Family Systems Media Analysis: Nanny McPhee. Nanny McPhee, released in 2005, is a feature length film showcasing the chaos of the Brown family unit. Cedric Brown, a widowed struggling father, finds himself overwhelmed with managing his seven uncivil and mischievous children. Despite the efforts of a scullery maid (“Evangeline”), a chef (“cook”), and a series of nannies—each of whom quits in despair—none can contain the children's clever schemes to rid themselves of all guardians except their father. After outrunning the last nanny in town, Cedric Brown has to choose the only option left: Nanny McPhee. Unlike any other nanny or guardian the children have seen, Nanny McPhee is wildly magical and otherworldly in her techniques to teach obedience …show more content…
The most important subsystems in the family seem to be that of Nanny McPhee and her distinct and unique style of guardianship. She is neither neglectful nor overbearing. She finds control in allowing the children to see how their outcomes present real consequences. She is soft and nurturing, allowing Simon to be vulnerable in her presence and let his guard down. The children learn that Nanny McPhee is not one to give up on them but to believe in their nature of kindness and goodness, as did their mother. Nanny McPhee was the only solution to softening the hearts of the children after the devastating loss of their mother. The pattern of consistency, communication, and reliability was one that healed the family. In the middle of the movie, Nanny McPhee says this to Simon, “There is something you should understand about the way I work. When you need me but do not want me, then I must stay. When you want me but no longer need me, then I have to go” (Nanny McPhee, 2005). The dynamic of the relationship changes after she lets Simon know this. It becomes aware to the children that Nanny McPhee will be there when there is a need, however she will not be a permanent member of the family unit. This was