Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang

Plot

On a farm during World War II, while her husband is away at war, Isabel Green is driven to her wits end by her hectic life. Between trying to keep the family farm up and running and her job in the village shop, run by the slightly mad Mrs. Docherty, she also has three boisterous children to look after, Norman, Megsie, and Vincent. When her children's two wealthy cousins, Cyril and Celia, also then come to live with them, Isabel requires childcare help.

When Nanny McPhee arrives, the children at first do not listen and carry on fighting, which she soon puts a stop to. Meanwhile, Isabel's brother-in-law, Phil, has gambled away his half of the farm, and is being chased by two hired-assassin women under casino owner Mrs. Biggles. He desperately attempts to make Isabel sell her half of the farm, using mean and spiteful schemes to leave her no choice. Isabel takes the children on a picnic during which an ARP Warden, Mr. Docherty, warns them about bombs and how he imagines a pilot might accidentally release his bomb. At the end of the picnic, Uncle Phil delivers a telegram saying Isabel's husband has been killed in action. Isabel and everyone else believes the telegram, but Norman says that he can "feel it in his bones" that his father is not dead. He tells this to Cyril, who at first says it is just because he is upset, but then agrees Norman might be right, so the two boys ask Nanny McPhee to take them to London, where Cyril and Celia's father works.

There, Nanny McPhee and the boys ask Cyril's father Lord Gray, who is very important in the War Office, what has happened to Mr. Green. At first Lord Gray sneers at Norman's disbelief at his father's death, but after Cyril blurts out that he knows that his parents are getting a divorce, Lord Gray checks what has happened. While he is gone, Cyril tells Norman that he and Celia have been sent away because their parents will be splitting up, and Norman asks where Cyril and Celia will live. When Cyril replies "with Mum, I suppose, not that it makes much difference, she only ever really sees us when she wants to show us off", Norman tells Cyril that he and Celia are welcome to live on the farm with the Greens. Lord Gray returns and tells Norman that his father is not dead, but missing in action, and that there is no record of a telegram being sent to his mother. After the boys leave, Norman deduces that Uncle Phil forged the telegram.

While the boys were at the War Office, Megsie, Celia and Vincent were trying to stop Isabel from signing the papers and selling the farm. Just as Isabel is about to sign the papers, a German pilot accidentally drops a huge bomb; it shakes everything but does not explode and is left sticking out of the barley field. When Nanny McPhee returns with Norman and Cyril, Norman accuses Phil of forgery, which he admits to, and Isabel handcuffs him to the stove. The children go out to watch Mr. Docherty dismantle the bomb, but he falls from the ladder. Megsie takes over, and succeeds with the help of the other children and Nanny McPhee's raven, Mr. Edelweiss. After Nanny McPhee helps to harvest the barley, with a little magic, it is revealed that old Mrs. Docherty is in fact baby Agatha from the first film and that Nanny McPhee has been staying with her. As Nanny McPhee walks away from the now happy family, the children and Isabel chase after her, only to see Mr. Green, in army uniform and with an injured arm, making his way to them. He runs to his family and they all hug.

Cast

Filming locations

The village in the film is Hambleden in Buckinghamshire, the farm set and scenes were filmed in Hascombe, near Godalming in Surrey and the War Office scenes, both interior and exterior, were filmed at the University of London, and the motorbike scenes on various London roads. Senate House. Dunsfold Aerodrome, the location of Top Gear, name Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang as being filmed there

Relation to Nurse Matilda

The film is one of a wave of adaptations of the book trilogy by children's author Christianna Brand, Nurse Matilda. The books are not directly connected to the film, but most scenes in the film are adapted from the books. Emma Thompson started to write the script based on Brand's books in the spring of 2007.

Soundtrack

Theatrical

Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang was theatrically released on August 20, 2010 by Universal Pictures.

Home media

The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK on 19 June 2010. Nanny McPhee Returns, as the film was renamed for the North American market, was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 14 December 2010.

Critical response

Critical response for the film was positive. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a rating of 76% based on 115 reviews, with the site's consensus stating: "Emma Thompson's second labor of love with the Nanny McPhee character actually improves on the first, delivering charming family fare with an excellent cast." News of the World gave it 4/5 stars, stating the film was "smart, witty and beautifully crafted – exactly what you want from a family film" and excited about the next film said "Roll on Nanny McThree". The Independent gave a very favourable review, stating "the film is an ingenious entertainment machine fuelled by a profound understanding of what children enjoy, whether it's cowpats, talking welly boots or piglets doing synchronised swimming. Thompson has written a properly funny script, which is performed superbly by Ifans, Maggie Smith, Bill Bailey, Ralph Fiennes and some estimable child actors." Eros Vlahos was nominated for Best Leading Young Actor at the Young Artist Awards 2011 against Noah Ringer for The Last Airbender, Zachary Gordon for Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Jaden Smith (winner) for The Karate Kid.

Box office

In the UK, the film opened at number one, with £2,586,760 outperforming fellow new release The Blind Side, grossing a total of £16,211,057. In the United States and Canada, it debuted in seventh position with a $8.4 million. Gross exceeded $27 million.

Awards

Nanny McPhee's five lessons

In the course of the story, Nanny McPhee teaches the children five lessons: (1) to stop fighting; (2) to share nicely; (3) to help each other; (4) to be brave; and (5) to have faith.