Watch Uptown Girls

Uptown Girls was released in 2003 starring Brittany Murphy as Molly, a young adult woman in her twenties who, due to being quite spoiled her whole life, suddenly has to face reality when the money stops coming in. Her source of income, a trust fund set up by her parents who died when she was young, suddenly dries up due to a scoundrel of an accountant. Needing to work to support herself, she takes an unlikely job as a nanny for a precocious eight year old girl. The young girl is played wonderfully by Dakota Fanning.

The movie is based on the interactions between these two characters as they figuratively dance around each other in unlikely roles as grown up child and immature adult. Heather Locklear, beautiful as ever, plays the uninvolved mother of eight year old Rae. It is painful to watch Locklear's character ignore her daughter in favor of adult preoccupations. Rae's father does not really make a physical appearance but we know he is very sick and lies in a nearby room, casting a pall over young Rae's existence. Both Rae and Molly share the experience of loss in their lives and it is a noticeable bond between them. There is a pet pig that the two main characters share throughout the movie that adds to the movie's charm. There are some funny scenes when Molly tries to loosen Rae up and you can clearly see the marked differences between the two main characters maturity level.

Jesse Spencer plays Neal, Molly's love interest and seems to be a bit of a heel until having a special part in bringing about the surprise ending. The ending is worth hanging in there for and if you are prone to tears at movies, have a tissue ready. This movie is perfect for anyone who enjoys sensitive movies involving children with wonderful surprise endings.