Nanny McPhee is a 2005 British fantasy film directed by Kirk Jones. The film stars Emma Thompson and Colin Firth. Thompson also scripted the film, which is adapted from Christianna Brand's Nurse Matilda books. In 19th century England, widowed Cedric Brown (Colin Firth) has seven children: 11-year old Simon (Thomas Sangster), 10-year old Tora (Eliza Bennett), 9-year old Lily (Jennifer Rae Daykin), 8-year old Eric (Raphaël Coleman), 7-year old Sebastian (Samuel Honywood), 5-year old Christianna (Holly Gibbs) and 1-year old baby Agatha (Hebe and Zinnia Barnes). He loves his children very much, but spends little time with them, unable to handle raising them all on his own, after their mother died. The children have had a series of seventeen nannies, whom they systematically drive out; it is a point of pride for them to get rid of each nanny as fast as possible. They also terrorize the cook, Mrs. Blatherwick (Imelda Staunton) but are cared for and loved by Evangeline (Kelly Macdonald) the young scullery maid. Cedric attempts to hire another nanny from the agency that sent the past seventeen nannies, but the agency refuses him, as the children have sent the past nannies away, terrorized.