Whether providing a spoonful of sugar or sass, the best movie nannies take audiences inside the dysfunctional homes of the children they care for. Nannies playa leading role in supportingthe emotional development and sense of imagination within each child while, for some, teaching the parents a thing or two. Whilegluing pieces of families back together, the nanny character also discovers their own journey of self-discovery.
Some of the best onscreen au pairs come from the pages ofchildren’s stories, bringing the wonder and whimsy out of the pages. Their presence creates a space for viewers to be young again, their nurturing kindness reaching through the cinematic barrier toenvelop viewers in the warmthdepicted onscreen. The best movie nannies are some of the most iconic characters in cinematic history, while others are pop culture icons.
10Annie Braddock (Scarlett Johansson)
‘The Nanny Diaries’ (2007)
WhileThe Nanny Diariesdidn’t receive the critical and viewer reception it hoped for, it remains an endearing portrayal of a young woman trying to manage her life while trying to cultivate a new attitude towards a young boy.Annie Braddock (Scarlett Johansson)is a working-class college student who begins to nanny for an affluent Manhattan couple (Laura LinneyandPaul Giamatti), caring for their spoiled son, Grayer (Nicholas Art).
Annie and Grayer forge the bond he lacks with his neglectful parents, withAnnie providing a space where he is respected by an adult and becoming a fierce advocatefor Grayer’s best interests.The Nanny Diariesnegatively amplifies the personas of New York parents in a way that stretches the narrative too thin; however, Annie’s exploration of her life journey and Grayer’s impact on it makes her one of the best movie nannies.
Watch on Plex
9Nana the Dog
‘Peter Pan’ (1953)
From page to screen, Disney wouldn’t leave out one of English literature’s most famous dogs.Peter Panis the animated and family-friendly adaptation ofJ. M. Barrie’splay,Peter Pan and Wendy. It’s the story of a boy who never grew up and takes the Darling children on a magical adventure to the world of Neverland, where there are pirates, mermaids, and more.Nana the Dog is the nursery nanny for the three children, portrayed onscreen as a Saint Bernard, but in the original material it was a Newfoundland.
The bonnet-wearing dog is depicted as a dutiful nannywho takes her role of protecting and caring for the children seriously. Shebrings them their medicine, tidies up the toys, makes their beds, and more. Before the children leave for Neverland, she’s taken to the outdoor dog house by Mr. Darling (Hans Conried) when he emphasizes that the children must grow up. However small her screen time is,Nana is one of the best movie nannies that caters to the imagination of its young viewersabout the wonders of having a dog for a nursery caretaker.
8Nanny (Julie Andrews)
‘Eloise at the Plaza’ (2003)
This is one of themany roles in which Julie Andrews portrayeda doting but firm nanny to children who’ve lost their way.Eloise at the Plazais a live-action adaptation of the children’s book series about a little girl named Eloise (Sofia Vassilieva) and her adventures living in the Plaza Hotel in New York City with her caregiver, Nanny (Andrews). The pair would reprise their roles in a second film,Eloise at Christmastime.
Nanny is Eloise’s stability in her mischievous adventures and in her real world with absentee parents.
Andrews' performance feels like a warm hug that embraces not only Eloise but the audience too. Nanny is Eloise’s stability in her mischievous adventures and in her real world with absentee parents.In encouraging Eloise’s imagination and childhood wonder, Nanny approaches discipline and boundaries with kindness and grace, making her one of the best onscreen au pairs.Watch on Prime Video
7Molly Gunn (Brittany Murphy)
‘Uptown Girls’ (2003)
Uptown Girlsis more than just a comedy about an unqualified nanny; rather a movie about growing up, confronting grief, and discovering new forms of love. The movie starsBrittany Murphyas Molly, a childish adult who loses her inheritance to a shady manager, and ends up nannying for Ray (Dakota Fanning), an 8-year-old whose attitude rivals Molly’s.Uptown Girlsis an exploration of role reversalin which the child is mature for their age, guiding the adult through life.
Molly may be a mess, but her refusal to be bullied by Ray is one of her stand-out qualities, asshe is empowered by the challenge of winning over the young girl and giving her a normal childhood experience. While critics bashed the screenplay and its narrative, fans have established Molly as one of the mostbeloved characters of the 2000s.
Uptown Girls
A grown-up woman who kept her childish instincts and behavior starts working as the nanny of an 8-year-old girl who actually acts like an adult. But everything ends right-side up.
6Tully (Mackenzie Davis)
‘Tully’ (2018)
The focus ofTullyis not the relationship the titular nanny forms with the newborn, but rather the relationship she forms with their mother. After recently giving birth to a newborn, Marlo (Charlize Theron) is gifted a night nanny named Tully (Mackenzie Davis). Marlo is apprehensive of the luxury, but with Tully’s encouragement while caring for the baby,Marlo begins to focus on her mental health and taking time for herself.
With an unforgettable twist,Tullyis an engrossing deep diveinto the challenges of motherhood, post-partum depression, and reaching out for help.Tully establishes herself as one of the best movie nannies for her close attention to Marlo’s mental health and how her presence triggered instrumental changesin how Marlo and the audience viewed motherhood.
A new comedy from Academy Award®-nominated director Jason Reitman (“Up in the Air”) and Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody (“Juno”). Marlo (Academy Award® winner Charlize Theron), a mother of three including a newborn, is gifted a night nanny by her brother (Mark Duplass). Hesitant to the extravagance at first, Marlo comes to form a unique bond with the thoughtful, surprising, and sometimes challenging young nanny named Tully (Mackenzie Davis).
5Chessy (Lisa Ann Walter)
‘The Parent Trap’ (1998)
Acting as a surrogate mother for Hallie (Lindsay Lohan), Chessy (Lisa Ann Walter) is the observant and warm nanny ofThe Parent Trap. Aftertwin girls Hallie and Annie(Lohan) are separated at birth by their divorced parents (Dennis QuaidandNatasha Richardson), they unexpectedly reunite at summer camp and hatch a plan to switch places, forcing their parents back together. Hallie’s nanny,Chessy, is quick to notice when it’s Anniewho arrives back in California, not Hallie.
Chessy is the glueof the Parkers, helping to raise Hallie while keeping a close eye on Nick (Quaid) and his love life. She’s the eyes and ears of the vineyard, with a fashion sense that has inspired pop culture to mimic her signature denim button-down and messy hair clips.Walter’s performance reaches through the screen and makes viewers want to try her homemade chiliand gossip.
The Parent Trap
4Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson)
‘Nanny McPhee’ (2005)
Based on theNurse Matildabook seriesbyChristianna Brand, this mysterious nanny refused to shy away from the chaos of the Brown Family children.Nanny McPheestars Emma Thompsonas the titular caretaker hired by a widowed father (Colin Firth) to manage his seven rambunctious children who have driven several other nannies away.Nanny McPhee engages in a whimsical battle of willswith the eldest Simon (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) as she repairs the family dynamic and instills discipline.
Where this titular character lacks the sugar-and-sweet appearance of other movie nannies, Nanny McPhee makes up for it with charm and storybook magic.She appears when needed most, but never meant to stay forever.The respect and bond she forms with the children by the time credits roll is heartwarming, checking off all the boxes of the best movie nanny qualifications.
Watch on Prime Video
3Maria (Julie Andrews)
‘The Sound of Music’ (1965)
While technically a governess, Maria was actressJulie Andrews' second turn as a nurturing caretaker.The Sound of Musicis an essential musical about a young woman in 1930s Austria sent to care for the seven von Trapp children, bringing music and a new joy to the family after losing their mother. The Oscar-winning feature is based ona true story from Maria von Trapp’s memoir,The Story of the Trapp Family Singers.
While there are creative liberties taken onscreen in a cinematic retelling, Maria’s onscreen free spirit and compassion captivate viewers, especially when they learn she was a real person.Her opinions are always in the best interest of the children, even if that means going toe-to-toe with Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer).The Sound of Musicand Maria are synonymous withthe best movie musicalsand with the best nanny characters.
The Sound of Music
A young novice is sent by her convent in 1930s Austria to become a governess to the seven children of a widowed naval officer.
2Daniel Hillard/Mrs. Doubtfire (Robin Williams)
‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ (1993)
InMrs. Doubtfire’s story of a father’s refusal to miss out on his children’s lives,Robin Williamstreated audiences to not only a comedic performance but also a heartfelt dedication to family. After his divorce’s custody agreement allows him limited time with his children, Daniel Hillard (Williams) transforms himself into the titular Mrs. Doubtfire, a British nanny who his ex-wife (Sally Field) unknowingly hires to care for their three kids after school.
While elements ofDaniel’s well-intentioned performancehave not aged well in recent years, there’s no denying Mrs. Doubtfire is one of the best movie nannies. While already knowing the dynamic of the household, shecreates a new emotionally intimate relationship with Miranda, simultaneously healing a family in a way none of them, including Daniel, knew they needed.
Mrs. Doubtfire
WATCH ON DISNEY+
1Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews)
‘Mary Poppins’ (1964)
The ultimate movie about a no-nonsense nanny with all the love in her heart for the children she cares for,Julie Andrews' Mary Poppins is the definition of the best movie nanny. The classic Disney movie featuresthe titular magical au pairas she arrives to care for the two Banks children (Michael GarberandKaren Dotrice), determined to mend the fraying relationship with their father (David Tomlinson).
She was the nanny that Disney children wanted as their own, from her songbird voice to her whimsical adventures.Mary Poppins is symbolic of the imagination of childhood wonder, her tenderness both nurturing and structural for Banks children whose parents are absent or emotionally unavailable.Mary Poppinsremains an enduring, genre-defining nanny movie.
