A Lesson For the Little Ones, Continued...

Hideous, snaggle-toothed old Nanny initially frightens everyone, but we soon realize she has a heart of gold. Everyone comes to depend on her for emotional support, for she empowers them to pursue their objectives. And that empowerment becomes a precious commodity, considering that the movie is set in a stylized sort of Victorian setting, where prim, proper, oppressively self-conscious behavior holds sway.

What is the common link between these two movies? In both, the title character is hideous, and is loved deeply and sincerely by someone (in the case of Nanny McPhee, a whole family of someones). The hideous character is the villain in Monster House and the hero in Nanny McPhee. The villain is destroyed in the first movie and the hero becomes lovely in the second one. Yep, it turns out that good old Nanny McPhee is actually quite beautiful. That whole ugly dealio was just part of her sage lesson-plan.

The beloved monster is a theme most people can probably identify with, at some level. Doesn't every family have a member who outsiders would find a little on the creepy or formidable side? On behalf of said individual, friends and relatives are always quick to assure the world-in-general, "Oh, he may look a little scary, but really, Grunk is a sweet guy. He'll do anything for you, and he hasn't gored anyone with that forehead tusk for years. You'll like him!"

But still, people can be petty about the appearances of others. I'm not exempt from such behavior. Over the years, there have been times I've been shopping with a friend at the mall, when suddenly we'll notice somebody up ahead whose appearance is aesthetically challenged in a major way. Perhaps I'll be with my friend Kayla and the guy up ahead looks like a banjo-pickin' reject from the Deliverance auditions. I might whisper to her, "Hey look, your husband is here!"--and her response might be, "No he isn't! Don't you recognize your identical twin brother?" Har dee harr haarrr! Such clever jests!

But in reality, there's a good chance that guy is somebody's husband and the couple is deliriously happy. And maybe he does have a twin brother, and they make dinner for the folks down at the homeless shelter every Thanksgiving.

Let's face it. We live in an appearance-conscious society, and movies and TV have taught us to judge others by their looks. Usually, good-looking people are the heroes and the bad-looking ones are the villains. That's something we've all seen time and time again in movies--especially horror movies, where the monsters and serial killers are almost always ugly and frightening. Good-looking people save other good-looking people from the clutches of ugly people. And when a good-looking actor or actress actually PUTS ON WEIGHT to play a role--give that thespian an Oscar!

Essentially, Monster House and Nanny McPhee both put unique spins on the age-old entertainment truism that ugly equals bad. By blending in aspects of love with the fear factor, their creators added depth and texture to their stories. Sure, both movies reach fairly predictable endings--the destruction of the ugly villain, the beautification of the ugly hero--but they make us feel sympathy for the ugly characters by showing that they are deeply loved. A fine lesson for the little ones watching the movie. We are given the opportunity to see these seemingly monstrous beings through the eyes of those who adore them.

And after all--isn't beauty in the eye of the beholder? There's somebody for everybody out in the world, and there are bound to be folks who think "ugly" Nanny McPhee is a grade-A sizzling hotty.

Though I'd be hard-pressed to think of anyone who'd want to go out with the Monster House...

END