The Nanny Diaries Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
A comedy about life at the top, as seen from the bottom.
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.
| Scarlett Johansson | Annie Braddock |
| Laura Linney | Mrs. X |
| Paul Giamatti | Mr. X |
| Chris Evans | Harvard Hottie |
| Donna Murphy | Judy |
| Alicia Keys | Lynette |
| Nicholas Art | Grayer |
| Nathan Corddry | Calvin |
| Cady Huffman | Divorcing Mom |
| Brande Roderick | Tanya |
| Nina Garbiras | Miss Chicago |
| Judith Roberts | Milicent |
| Alison Wright | Bridget |
| Heather Simms | Murnel |
| Sakina Jaffrey | Sima |
| Shari Springer Berman |
6.20 out of 10 (2191 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Not Impressed
posted on 26 Aug 2009A magical red umbrella and a reference to 'Supercallifragilisticexpialidocious!' does not characterize "The Nanny Diaries" as a "modern-day Mary Poppins." If you were to make a "modern-day Mary Poppins," at least make it a decent movie."The Nanny Diaries," directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, was based on the novel The Nanny Diaries, written by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus. Though the directors cast of some of today's well-known stars like Scarlet Johanssen, Paul Giamatti, Laura Linley, Donna Murphy, and Chris Evans, the movie was bland and lacked a primary theme.The movie begins with Annie Braddock (Johanssen) a college graduate who is unsure what to do with her life now. After an "unexpected" run-in with a wealthy young boy and his mother in Central Park, Annie goes to work for the Upper East Side family as their nanny. The movie was full of countless clichés: saving her future charge from being run over in the park while his mother is nowhere to be found, being forced to live in a shoe box of a room next to the washing machine, catching Mr. X cheating on his wife, and catching the eye of the rich "Harvard Hottie" who lives on the 12th floor of the apartment building. The movie was so unbelievably predictable it was funny.The one thing the directors got right was the cast. Nicholas Reese Art plays Grayer, the spoiled, lonely, fun-deprived, adorable little boy with the biggest brown eyes you've ever seen. He is by far the best actor in the movie and the most developed character. Johanssen's performance was mediocre. Her emotions seemed forced at times, but who can blame her with the script she had to work with. Laura Linley does a decent job as bitchy self-centered Mrs. X, and Paul Giamatti does a fantastic job playing the workaholic father with maybe two lines total.The only reason to see this movie would be to compare it to the novel, but be forewarned that it will be an outrageous disappointment. The film was a cheesy cliché that should have never made it past screening.
the devil doesn't change diapers
posted on 08 Aug 2009From the film-making team of Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (of "American Splendor" fame) comes a chick flick concept with a surprising twist. In the film Scarlett Johansonn stars as a disenchanted college graduate, who stumbles into a most unlikely situation. Due to coincidence and little more than Hugh Grant-like vocal stammering, she finds herself becoming a full-time nanny to the rich and miserable Laura Linney. From first glance the filmmakers seemed like a peculiar match for such pedestrian material, given their documentary background, but since it's structured around the guise of an anthropological study, it doesn't shy away from spot-on social commentary, the lead performances are strong, and the dialogue has some bite, "The Nanny Diaries" becomes a decent comedy from the "Devil Wears Prada" school.
Cute...but an overzealous attempt at something bigger
posted on 29 Jul 2009Comparisons have rolled out when it comes to The Nanny Diaries to the far superior Devil Wears Prada perhaps simply because both films were made fairly close together based on uber popular chick-lit books, with Hollywood "It" Girls as their starring vehicles but somehow The Nanny Diaries just felt far too forced and poorly put together to really gain the reputation that came with The Devil Wears Prada. Somehow it just seems that the Oscar nominated writing team who wrote the screenplay and directed Nanny Diaries (Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini) missed their mark and utilized this as more of a star vehicle for Scarlett Johansson and relied on just that fact alone. I have never read The Nanny Diaries but it would appear that they left too much of the key elements that made the book a success on the cutting room floor. Ultimately I think The Nanny Diaries is supposed to be a humorous and somehow moralistic view of the high society as seen from a struggling University graduate who falls into the position of being a Nanny for one of these rich and troubled families and sees all their dirty laundry from her perspective. While there is the stereotypical kid hates Nanny, Nanny must overcome kid's hatred, Nanny teaches family to love one another again but the comedy is pretty subtle and despite some humorous 'cute' moments, it's not really anything laugh out loud.Scarlett Johansson is of course The Nanny, Annie Braddock, who needs a change in her life and ends up being the last thing she possibly imagined. Johansson suffers from a true starlet curse when it comes to attempting at playing a down to earth, every day gal kind of character because she just always looks stunning and elegant and although she does have some good comedic timing and I think she likely is a very talented actress but this role just is a little rough around the edges and the dialog wasn't terrific and the plot lacked something so she doesn't really shine but she's good in the role, just not great. Laura Linney is Mrs. X as she's known in the film. She is the mother and elite rich wife that Annie works for. To compare her to Meryl Streep's Devil is like comparing grass to cement...they don't even touch each other. Linney's whiny, angry, devilish character doesn't even touch the depth of Streep. Although she does have her turn around Linney has this way about her in all her roles that make her look so stone faced and unemotional and she wasn't great in this part. Even Paul Giamatti, who is an excellent actor but has fallen onto some hard times as of late with this and Shoot 'em up really just comes across as a total ass, which is kind of the goal to the whole deal but I think they made him too much of a villain to both his son and wife. He looks terrible which is all part of the act I suppose. Young actor Nicholas Art is one exception to the lack luster cast as the young spoiled kid Grayer. He's adorable and really shows a lot of emotion and really does hold your attention for his scenes. Chris Evans is also pretty decent as Annie's love interest 'Harvard Hottie.' The cast just doesn't really click. This movie is not awful by any means, it's watchable and cute and will likely be many girls' favorite film because it has it's moments but it isn't as great as it could have been. There is a lot of completely missed potential and that's really unfortunate. There is some attempt at satirical humor and a candid look at the elite and family and how one relates to another and the sarcastic take on stereotypical 'Nannies' is humorous and cute. So the best I can say is to give this one a shot but go in with lowered expectations because sadly it won't really blow you away and leaves you with a mild sour taste in your mouth for what could have been. It's just okay. 7/10
Mr and Mrs X must have produced this film
posted on 29 Jun 2009My wife loved the book and told me about the outrageousness of the X's and the jabs that the observant narrator made about their empty lives. The film is a huge disappointment - a retread Mary Poppins with a "Let's go fly a kite" happy ending. The talent is completely wasted - Giamatti and Linney are very good and could have done much more with the characters had they been allowed to. Johannsen is miscast - the narrator is way too milquetoast and passive for her. It seemed like she had to grit her teeth to say her lines.My only explanation is that the people who made this movie were like the X's - completely oblivious. If only people would follow family values, work hard so their kids get a proper education so they could marry above their station - the world would be a better place. That's what Mrs X and her book club would have gotten out of the book (after extensive introspective analysis) and apparently so did their filmmaker friends...
Jersey Girl VS New York Liberals!
posted on 25 Jun 2009Don't expect the usual toilet humor or food-on-the-wall scenes, this picture is more serious, original, and in my opinion it's less a comedy than a romantic drama.The story asks this question: How can people who have everything be so miserable. The focus is on the self-absorbed, misdirected, essentially valueless people who inhabit New York's Upper East Side. In this sorry land of velvet lined damnation, parents are too busy with either careers or let's-pretend meetings for one shallow and pointless reason or other. Kids are just one more aspect of their self-dramatized lives; not anyone to love, instruct, or care about. These are your East Side Liberals, and heaven help their offspring.Scarlett Johanssen plays a young woman having difficulty in the Manhattan job market who falls into a nanny's job by accident. She's better equipped than she supposes, having been taught good values by her Jersey mom.No sense saying more, except it's one of 2007's few good movies. See it!
Inconsistent and unbelievable character traits
posted on 11 Jun 2009First of all this movie was too long.Second of all, to watch Annie be such a strong character normally was nice. However, anytime she is confronted by Mrs. X or the analyst who asks her about how well she educates Grayer, she freezes up into a nervous wreck. This is a big difference from the strong character she already is.The conflict with the mom is forgotten and moved on with no resolution.The child is smart but they attempt to add stupid cutesy little lines by him. For instance, he calls the Guggenheim the "Guggyheimy" right before he tells Annie that they can't go to the Museum of Natural History is on the West Side. Are you kidding me?Finally, there is no spark on screen between Annie and Hayden, and the conflict with her mother takes the backburner to the guy she just met. Alicia Keys' character as well as Mr. and Mrs. X are the only strong and consistent characters. The others give forgettable performances.
Nohing to break new ground, but is a very pleasant movie,
posted on 11 Jun 2009I have been a Scarlett Johansson fan since I saw her 10 years ago in "The Horse Whisperer", and reinforced with "Lost in Translation." She is always good, even in mediocre movies.Here she is Annie Braddock, a college graduate who is struggling with who she is and what she wants. Dashing out of an interview to collect her thoughts she saves a young boy in Central Park from a Segway scooter while his mom was looking for him. There was an instant attraction between Annie and the boy, and by coincidence his nanny had just left.Laura Linney is the mom, Mrs. X. She is very demanding, very self-centered, and never calls Annie by her name, only calling her 'Nanny.' Mr. X, Paul Giamatti, is a wealthy businessman who spends lots of time in Chicago, and probably not always on "business." Alicia Keys, superb singer, is Annie's friend Lynette. As far as I can tell this is her first role in a feature movie, and she does just fine. I wonder how many know she was in a Cosby TV show when she was 5? The story breaks no new ground in relationships, but is pleasant entertainment. There is a good message at the end as Annie is able to tell Mrs. X some facts about showing attention to her son.
"Nanny Diaries has heart"
posted on 07 Jun 2009Let me just say this to start off...I thought this movie would be horrible, but a friend talked me into going. I loved this movie and I'm glad that I went to see it.The Nanny Diaries is about a fresh-out-of-highschool student named Annie who goal in life is to be successful for herself and her mother Judy. After blowing an interview for a high-corp business, Annie finds herself being offered the role of a nanny for Mrs. X (played by Laura Linney). Deciding to give it a try, Annie soon babysits for Grayer who turns out to be a brat, but soon she finds that she cares for him and decides to keep with the job for his sake. I'm not going to give away the rest of the movie, but this movie definitely has heart to it. I even had a tearful moment towards the end...This movie is, in my opinion, a must see.Be the Judge for yourself!
Be kind.
posted on 01 Jun 2009I think the poor reviews for The Nanny Diaries can be attributed to expectations- I do agree that the book has a much different tone from the movie. But for that reason as well, it therefore is unfair for the movie to be compared on the same level as the book purely because they are two different things. The lack of loyalty of the writers in committing to the book is therefore their fault because they mislead the viewer.However, given the above, I do think that as a whole, single film, The Nanny Diaries is a joy to watch. It has its weaknesses. Firstly, there are several characters that are given unnecessary screen time (e.g. Grandmother)- that although little, but crucial, as the film is built around characters and the study of characters (fittingly anthropology then) and any more screen time for the protagonists is always good. However, I do think that the cast is great. Personally, I think a good actor brings multiple facets, or develops the character, and I think that Laura Linney, Scarlett Johansson and Nicholas Art does a good job at developing what was given to them. Scarlett and Laura are especially engaging.The film moves at a great, appropriate pace, and the tone of the film is charming but engaging at the same time. This film is definitely not one to be taken seriously.
An Amazing, Authentic Family Drama
posted on 30 May 2009Unlike that movie trailer, Nanny Diaries is a powerful and emotional family drama that captures intense interpersonal relational scenes that by the end of the movie envelopes that audience in a deep and rich movie experience. Strangely, this movie will not win any major awards, Scarlett Johansson even though she performed superbly, it is likely the fantastic script allowed the entire movie to become one of the best all-around, general public movie is years. The beginning of this movie is innovative and the allusions to Mary Poppins (1964) by the use of an umbrella and music only serves to suggest how great this movie really is. In some ways, this movie is a Mary Poppins movie for grown ups in its telling and in its contemporary subject matter. Paul Giamatti is to be commended for taking on a not so personable character and ridding himself of any character stereotypes demonstrating the qualities of a good actor. Personally, this is one of the best movies of the year because it handles the subject matter of class differences, mother-daughter relationships, family relationships, the upper-class, the lower-class, the economic-power struggle, the husband-wife conflicts authentically. Using the premise of a narrative-voice over with an anthropological perspective as its grounding like much Margaret Mead, Scarlett Johannson gets the opportunity to star in this wonderful drama exposing the underbelly of both the humorous and the hurtful side of living in America today. The story is steeped with feeling, disturbing insights, but by the end of the movie a well worthwhile mindblowing message that goes right to the heart of love and compassion as well as an ending that doesn't pander to the usual American sweet ending but real ending earned through trial and error and working through the reality of difficult jobs, employment conflict. Great job!
Critics are Ninnies about "Nanny"
posted on 26 May 2009"The Nanny Diaries" did not get very good reviews but I liked the previews so I decided to see it instead of another movie that got much better reviews and I'm glad I did."The Nanny Diaries" is entertaining the entire time. It might not have you rolling in the aisles like "Superbad," but it is not that kind of movie.The main reason to see this film is because of Scarlett Johansson. She makes Annie the Nanny such a sympathetic character, that we stay interested in the film and we care about what happens to her. Scarlett Johansson made a name for herself doing a lot of independent film but this is probably her best performance in a mainstream film. Not only is her acting phenomenal, she is the world's most beautiful nanny.A lot of the professional reviews seem to have been disappointed by "The Nanny Diaries" because it was written and directed by the same people who did "American Splendor." They were expecting something more like that film. "The Nanny Diaries" is not that kind of film. It is not particularly quirky and it will probably appeal to a wide audience. I thought it was better than "The Devil Wears Prada," which it often gets compared to."The Nanny Diaries" is absolutely mandatory viewing for Scarlett Johansson fans. For anyone else, this film might win you over.
A great nanny
posted on 08 May 2009Come on folks. This movie is great. Better than I expected. No, I didn't read the book. All the comments regarding the changes from book to screen. Of course. A book can't be filmed as written. A book is a book, a movie is a movie...two different mediums. Like the great PEYTON PLACE. Both the book and movie were tops, but they were different as they should be. NANNY is well cast, especially the always outstanding Laura Linney. She could read the phone book and be wonderful. Everyone shined in this movie, even the little kid. So nice to see a comedy/drama that seems real. So refreshing not to see people blown up, buildings exploding, foul language and no nudity. How refreshing for this day and age. For that reason alone I recommend this charming film. See it and enjoy. I certainly did.
Laura Linney and Paul Giamatti (the evil Xs) spew enough venom to kill a rattlesnake. You'll love them!
posted on 02 May 2009This is an excellent Date Movie. It peers into the "upper East Side, Manhattan" social society and its parallel Nanny universe. It's faithful to the novel and translates into pure entertainment on screen.Scarlett Johansson plays Annie Braddock to a T(ee). Laura Linney and Paul Giamatti (as the evil M/M X) spew enough venom to kill a rattlesnake between the pair. You love to hate them! Chris Evans is a lure for the ladies and his chemistry with Scarlett (Annie) works. It is well-balanced fare for a successful date as Summer comes to a close.Nicholas Art as Grayer is at first troubling (if unruly kids annoy you as they do me); but he slowly carved a place in Annie's (and my) heart. You'll wanna take the kid home with you by film's end.It's one of the few films that actually gets better with every frame before peaking a moment before the credits roll. The typical recipe these days is a great hook followed by a slow and tedious descent into raw boredom. Nanny Diaries rejuvenated my interest in hitting the theater on date night rather than the book stores.Is it really like that in their stratosphere? I hope not, but I think so. ... Oy! See it. You'll like it. 8 out of 10.
Intelligent Humor
posted on 28 Apr 2009Scarlett Johansson doesn't rip my heart out with emotion in this film like she did in 'A Love Song for Bobby Long', or 'Girl with a Pearl Earring', but it's not that kind of movie. I have now seen 12 of her movies, and this is one of 3 that I rented for this week. The premise that her character is treating her Nanny stint as Anthropology research works for me. Having studied Anthropology and some related socio/psychology fields in college, I subscribe to the concept that we all live in social systems. The New York Upper Eastside, may have it's own quirks, eccentricities, and blind sides, but so does every other Human Social System. The writers have compiled believable characters from actual experience as New York City Nannies, and formulated them and themselves into an interesting and amusing drama.This may not be the Funniest Comedy or the most Emotional Drama that I have seen of Scarlett Johansson, but it was entertaining while intellectually stimulating. I love Scarlett in everything she has done, even tho some roles and some movies are not over the top, her performance and amazing beauty always are. From 'The Horse Whisperer' to 'The Other Boleyn Girl' I have committed myself to see every movie she has ever done.
Lighten Up!
posted on 18 Apr 2009Awwww, c'mon: not every film needs to be a breathtaking tome on the human condition. If you like Scarlett Johansson, then spend a couple of hours and enjoy her delightful screen presence. This movie has good moments, the more I heard the name "Grayer" the more I liked it, and I'm certain every female ethnic group was duly represented in the lineup-of-the-nannies scene. Actually, what I like about seeing movies like this is playing "pop-up video" with myself--for example, I thought Laura Linney was vertically-challenged in "Searching for Bobby Fischer," but fourteen years later in this movie, hey, she seems taller. Also, there was something about the looks of Paul Giamatti's character that I couldn't quite figure out, but then the imagery fell in place when I added little red horns and a tail.
Quite nice
posted on 06 Apr 2009As another reviewer pointed out-> "Better than expected". So if your expectations are low, you will be positively surprised. I watched it a sneak preview with some friends. I guess Scarlett Johansson haters won't like the movie from the start, but everyone else can give it a shot.Yes it is predictable, yes it has it's awkward moments, but it's also likable. The cast is stellar throughout, most of the jokes work and the kid performer walks a fine line, but always stays/plays it straight. The movie keeps a light tone overall, but has it's dark(er) moments too. They might not work for everyone (and some might hate the ending), but overall it's a decent movie (effort)
not one of Scarlett Johansson best films
posted on 17 Mar 2009I didn't think Scarlett Johansson was that great in this, as the nanny, Annie. Laura Linney played the most entertaining character, Mrs. X. Mrs. X is an upper east side rich housewife, whom is more concerned with impressing her friends and trying to hold onto her husband, than with raising her young son. That is where the nanny comes into play. She meets Annie in the park after she saves the son, Grayer. Annie accepts the job but soon learns it is a lot more difficult with all of Mrs. X's rules. She sees that the X's marriage isn't that great and that Grayer is neglected. Once Mrs. X sees that Annie sees all her flaws she wants to get rid of her. Annie doesn't care about staying for her but for Grayer. Mrs. X does send Annie a letter to try to make things right. And that's about all that happens, which is why it wasn't that great of a film.FINAL VERDICT: It was just so-so. I really don't recommend it though, there just wasn't a lot to the plot.
"The Nanny Diaries" review...
posted on 11 Mar 2009If there was ever a movie you could describe in two words or less, The Nanny Diaries would be it. "Wasted opportunity" could in all intense and purposes be the tagline for this film. It stars some of today's brightest talents in Hollywood (Scarlett Johansson, Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney), yet the end result is typical and unoriginal. I could only imagine if a fresher ending was created along with actual comedic situations. The end result would probably be one of the best films of the year. What we got in this was just an average movie that is just a hair better than a Lifetime original.The film tells the story of the fresh out of college Annie, hoping to put her college education to its full potential. Unfortunately when asked by a potential employer to define herself, she draws a blank. This results in a sequence where Annie goes into a soul searching mode, determining what kind of person she is, or at least what she hopes to be. After an all too unoriginal rescue of a rich socialite's son, she finds herself in a situation where she becomes a nanny. (Pointless nit picking: you would think that someone looking for a nanny would ask for a resume. Also, don't you have to have a license or work for an agency to be a nanny?) Nice touch: This movie is narrated by Johansson, who for reasons later revealed refers to her bosses as Mrs. X and Mr. X.Surprise! Once Annie obtains her job she finds out that her rich boss is a complete bitch that makes her live in nanny sleep in a small room next to the washing machine and doesn't give a care towards her son. Here's another surprise, as the husband of Mrs. X is having an affair at work. Seriously, there are times in this movie where it seems like the screenplay writer has put his hand in the hat full of clichés and picks out the weakest character personalities. Through the main plot of the X's not caring for Grayer (their son), there are sub plots that are equally uninspiring. For fear that her mom will think she's a failure, Annie tells her mom that she's working at a bank and lives in a beautiful apartment with a great roommate. This leads to the scene we've seen in every film that has a character that blatantly lies to their loved ones where the person being lied to decides to drop by to see if the liar is telling the truth. I'll let you watch the film to find out how that scene turns out.Then there's the guy who lives two floors above her bitchy boss. Of course a romance between Annie and the guy (referred to as the Harvard Hottie) forms, randomly shifting the film into a romantic comedy every now and then. It doesn't really work in this, as the main theme is a college graduate being treated like crap as a nanny that can't seem to quit because of her love for the child she's caring for. Besides, the appearances of the potential boyfriend are all too sparse and random. Oh, somewhere between all of this Alicia Keys obtains a supporting role. She isn't really given a personality, as she's only used whenever the main character needs somebody to talk to late at night.That's the plot of The Nanny Diaries in a nut shell. As previously said, the film stars many talented actors and actresses who work their butts off to hide the mediocrity that is seeping through. Unfortunately there is only so much that could be done with very little character development and a story that makes me scratch my head in wonder if it's considered a comedy, a drama, or a romantic comedy. In either sense, I wasn't that impressed with the outcome.I felt the character of Mrs. X could have been the selling point, but she kind of drifted into the background no matter how much screen time she got. Certainly Laura Linney played the character as good as she could, but I didn't feel she was being as bitchy as she could have been. And as Annie, I felt Scarlett played her character just well enough to get the job done. Other competent actresses could pull of an equal or even more convincing job, but Johansson's performance was nothing that could be considered bad.Maybe I'm being too harsh. Let me re-track a little, because the wrong impression could be given. The film wasn't awful. It wasn't even what I'd consider bad. I just wouldn't consider it that good either. It falls in between as something that I would recommend to somebody in need of a chick flick (sorry, that's the only classification I could call this without lying), but I would also warn not to expect Academy Award caliber material.Rating: ** and a half out of ****
Rips Off Mary Poppins
posted on 25 Feb 2009The differences between the old Mary Poppins and this movie: 1> only one kid involved instead of 4+ kids in the old Mary Poppins movie. 2> The umbrella scenes were weak. 3> The chemistry between Mr.X and Mrs. X was very upsetting. 4> The rules of Mrs.X were appalling-too many. 5> The chemistry between Scarlett Johansson and Nicholas Art had no major improvement. The upsides of the movie: the music and the cast. The movie had no real magic and no chimney sequence like in the old Mary Poppins movie. The chemistry between the nanny and Mr.X was almost non-existence. There was no resolution after the "camera incident". The humor kept the movie rating moderately higher.
boring
posted on 28 Aug 2009This movie was a boring waste of time. Annie the nanny walks around with her mouth open most of the time. Annie has a blank look on her face most of the time also. The book was much better. I would not recommend this movie to anyone. I had really looked forward to the release of this movie only to be very disappointed when it finally was released. I guess you could say that I am not really a fan of Scarlett, as I have never seen her "act", as she always has a blank stare in her eyes and a monotone voice. I had hoped she would do a better job in this movie, but I was sadly disappointed. Do not waste your money on this film, it you must see it, wait, as it will be on satellite before you know it.