How a magical nanny saved a family farm during the Second World War
In short: In this 2010 period fantasy, a frazzled mother struggles to manage her farm and three children while her husband fights abroad. When her snobbish city cousins arrive and her brother-in-law attempts to steal the property, a mysterious, magical nanny appears to restore order and save the family from ruin.
Directed by Susanna White and written by Emma Thompson, Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang serves as a sequel to the 2005 original. Thompson reprises her role as the titular character, leading a cast that includes Maggie Gyllenhaal as the overwhelmed Isabel Green and Maggie Smith as the eccentric shopkeeper Mrs. Docherty. The story follows Isabel as she balances farm life with the absence of her husband, Rory, who is serving in the Second World War.
The plot thickens when Isabel's brother-in-law, Phil, attempts to sell the farm to cover gambling debts incurred at a casino owned by Mrs. Biggles. Simultaneously, the arrival of two evacuated city cousins, Cyril and Celia, creates friction that only the magical intervention of Nanny McPhee can resolve. The narrative reaches a climax when a dud bomb dropped by a German pilot lands in the barley field, forcing the children to work together to defuse it while simultaneously thwarting Phil's fraudulent efforts to seize the land.
While the film received generally positive reviews and earned $93.2 million against a $35 million budget, it failed to meet studio expectations for a planned third installment. Despite the cancellation of future films, the production remains a notable example of period fantasy, with locations ranging from the village of Hambleden to the University of London. The film concludes with the return of Rory and the revelation that Mrs. Docherty is actually baby Agatha from the first film, marking a poignant end to the magical nanny's tenure with the Green family.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang
- Also: Wikidata — Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang · CC0
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