The Nanny Diaries (2007)

Directors:

Shari Springer Berman
Robert Pulcini

Writers (WGA):

Shari Springer Berman (screenplay) &
Robert Pulcini (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

24 August 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A comedy about life at the top, as seen from the bottom.

Plot:

A college graduate goes to work as a nanny for a rich New York family. Ensconced in their home, she has to juggle their dysfunction, a new romance, and the spoiled brat in her charge.

Plot Keywords:

Nanny | Little Boy | Anthropology | Harvard | College

Awards:

1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Dec. 13

8:00 PM

TMC

Cast

Scarlett Johansson	...	Annie Braddock
Donna Murphy	...	Judy Braddock
John Henry Cox	...	Dean
Alicia Keys	...	Lynette
Lewis Payton Jr.	...	Bike Messenger
Sonnie Brown	...	Human Resources Director
Georgina Chapman	...	TriBeCa Fashionista
Nicholas Art	...	Grayer (as Nicholas Reese Art)
Jodi Michelle Pynn	...	Screeching Lady
Mike Rad	...	Dude
Laura Linney	...	Mrs. X
Joanna Heimbold	...	Glamour Mom
Marla Sucharetza	...	Charity Mom
Phoebe Jonas	...	Xanax Mom
Allison Sarofim	...	Eating Disorder Mom

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language.

Runtime:

106 min | USA:105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #43432) | Australia:M | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Ireland:12A | Hong Kong:I | Taiwan:PG-12 | Philippines:G (MTRCB) | Finland:S | UK:12A | Argentina:13 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Malaysia:U | Brazil:Livre | Germany:o.Al.

Filming Locations:

Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Weinstein Company, The

Trivia:

Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini wrote the screenplay with Scarlett Johansson in mind for the character of Annie Braddock.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Annie and her mother are loading the car so Annie can move to New York, the red box is placed in the back seat twice.

Quotes:

Annie Braddock: My desire to be an observer of life was actually keeping me from having one.

Movie Connections:

References Mary Poppins (1964)

Soundtrack:

Won't Let You Down

Nanny's Diary

Many seem to be disappointed with 'The Nanny Dairies' because of its failure to properly deliver the social commentary about New York women of different class. However, I agree to an extent that it does not go into the depth of the theme in order to be a good satire but it remained nonetheless an entertaining flick. The film seems to mainly focus on Annie's view of the upper class (as she works as a nanny for such a family) and therein lies a danger, where she pretty much (as we are shown), in her own assessment generalizes her conclusion from one experience and in the other cases, with one encounter.

Now regarding the family she works for, Mr.X is a complete caricature of the businessman jerk who constantly cheats on his wife by shagging anything wearing short skirts or hotpants and he is bitter towards his family (including wife, son and even own mother). Mrs. X is portrayed under a more humane light. She is definitely in denial about a marriage that has already been long dead and she copes with it by avoiding herself from her own son and giving more focus to trivial away-from-home activities while believing that her husband still loves her. Amidst all this, it is the son who suffers.

Scarlett Johanssen is a miscast. She does not seem comfortable with comedy (as has been evident as well in Woody Allen's 'Scoop') and her outburst scene in the end looks theatrical. However, she is quite good in the scenes that display Annie's stress and fatigue while taking care of Grayer and overall, Johanssen does try to deliver. The child actor does not convince. Alicia Keys is forgettable and Chris Evans plays the clichéd rich white guy boyfriend. Ravishing Laura Linney is fabulous. Her character is technically a bitch but there is a vulnerability and depth that she draws which allows the audience to somewhat sympathize for Mrs. X. Paul Giamatti suffers from bad writing.

Despite the flaws, 'The Nannie Diaries' was quite enjoyable. I was not bored. I laughed at a few scenes and was interested to know what Scarlett's Annie would do to finally confront Mrs. X. The sets, though typical New York, was nice to look at. The Mary Poppins reference with the Umbrella was a bit pointless. In my opinion, this film is much better than the likes of pretentious movies like 'The Devil Wears Prada'.