs. X couldn’t care less about their poor son. In fact, Mr. X doesn’t really care all that much for Mrs. X anymore.

The rest of the movie shows Annie’s struggles with these absentee parents. As her compassion for the little boy grows, Annie becomes aware that her commitment to his happiness and growth has trapped her in a relationship with two adults whom she can’t stand. Mr. X’s philandering and bullying lead to some significant decisions.

THE NANNY DIARIES is brilliantly done. It has the right balance of comedy, pathos, wit, drama, and charm. The actors inhabit their characters perfectly, making them seem like real people you could meet on the street.

THE NANNY DIARIES will make you laugh, cry and think. It has several positive messages. It encourages viewers to love and support the people around them, especially family members. It also tells parents to take the time to care for and know their children. Furthermore, it also shows that money doesn’t bring happiness or love. Best of all, perhaps, it shows that children are our most precious resource.

The movie contains plenty of foul language, however, including one “f” word and a few strong profanities. Also, the movie has a negative view of most men and most rich people. Balancing out this stereotype is the character of a handsome rich young man Annie meets who is a really nice guy. Finally, Annie lies to her mother about getting a job as a nanny because her mother wants her to go into the business world instead of pursuing her dream job as an anthropologist.

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.