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魔法褓母麥克菲Do you believe in magic?
2007/01/26 23:33:49瀏覽650|回應0|推薦1
Hi, my friend,

Do you believe in magic? What is magic in your opinion? For me, magic is magic due to the reason that “Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen.” “Books are a uniquely portable magic” I had a magic Sunday today because of watching a lovely film-- Nanny McPhee, going shopping in a bookstore, buying some nice books and sitting in front of the computer to share some magic thoughts with you.
I’d like to share you the plot and my reflection of the film. Wish you enjoy it.

哥林弗斯、艾瑪湯普遜主演,具有魔法的保姆要如何照顧七個世界上最壞的小孩?
布朗一家的七個小孩-賽門、朵拉、艾瑞克、莉莉、克莉絲、塞巴斯汀和小寶寶小愛-很可能是史上最調皮搗蛋的小孩子,他們的父親布朗先生在葬儀社工作,他是個好好先生,完全拿他們沒輒,也沒時間照顧他們,而他們的母親則在一年前不幸去世。由於布朗先生的收入不多,布朗一家的生活費幾乎都是由布朗太太的阿姨艾黛莉資助,而她要求布朗先生必須在一個月內找到老婆,不然就要切斷他的經濟來源,把他的七個小孩從他身邊奪走。

布朗先生決定不把他的苦衷讓孩子們知道,而這群因為母親早逝變得更早熟的孩子們也變得更頑皮,他們認為他們的爸爸一心只想討個新老婆,不再關心他們,於是調皮搗蛋的行為就更加變本加厲。他們想盡辦法,使出各種賤招,前前後後把十七名被請來照顧他們的褓母嚇得落荒而逃。

就在他們把第十七名褓母趕走的那天晚上,布朗家突然來了一名自稱為麥克菲的魔法褓母,這個長得奇醜無比,卻擁有神奇魔法的褓母果然很有一套,當布朗家的七個小頑童在廚房鬧得天翻地覆,她拿著手杖在地上重重一敲,就把這七個小頑童治得服服貼貼,讓他們乖乖上床睡覺。隔天的情況也一樣,儘管這七個頑童在老大賽門的率領下,想盡辦法要惡整魔法褓母麥克菲,但是她總是能夠輕易地識穿他們的詭計,反而讓他們心服口服地乖乖聽話。

正當布朗家的小孩逐漸變得乖巧聽話的時候,他們的艾黛莉姨婆突然來訪,並要求帶走其中一名小孩,幫忙減輕布朗先生的負擔。深愛孩子的布朗先生當然不願意,但是他卻無計可施,這時孩子們決定向魔法褓母麥克菲求助,她也暫時以魔法平息了艾黛莉姨婆的怒氣,但是她還是要把一個孩子帶走,於是老大賽門就想出一條妙計,那就是讓布朗家的年輕女傭伊凡潔琳跟艾黛莉姨婆走,而一心想要接受良好教育的伊凡潔琳也欣然同意。

但是問題並沒有解決,因為布朗先生還是要在一個月內找到新老婆,他在短短的期限內,只能想到一個對象,那就是俗不可耐的寡婦奎太太,於是他邀請奎太太到他家作客,順便向她求婚。孩子們在得知消息之後再度使出渾身解數,想出各種賤招惡整奎太太,想要把她趕出家門。他們在她喝的茶壺裡放了蟾蜍,在她吃的三明治裡放了蚯蚓,甚至在她的頭髮上放了一隻可怕的大蜘蛛,最後奎太太果然被嚇得落荒而逃。

布朗先生在生氣之餘把他必須續弦的苦衷告訴孩子們,這時他們才恍然大悟、悔不當初,最後決定向奎太太求情,請她答應這門婚事。就在婚禮當天,布朗一家人陷入左右為難的處境,布朗先生真的會和奎太太結婚嗎?孩子們能夠靠自己想出一個兩全其美的辦法嗎?魔法褓母麥克菲又會有什麼驚人之舉呢?這個故事會有一個圓滿結局嗎?

Based on the "Nurse Matilda" books by Christianna Brand turns into the story of Nanny McPhee. Widower Cedric Brown has seven children (Tora, Simon, Lily, Eric, Christianna, Sebastian, and Aggie). He loves his children but spends little time with them and cannot handle them well. He can’t possibly raise them alone, as his wife died a year or so before. He still loves his wife deeply and often sits near her chair and talks to her in the evenings. He doesn’t seem to know how to go on without her, and yet has no choice but to find a new wife. The family’s evil Aunt Adelaide has been supplementing the family’s income due to Mr. Brown’s inability to support his children. She threatens to tear the family apart and send him to debtor’s prison if he does not marry within the month. In an effort to protect his children, he has kept this truth from them.

The children miss their father who used to tell them stories, but their father has changed since their mother has been gone. The reasons why their father is seeking a new wife may have been kept from them, but they are smart enough to figure out that they would soon have a step mother, and they do not like this at all. In fact, that is the very reason that they have become so ill-behaved and unmanageable.

The children have had a series of seventeen nannies, which they systematically drive out by bad behavior. They also terrorize the cook, Mrs. Blatherwick, but there is one person, Evangeline, the scullery maid, who cares for and loves them very much.

Mr. Brown feels angry at the loss of the seventeenth nanny, but he can’t get the help from the nanny agency any more. At that moment, he first hears mention of Nanny McPhee. Over a short while, he continues to hear mention of this nanny, but can find no way of contacting her. Finally, one stormy evening as the children have been completely out of control, she comes knocking at the Brown’s front door. Mr. Brown finds himself startled by her quite hideous appearance and seems disinterested in receiving her help. (A pleasant appearance seems very important to most people in this society. That is because it leaves the first impression. The first impression always affects the following interactions and judgments. But does a good-looking face represent a good-hearted intention? I doubt it all the time. It reminds me of the old saying which goes like “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” In fact, can we try not to judge a person by his appearance?) Meanwhile, Nanny McPhee begins questioning him about his children’s behavior. “Do your children go to bed on time?” “Do they get up when they are told?” “Do they dress themselves?” “Do they say please and thank you?”

Mr. Brown is unable to answer her questions truly, and he tends to doubt that this ugly little woman could be helpful. Nanny McPhee heads straight to the kitchen where all chaos has broken loose due to the rebellion of the children. With something like magic, she is able to get the children to obey her. Mr. Brown finally figures out that his children need this nanny’s help and guidelines. I wish to have a magic wand which enables me to do some tricks on everyone’s face---to let people wear smile peacefully, crazily, all heartedly, happily, loudly, positively and naturally all the time, at various places, at all kinds of situations toward different people. Isn’t it magic to greet people with a lovely and shinny smile all the time?
Nanny McPhee tells the family that she is there to teach them 5 lessons -- she teaches the children discipline, manners and the consequences of their actions. Throughout the story, Nanny McPhee encourages the children to think, to use their resources, to figure out what they can do without someone doing it for them.

First Lesson - To Go To Bed When They Are Told
Second Lesson - To Get Up When They Are Told
Third Lesson - To Get Dressed When They Are Told
Fourth Lesson - To Listen
Fifth Lesson - You Must Do Exactly As You Are Told

Here are some quotes from me, Helen “When kids are young, they should be taught seriously, but when kids are older enough, they should be educated lightly.” “When kids are young, they need to be held tightly and protected sweetly, but when they are older enough, we should let them free to realize their dreams and follow their hearts.” That is because when they are young, they need adults’ guidelines, direction, love, understanding and discipline. All adults should do is play the supportive roles. However, when they are old enough to think twice before making their own choices or decisions and take responsibilities for the consequences of their actions, we adults should believe them and encourage them to show the best out of them eagerly.

Nanny McPhee tells the children something interesting but meaningful, “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.” With each lesson that is learned, we see transformations take place, both in the lives of the Brown family as well as with Nanny McPhee. In the beginning, goodness looks ugly to the children and so does Nanny Mcphee. But as they learn what goodness truly is, Nanny McPhee turns to have a charming and fair appearance. It reminds me of the quote “That which is loved is always beautiful.” ~ Norwegian Proverb

The family is financially supported by Mr. Brown's nearsighted Aunt Adelaide. However, she demands custody over one of the children. She first wants Christiana, one of the daughters, but Evangeline volunteers and Adelaide agrees, assuming she is one of the daughters, adopting her as her own, something which satisfies both Evangeline's wish to be properly educated and the requirement of Adelaide's latest condition to the contract.

She also threatens to cut off the allowance unless Cedric remarries within the month. The family would lose the house, and it would not be able to stay together. Desperate, Mr. Brown turns to frequent widow Mrs. Quickly. The children assume from books that stepmothers are terrible. Therefore they sabotage a visit of Mrs. Quickly, who leaves, angry at Mr. Brown. The kids go to Mrs. Quickly and admit what they did and ask to give their father a second chance and they will be married. After the children’s confession about their father's situation, they agree to the marriage.
However, they discover that Mrs. Quickly is unkind. When everyone is gathered for the marriage ceremony, they disturb the ceremony by pretending a swarm of bees has been attracted to Mrs. Qucikly’s flowered hat. Things quickly get out of hand, resulting in a food fight. Mr. Brown understands that they do not like the bride, and that he does not like her himself, and therefore starts disrupting the ceremony himself. Mrs. Quickly cancels the marriage and runs away.

This seems to mean that Adelaide's marriage deadline is missed. But then Simon asks Evangeline whether she loves Mr. Brown, his father. She first denies it, explaining that that would be inappropriate because of her station as maidservant, but then admits she does. She is so brave that she chooses to face her true inner feeling and shows her love to Mr. Brown directly. Mr. Brown shows his love toward Evangeline faithfully as well and he marries Evangeline the same day, with magical wedding decorations which satisfies Aunt Adelaide's demand and solves all of the family's problems again. The love, the comedy, the magic, and the unbelievable happy ending pleases me all the time.

Oh oh, yeah yeah. I have learned something valuable from the film – WE should be responsible for the choices WE make in ANY given situation and THINKING before WE ACT will assure more tolerable and acceptable results. Besides, not only children but also adults need direction, love, understanding, and discipline because those are the elements to help us become better human beings.

Wish you a great night and sweet dream.
Wish us dream of something magic. I always believe if we believe in magic, we ourselves are magicians in our magic lives. Let’s live each magic day with a lovely magic smile.

Helen with a magic smile

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