Nanny MacPhee Returns

Saturday night Scott, Jeffrey, Joshua and I curled up in the family room to watch Nanny MacPhee Returns.  I found it on sale at Blockbuster in the previously viewed section, and I really enjoyed the first one, so I thought we'd give it a try. 

To briefly sum up, the story is about a mother who is in charge of the family farm while her husband is away at war.  She has three rowdy children of her own, and is also taking care of her niece and nephew, who have left London because of the bombing.  Her brother-in-law is harrassing her to sell the farm, her children are running wild, and she works for a shopkeeper who is extremely aged and forgetful.  Into this mess arrives Nanny MacPhee, who says she has been sent by the War Office to help out. 

Nanny MacPhee comes to stay when you don't want her but need her, and leaves when you don't need her but want her.  She teaches the children five important lessons, like sharing, faith, working together, not fighting, etcetera.  There are some wonderful humorous moments, and the movie is touching but not preachy.  Emma Thompson is amazing, of course, as Nanny MacPhee, and Maggie Gyllenhall (sp?) is wonderful as the stressed out mother.  Rhys Efans is so great as the sleazy uncle, he steals the scenes he's in.  The children are all charming, and the special effects are really fun. 

My boys really liked this movie, and mentioned it again the next day how much they enjoyed it.  It does not talk down to children, and despite the magical story line, shows how real problems can be faced with courage, faith and good manners.  I would recommend this to any family.