Annie (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'Annie' (adapted from a hit Broadway musical, & directed by John Huston) opens during the Great Depression in NYC, where a cheery & resourceful red-haired scrapper named Annie (Aileen Quinn) is the beacon of hope for her fellow orphans who live at the Hudson St. Home for Girls under the strict supervision of drunken, sex-starved Miss Hannigan (a hilarious Carol Burnett, her into is a killer). She torments her wards, drunkenly quipping "Why any kid would want to be an orphan is beyond me". Then, if they disobey her, she screeches "Kill!!!" In short, she's a fun character {haha}. Annie's spirit is spurred on by the belief that her real parents dropped her at the orphanage with 1/2 of a locket, promising to return for her with the other 1/2.
Luckily, Annie & her scruffy canine companion, Sandy, get a new lease on life when the decrepit orphanage is visited by the sophisticated Grace Farrell (Ann Reinking), secretary to conservative billionaire politician, Oliver Warbucks (Albert Finney). In order to improve his stoic image, Grace brings Annie to the lavish Warbucks estate for a week's visit. Annie quickly wins-over the hearts of the servants. She gets to live in the lapse of luxury. Both Oliver & Grace even take her on a wondrous field trip to the movies. She also woos politicians; eventually lifting the spirits of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the First Lady with a rousing rendition of her song of hope, "Tomorrow". Everyone grows to love Annie.
Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks & Grace even go so far as to initiate a huge public search for Annie's parents; which, unfortunately, creates an opportunity for the scheming Miss Hannigan, her vile brother, Rooster (Tim Curry), & his girlfriend Lily (Bernadette Peters) to scam their way to a $50,000 reward. Everything culminates in a nailbiting sequence atop a railway drawbridge where Annie's life hangs in the balance.
Every song is wonderful and really adds to the narrative. With "Maybe", Annie sings, hoping that her parents will maybe return for her. With "It's a Hard Knock Life", the orphans complain as they clean for miserable Miss Hannigan. In hoping that her dog won't be sent to a sausage factory by Miss Hannigan, Annie belts "Sandy". One of my favorites is when Annie is treated like a queen in Daddy Warbucks' mansion, singing "I Think I'm Gonna Like it Here". Everyone sings "Let's Go to the Movies" in one of my favorite sequences when Daddy Warbucks & Grace take Annie to see Camille at Radio City Music Hall. And the final "I Don't Need Anything But You" is the perfect upbeat song to conclude the film; after a truly harrowing climax.
Aileen Quinn is perfect as the precocious, charismatic Annie. You pull for her every step of the way. Albert Finney may play a grumpy old rich man, but the ice around his heart melts, & you'll grow to love him as much as Annie & Grace do. Carol Burnett is simply hysterical as meanie Miss Hannigan. Her seductive "Sign" scene with Daddy Warbucks is one of my faves. And though she's a villain here, there actually is a redemption arc for her (during the aforementioned climax). Ann Reinking - a dancer, really - plays Grace as a beautiful mother figure. She's a stunning woman. And her love for both Oliver & Annie knows no bounds. Geoffrey Holder is great as Punjab, Daddy Warbucks' fearsome-looking, but amiable & heroic Indian servant. The entire cast impresses; including Tim Curry & Bernadette Peters are slimy Rooster & Lily.
'Annie' is a fun {yet, sometimes dark} family film sure to provide entertainment for both kids & adults. It's an energetic tribute to youthful optimism. And it's also an old-fashioned spectacle. The production design is simply amazing. You'll ooh & ah at Daddy Warbucks' mansion. I ALWAYS wanted to live there. I mean, who wouldn't!? And as impressive as that is, the art director also nails the deplorable, grimy, dust-filled streets of Manhattan (circa the orphanage). The costumes are also immaculate. The sound design is crisp. And you just can't go wrong with that musical score. Some cynics may scoff. But I really think that most kids (and even their parents) could fall in love with 'Annie' in the same way I did some 27 yrs. ago.
Luckily, Annie & her scruffy canine companion, Sandy, get a new lease on life when the decrepit orphanage is visited by the sophisticated Grace Farrell (Ann Reinking), secretary to conservative billionaire politician, Oliver Warbucks (Albert Finney). In order to improve his stoic image, Grace brings Annie to the lavish Warbucks estate for a week's visit. Annie quickly wins-over the hearts of the servants. She gets to live in the lapse of luxury. Both Oliver & Grace even take her on a wondrous field trip to the movies. She also woos politicians; eventually lifting the spirits of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the First Lady with a rousing rendition of her song of hope, "Tomorrow". Everyone grows to love Annie.
Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks & Grace even go so far as to initiate a huge public search for Annie's parents; which, unfortunately, creates an opportunity for the scheming Miss Hannigan, her vile brother, Rooster (Tim Curry), & his girlfriend Lily (Bernadette Peters) to scam their way to a $50,000 reward. Everything culminates in a nailbiting sequence atop a railway drawbridge where Annie's life hangs in the balance.
Every song is wonderful and really adds to the narrative. With "Maybe", Annie sings, hoping that her parents will maybe return for her. With "It's a Hard Knock Life", the orphans complain as they clean for miserable Miss Hannigan. In hoping that her dog won't be sent to a sausage factory by Miss Hannigan, Annie belts "Sandy". One of my favorites is when Annie is treated like a queen in Daddy Warbucks' mansion, singing "I Think I'm Gonna Like it Here". Everyone sings "Let's Go to the Movies" in one of my favorite sequences when Daddy Warbucks & Grace take Annie to see Camille at Radio City Music Hall. And the final "I Don't Need Anything But You" is the perfect upbeat song to conclude the film; after a truly harrowing climax.
Aileen Quinn is perfect as the precocious, charismatic Annie. You pull for her every step of the way. Albert Finney may play a grumpy old rich man, but the ice around his heart melts, & you'll grow to love him as much as Annie & Grace do. Carol Burnett is simply hysterical as meanie Miss Hannigan. Her seductive "Sign" scene with Daddy Warbucks is one of my faves. And though she's a villain here, there actually is a redemption arc for her (during the aforementioned climax). Ann Reinking - a dancer, really - plays Grace as a beautiful mother figure. She's a stunning woman. And her love for both Oliver & Annie knows no bounds. Geoffrey Holder is great as Punjab, Daddy Warbucks' fearsome-looking, but amiable & heroic Indian servant. The entire cast impresses; including Tim Curry & Bernadette Peters are slimy Rooster & Lily.
'Annie' is a fun {yet, sometimes dark} family film sure to provide entertainment for both kids & adults. It's an energetic tribute to youthful optimism. And it's also an old-fashioned spectacle. The production design is simply amazing. You'll ooh & ah at Daddy Warbucks' mansion. I ALWAYS wanted to live there. I mean, who wouldn't!? And as impressive as that is, the art director also nails the deplorable, grimy, dust-filled streets of Manhattan (circa the orphanage). The costumes are also immaculate. The sound design is crisp. And you just can't go wrong with that musical score. Some cynics may scoff. But I really think that most kids (and even their parents) could fall in love with 'Annie' in the same way I did some 27 yrs. ago.