The Nanny Diaries

I’m definitely not the target audience for THE NANNY DIARIES, the film based on a popular novel about a young woman’s experiences as a nanny for a wealthy couple in Manhattan. But when the rest of the family started watching it, I sat down as well, figuring, okay, I can get a good nap in during this one.

Just goes to show you I can be wrong, and frequently am. I stayed awake all the way through the movie and enjoyed it even though the plot is pretty skimpy. Scarlett Johansson is good as usual as the young woman who graduates from college with a degree in physics (I think; some of that wasn’t real clear to me) but winds up accepting a job as a nanny and taking care of a little boy who’s quite a handful, at least at first. The real challenge, though, is dealing with the boy’s mother (Laura Linney), who after being friendly at first turns into an absolute monster once Johansson’s character takes the job. The father, played by Paul Giamatti (who seems to be in every other movie made these days), isn’t any better. But there’s a handsome guy who lives upstairs in the building, and wouldn’t you know it, he and the nanny “meet cute”. Everything plays out exactly like you think it will, but the performances and some stylish touches here and there in the direction make the film watchable. Don’t rush right out to rent it, but if you find yourself watching it you probably ought to be able to stay awake.