The Nanny Diaries (2007)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

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 | College | Anthropology | Little Boy | Harvard

Awards:

1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Nov. 15	6:15 AM	SHOW
Sun. Nov. 15	4:05 PM	SHOW

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

Color:

Color

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 Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Malaysia:U | Brazil:Livre | Germany:o.Al.

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Weinstein Company, The

Trivia:

In the scene of the beach party at Nantucket the grandma is sitting on the beach reading a paperback copy of "The Devil Wears Prada" written by Lauren Weisberger.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Annie takes Grayer to the play date at the house where he and another boy are decorating a cake, a glob of the pink icing lands on the front of Annie's white t-shirt. In the next scene Annie is at Lynette's apartment. There is pink icing stains on Annie's white t-shirt but not the one from the previous scene.

Quotes:

Mrs. X: Nanny, you never mentioned you had a mother!

Movie Connections:

References The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Soundtrack:

Alborozo Kolia

cookie-cutter comedy

Recent college grad Annie Braddock (Scarlett Johansson) is all set for a career in business when she quite literally falls into a position as nanny for the four-year-old son (Nicholas Art) of a snooty, self-absorbed Upper East Side socialite named Alexandra X, played by a sadly miscast Laura Linney (among many of the movie's wearisomely cutesy touches is not giving a surname to the family that hires her).

Based on the novel by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus, "The Nanny Diaries" is, unfortunately, every bit as predictable and trite as its simpleminded premise would lead one to expect. Beyond trafficking in just about every stereotype and cliché imaginable - the heartless, neurotic, slave-driving elitists; the sensitive knight-in-shining armor love interest (Chris Evans); the nagging, free-living best friend; the lecherous, nanny-chasing husband (Paul Giamatti) - the movie is woefully unsuccessful even at treading that fine line between cleverness and cuteness that can make or break a film of this type. There is an affectionate tribute to "Mary Poppins" that - early on at least - suggests that the movie might actually try to do something a little daring, a little different. But that air of fanciful creativity is quickly squelched in favor of formulaic storytelling and cookie cutter characterizations.

Interestingly, the filmmakers, for all their championing of the women employed as nannies, seem to have almost as low an opinion of the profession itself as do the elite snobs who appear on screen.

All told, Johansson is really the only decent thing about "The Nanny Diaries" (well, little Nicholas Art is pretty cool too), but even her staunchest admirers would be well advised to look the other way when it comes to this film.