I have a thick book I read often that contains the first 66 or so chapters of the greatest story ever told. This magnificent epic contains stories of love and sacrifice, of war and glory, of brokenness, trial, victory, defeat and the ultimate tale of redemption.
Indeed, every great story I’ve heard or seen since this thick book was written nearly 2,000 years ago has been merely a shadow or reflection of the great story I found in those first 66 chapters.
And the same is true in Hollywood, no matter how much the moviemakers may try to deny it: If it’s a great story or a great scene, the core of the tale was told first in the pages of the Bible.
It doesn’t have to be a Christian film, like “Facing the Giants” or “Fireproof,” to reflect this principle. It doesn’t even have to be a film like “The Matrix,” which clearly toyed with spirituality – as it named its characters Neo and Trinity, who were longing to settle in Zion while they drifted aboard the ship Nebuchadnezzar – to reflect themes that find their predecessor in the Bible.
For example, when Angelina Jolie turned away from her loving redeemer in shame in the movie “Salt,” we see a picture of Peter saying to Christ, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man” (Luke 5:8).
Or even the movie “9,” which tried so hard to mock, trash and condemn religion, but in the end couldn’t help but point to God as the source of salvation.
So it’s not surprising when good storytelling reflects the greatest story. And in “Nanny McPhee Returns,” audiences see a good story, one that specifically reflects the climax of the greatest story, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
“Nanny McPhee Returns” is the sequel to the much-beloved story of a magical nanny (“Mary Poppins” for a new generation, speaking of retelling old tales – see Ecclesiastes 1:9-10) that reaches a troubled family just in time to teach the unruly children key moral lessons in surprising and delightful ways.
This McPhee follows a similar storyline, with an admirable performance turned in by both Maggie Gyllenhaal as an overwhelmed mom and Emma Thompson as McPhee, as well as charming roles played by some talented child actors.
The film does have some flaws, with some outright frightening elements early in the film and some downright stupid elements in the middle, but it ends well, with its moral lessons intact and a few happy tears. The film also shows a few shining moments of good dialogue, a credit to Thompson, who wrote the script.
The movie’s intended message, of course, conveys the five lessons Nanny McPhee teaches the children. Beyond just “not fighting” and “sharing,” however, the movie’s plot builds up the final, fifth, climactic lesson – to have faith.
In this “McPhee” movie, the troubled mom’s husband is off at war. Despite being overwhelmed with running a farm and raising some unruly children by herself, and confounded by a brother-in-law nagging her daily to sign the property over to him (to pay off his secret gambling debts), Mom works two jobs and pushes forward, eagerly awaiting the day of her husband’s return.
As the days turn to weeks, and the weeks to months without news from her husband, Mom nonetheless maintains a resilience that only comes from believing and trusting in her husband’s return.
And when news comes from the war office that Dad was killed in action, still the oldest son of the family “feels in his bones” that Dad is not dead, and he embarks on a daring mission to confirm at the war office in London his father’s fate. Against all odds, the son believes his dad will return.
He will return. He will return. Though no more letters, no evidence exists, the family believes he will return.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for,” Hebrews 11:1 reads, “and certain of what we do not see.”
And what does the biblical predecessor to “Nanny McPhee Returns” hope for? What is the Christian faith certain of, despite not seeing?
That Christ, the husband of his bride, the church (see Ephesians 5:22-32 and Revelation 19:7-9), will return.
In that light, as Nanny McPhee teaches her final lesson – “to have faith” – the film’s conclusion is triumphant. The bride has held her faith, the bridegroom has returned, and “Nanny McPhee” captures the glorious hope of the greatest story ever told, from the greatest book ever written.
Hallelujah! Come, Lord Jesus.
Content advisory:
- The only profanities in “Nanny McPhee Returns” are a couple of h-e-double-hockey-sticks and a single violation of the Third Commandment. There is, however, a sudden slop of manure, mud, vomit, belching and “poop” references in the film’s opening minutes. The children also call each other several rude names during their initial fighting scenes.
- The fighting scenes between the siblings and cousins are fairly intense for a children’s film, but there is no bloodshed or injury portrayed. A couple of female “enforcers” also threaten the brother-in-law with injury if he fails to pay his gambling debts.
- The film’s only sexuality includes a couple of kisses between a married couple, some tawdry flirting between the brother-in-law and the female enforcers and a quick flash of leg when Mom slides down from a hay bale wearing a dress.
- As stated above, there are a pair of intensely dark and surprisingly scary scenes near the beginning of the film. The general store where the mother works takes on an intimidating, poltergeist-like attitude, and the woods on her way home seem virtually haunted with McPhee magic. It’s frightening and occult-like in feel.
- The film doesn’t have any religious content, other than vague references to “having faith.” There are, however, dozens of instances of magic, unexplained in origin, other than coming from Nanny McPhee’s cane. The magic specifically manipulates others according to McPhee’s will, whether that means making drawers talk, children strike themselves or animals do tricks, and so forth.
