Based on Christianna Brand's "Nurse Matilda" stories for the young adults, it is a delightful tale of seven mischievous children and their widower father.

The story is set in old England, where Cedric Brown (Colin Firth), a widowed mortician has seven unruly children who drives away every nanny appointed, in no time. After having 17 nannies in a short span of time, one day McPhee (Emma Thompson) appears out of the blue. She had a very simple message for the Brown family: "When you need me, but do not want me, then I will stay. When you want me but do not need me, then I have to go".

McPhee joined the Brown family at the right time. As a matter of fact she turns out to be the right person, at the right place, at the right time. She started to straighten up the children one after another. In a short time, she made the children behave properly and made them go to bed early and get up in time. All the children became a model in their own criteria.

Poor Mr. Brown couldn't make the ends meet just with his earnings, so he was getting some help from Great Aunt Adelaide (Angela Lansbury). And she put forward a condition, it was that she wanted Mr. Brown to get married within the month or else she will withdraw her financial support. Find out more about Mr. Brown's dilemma.

Director Kirk Jones skillfully narrates a delightful tale of young and naughty children with great charm and wit. He puts great emphasize on children's misbehavior and mischief's. He draws great performances out of most of the cast members.

Emma Thompson does an excellent job as nanny McPhee. She is tough but compassionate, a nanny who brings law and order into the lives of seven naughty children. The performances of the kids and the rest of the cast are also good.

Even though the film has it's own pitfalls, as a whole it is a heartwarming, delightful film about children. Kids as well as many of the adults will enjoy this film.

We rate this movie ABOVE AVERAGE.