Uptown Girls

Molly Gunn is the spendthrift daughter of a late rock star who has been drifting through life on her inheritance. When her manager runs off with her money she loses her lifestyle and has to take a job, reluctantly signing on to care for Ray, an intensely organized eight-year-old whose father is a busy music executive. Their personalities clash: Molly acts like a child, Ray behaves like an adult. As they share a household and encounter friends, coworkers and romantic interests, their relationship shifts, with Molly learning responsibility and Ray relearning play, all while the story avoids revealing its surprises.

Directed by Boaz Yakin and released in 2003, Uptown Girls was written by Julia Dahl, Allison Jacobs and Mo Ogrodnik. The film stars Brittany Murphy and Dakota Fanning, with Marley Shelton, Donald Faison and Jesse Spencer in supporting roles, positioning it firmly in early 2000s studio-family fare.

Critical response was mixed, though audiences were relatively kinder, and the film holds a user rating near 6.9/10 from over a thousand votes. Reviewers praised the leads for chemistry and humor while noting uneven plotting. The movie treats themes like growing up, caretaking, class differences and coping with loss through a blend of light comedy and domestic drama.

Uptown Girls helped cement Dakota Fanning's status as a standout child performer and gave Brittany Murphy a memorable lead that showcased her comic timing alongside vulnerability. It didn't reinvent the genre, but it settled into pop culture as a recognizable early 2000s nanny-centered comedy, often revisited by viewers for nostalgia and the dynamic between its two central performances.

It wasn't a major awards contender, yet the film did raise the profiles of its principal actors and remains one of the better-known titles in their filmographies. Over time Uptown Girls found new viewers on home video and streaming platforms, where its warm tone and character-driven moments keep it appealing to those seeking lighthearted, character-focused entertainment.