Libramedi
Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant
CrawlerChunky
In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
Aneesa Wardle
The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
Paynbob
It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.
Jack Vasen
Kate, played by 40 year old Vanessa Marcil, does not make sense. A woman like her, even if she is supposed to be low 30's, does not just exist for 15 or so years in the situation she is in, her father's health not withstanding. She goes somewhere; she doesn't sit still. She is intelligent, hard-working, motivated, and loving. But OK, let's accept that.Emily is a totally spoiled rich kid. She has learned she can get away with anything and do anything to the nannies, even in front of her father. Clearly her father has never disciplined her in any way, ever. True, much of the motivation is her deceased mother, but nevertheless, this behavior is ingrained in Emily and she is not going to magically change overnight.We have two good actors in the leads and we quickly see their attraction and we want it to happen. Marcil plays a wonderfully loving, patient, even nurturing woman.Kate's final effort to reach Emily so that she will "keep the faith" is huge and self-sacrificial. It could have been so much more emotionally, but the movie plays this through too quickly. Even so, I had tears.The movie also didn't quite sell David's love-sickness after Kate leaves. It was there for Emily to see, but we can't tell if she picked up on it. It kind of looks like she does, but the self-centered, pity-me girl we saw for most of the movie wouldn't have.And where did Emily go between the church scene and the school scene. Staging the final scene requires a gap here so that we can get the kids in the classroom, but the gap doesn't make sense.OK, so I've really torn this movie apart. But I so love Kate and her love that fills the movie from start to finish that I ended up really enjoying the movie.
drpakmanrains
Having read the reviews of this film here and on Amazon and Netflix, I wonder why those who don't like the Hallmark formula bother to watch. You know going in that the film will not be edgy, nor have overt violence, sex, or swearing, and will usually be predictable, prettier than life, and usually have some tearjerker sentimentality. This one does all these things, but I truly enjoyed it immensely. And by the way, I am not a conservative, as one reviewer believed anyone who likes this kind of fare must be. This film follows the "Sound of Music" plot points of a Nanny who takes on unruly children of a widower. Vanessa Marcil shines in the role, and the film also has small parts by veteran actors Stacy Keach and Dean Stockwell. Unlike the 20 or so previous nannies, this one soon wins over a young Uriah Shelton, the excellent star of the later 2011 film "Lifted", but can't make much progress with his 15 year old sister, who is still hurting over her mother's death in an accident. And while you know what will eventually happen, the performances and script are quite good overall, and this, at least for me, was one of the best Hallmark films. Have a Kleenex or two ready near the end. And if you don't like Hallmark films inherently, don't bother to watch and then knock it mercilessly.
Conor Sky
Please note I lost interest in this film halfway through, so this is a slightly inaccurate review, but still display's my feeling's I felt while watching this. A typical cash-in of the ever-popular Nanny McPhee, this film boast's a typical family film character roster; bittersweet mother (or in this case, nanny), rebel teenager, deadbeat dad and a little brother who is mainly a supporting character and has little plot of his own. The film has little original content, a sick father that makes the viewer feel bad for not enjoying the film, but not much else. Humor? Nah, unless you are some 80's chap that always has their head in the past, at other family films, then yes, the whole thing is a comedy festival. There's soppy moment's and a dash of romance, nothing you haven't seen before. Unoriginal content, typical plot line and typical character development plus kids playing jokes, maturing and having boring paced character development, while the viewer has more idea what's going on moreso than the actor's make this film a real stinker.
TxMike
This is a TV movie and all the actors have experience in various TV shows. Which means the acting is good, but there is no one recognizable in this movie on a budget. I believe that worked in its favor.The man of the house is a widower with two children, a younger son and a teenage daughter. In a quick series of snippets as the movie starts, we see that the siblings have become experts at working together to drive away new nannies.Next comes pretty Vanessa Marcil (40, looks 25) as Kate, who has an ailing father and who does volunteer tutoring at the local church. She wants to be a teacher, whenever she has time to complete her education. She needs a job, and along comes the opportunity as a nanny.The siblings of course do their usual routine to driver her away but she doesn't quit. Kate knows what it is to lose a mom when you are a teenage girl, so she sticks with it as much to help the daughter as anything.Meanwhile as things begin to work out well in the new job, the dad, a successful and wealthy L.A. architect, takes a liking to Kate. But the daughter, jealous, sets out to sabotage that.There isn't anything new or Earthshaking about this movie, but the actors and the simple, sweet story make it watchable.