‘The Nanny Diaries’: A Fun Human Study with a Little Romance

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I don’t know why we went to see this in the theater (other than a funny trailer), but I can still vaguely it on the big-screen and being disappointed by some things. With time, I’ve been able to see this through them. The Nanny Diaries is more “fluff” than substance but boasts a cute cast, plus there’s the addition of Captain America! Could anything be better?

The Nanny Diaries (2007) Film Review

In the Upper East Side of New York, Annie Braddock (Scarlett Johansson) sets out to discover who she really is. Twenty-one and fresh out of college with a business degree, she wonders what comes next. If Annie’s mother has a say, she’ll have a career in the business world but the freedom of anthropology draws in Annie. One disastrous interview later and fate leads her directly to the world of Mrs. X. (Laura Linney), a wealthy Upper East Side mother desperate for a nanny. The pay is impressive and Annie wants time to consider her options. What she doesn’t realize is just how stressful this job will be.  

First off her little charge Grayer (Nicholas Art) is a brat who ‘hates’ her, secondly, it would seem he isn’t all Annie is expected to take care of. Needless to say, this nanny’s juggling act is complicated.  

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‘The Nanny Diaries’: A Fun Human Study with a Little Romance. A review of the 2007 comedy with Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans. #Comedy #Movies #ScarlettJohansson #WhattoWatch Share on X

As a “silly” comedy, this does have some genuine comedy with several surprisingly poignant moments. The filming is unexpected and different as it plays up a quirkiness that’s infectious. Filmmakers give a nod to the classic Mary Poppins film with scenes with a red umbrella while other scenes feature museum wax statues as Annie’s narration imagines different scenarios her life may take. Speaking of narration, yes, it’s present, and is read as if from a diary. Fortunately the former scenes happen only in the beginning and again at the end. the nanny diaries

To counteract any odd snags is a cute storyline, which makes this a little more entertaining. Nicholas Art is a cute child actor who is really quite good as Grayer; he plays the role with the talent of a more experienced actor. In particular his last scene with Annie displays this. Scarlett Johansson plays a cutesy character well, and we come to love her clumsy Annie without hesitation. Then there is Chris Evans who plays “Harvard Hottie”; he and Scarlett have great chemistry, which helps considering how they first meet, under rather humorous circumstances. Perhaps the best relationship in the film is that between Annie and Grayer, which is well-written and the best aspect of the whole movie.

Despite its flaws The Nanny Diaries really is quite enjoyable, bittersweet end and all.

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CONTENT:  There’s social drinking; one or two homosexual jokes and another scene at a bar with a table of guys includes some sexual innuendos as well as a use of the F-word. Uses of sh*t, he*l, a** and other minor profanities make it into the film. Annie’s pants get pulled down exposing her underwear [comically]; one couple sleeps together. A man has an affair, we briefly see him in his office with a woman, and he touches another woman at her hip without invitation. The film is PG13.