The Nanny Express

6.3/10 · 1,630 ratings20081h 28mWeirdness 3/10Bingo card

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The premise

With their mother dead, Emily and Ben torment their nannies to quit as fast as their father hires them. Till a nanny named Kate shows up and slowly wins Ben over. That's bad enough, but when her father and Kate start to fall in love, Emily sets out to break them up and match him with her ballet teacher.

How unusual is it?

Honestly? Not very — and that's the charm. It plays the hits, which is exactly the point for a cozy night in.

Who’s in it

Behind the camera

Show

Wait, what?

The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.

  • The children's 'Nanny Express' system for psychologically breaking domestic employees
  • The presence of a 'killer pet rat' named Louie used for pranks
  • A bus driver who proposes to his girlfriend in the middle of a bus route with passengers watching

Every trope, all in one place

Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 28 to find more movies that do the same thing.

How it all plays out

Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.

Full story (spoilers)
The film opens with the latest in a long line of nannies fleeing the Chandler household, victims of the 'Nanny Express'—a series of elaborate pranks orchestrated by siblings Ben and Emily. David Chandler, a busy widower, is desperate for help. Meanwhile, Kate Hewitt is a dedicated student working toward her teaching degree while caring for her ailing father, Jerry, who suffers from heart disease. When Kate's friend Ray, a bus driver, mentions a nanny opening through his sister's agency, Kate interviews and gets the job. David is immediately impressed by her, but warns her about the kids' history. Ben is the first to crack; Kate wins him over by making algebra accessible and helping him with his homework in the kitchen, a tactic her own mother used. Emily, however, is much tougher. She is approaching her birthday, which coincides with the anniversary of her mother's death in a car accident, and she views any new woman in the house as a threat to her mother's memory. Emily's pranks include a massive soap-suds disaster in the laundry room and general coldness. Despite this, David and Kate begin to develop a romantic connection, sharing a celebratory drink after they both 'ace' their respective exams. Emily sabotages this burgeoning romance by tricking David into a dinner with her dance teacher, Pam, while simultaneously leading Kate to believe David is on a date. The situation is further complicated when Kate's father, Jerry, passes away after a long illness. In the wake of her father's death, Kate gives Emily a birthday gift: her own personal journal from when she was a teenager, inscribed with the message 'from someone who understands.' Emily reads the journal and realizes that Kate also lost her mother at a young age and felt the same anger and isolation. Overcome with guilt for her sabotage, Emily confesses her tricks to David and reconciles with Kate at the church where Kate tutors. The film concludes with David visiting Kate's classroom to publicly ask her on a date, which she joyfully accepts as the children and her students cheer.

Beat by beat

  1. Opening

    The children successfully scare off yet another nanny, leading David to hire Kate Hewitt.

  2. Inciting Incident

    Ben attempts to prank Kate with a laundry room soap disaster, but Kate's patient reaction begins to win him over.

  3. Midpoint

    David and Kate share a romantic evening celebrating their academic successes, but Emily witnesses their closeness and begins to plot.

  4. Climax

    Kate's father Jerry passes away, and Emily's sabotage (setting David up with Pam) causes a rift between David and Kate.

  5. Turning Point

    Emily reads Kate's old journal and realizes they share the same trauma of losing a mother, leading to a change of heart.

  6. Resolution

    Emily confesses her lies, and David asks Kate on a formal date in front of her students.

28 tropes in one movie

We counted 28 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.

The backstory

The Nanny Express is a Hallmark Channel television film. It premiered on Hallmark Channel on July 11, 2008, and stars Vanessa Marcil, Dean Stockwell, and Brennan Elliott.
From Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

How it stacks up

Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.

Rating 6.3 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 6.3567

Higher-rated than 37% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog The Nanny Express belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

Lines worth quoting

The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.

  • “I love you big as the sky, Katie.”
    — Jerry HewittJerry's recurring expression of love for his daughter, which she later repeats.
  • “You don't look anything like the other nannies.”
    — Ben ChandlerBen's first reaction to meeting Kate.
  • “A winner never quits, and a quitter never wins.”
    — ReverendAdvice given to Kate regarding her struggles with the children.

Meet the characters

Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.

  • Kate Hewitt

    Lead

    Nanny and Teaching Student

    PatientHardworkingEmpatheticResilient
  • David Chandler

    Love interest

    Architect

    Employer and romantic interest

    StressedKindGrievingDevoted Father
  • Emily Chandler

    Antagonist

    Student/Dancer

    Charge/Future step-daughter

    RebelliousHostileGrievingTalented
  • Ben Chandler

    Supporting

    Student

    Charge

    MischievousSmartLonely
  • Jerry Hewitt

    Supporting

    Retired

    Father

    WiseSicklyEncouraging

Questions people ask about The Nanny Express

Where can I watch The Nanny Express?

The Nanny Express is available via UP Faith & Family Apple TV channel, PixL Amazon Channel, and UP Faith & Family Amazon Channel. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is The Nanny Express?

The Nanny Express runs about 1 hour and 28 minutes, and was released in 2008.

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Talking Hallmark

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Data and sources

HallmarkDB catalogue. How we research filmsData refreshed .

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Sources:IMDbTMDBWikipedia