# Annie (1999 film)

Annie is a 1999 musical comedy drama television film from The Wonderful World of Disney, adapted from the 1977 Broadway musical of the same name by Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin, and Thomas Meehan, which in turn is based on the 1924 Little Orphan Annie comic strip by Harold Gray. It is the first remake and the second film adaptation of the musical following the 1982 theatrical film starring Aileen Quinn, Carol Burnett, and Albert Finney.
It was directed by Rob Marshall, written by Irene Mecchi, and produced by Walt Disney Television, Columbia TriStar Television, Storyline Entertainment, and Chris Montan Productions. It stars Kathy Bates, Alan Cumming, Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, Victor Garber, Andrea McArdle, and introducing Alicia Morton in her film debut as the titular character with supporting roles by Lalaine, Danielle Wilson, Sarah Hyland, Erin Adams, Nanea Miyata, and Marissa Rago.
Annie premiered on ABC on November 7, 1999. The program proved to be popular during its initial airing, with an estimated 26.3 million viewers, making it the second-most-watched Disney film ever to air on ABC behind Cinderella (1997). This version earned two Emmy Awards and a George Foster Peabody Award. It would be followed by a third film adaptation of the musical in 2014 and a fourth adaptation that was a live NBC production of the musical.

## Plot

In 1933, during the Great Depression, eleven-year-old Annie Bennett was left on her own at the NYC Municipal Orphanage Girls Annex when she was an infant. The only two things that she had from her biological family was half a heart-shaped locket with a key hole, as well as a note from her parents, which said that they would come back for her. The orphanage is run by the tyrannical Miss Hannigan, who starves the orphans, and forces them to do child labor in order to help them gain work experience until she ultimately releases them by giving them various jobs in New York City once they reach adulthood. In the middle of the night, after getting tired of waiting for her parents, Annie tries to escape to find them, but is caught by Miss Hannigan in the process. When Miss Hannigan gets distracted, Annie hides in the dirty laundry bin and she finally succeeds in running away.
While out on her own, Annie befriends a dog, whom she names Sandy. But police officer L.T. Ward catches her and returns her to the orphanage, where Miss Hannigan punishes Annie with extra chores. When billionaire Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks decides to take in an orphan for Christmas, his secretary Grace Farrell chooses Annie. Annie and Sandy are brought to his wealthy estate and bathe in a grand life.
Although at first uncomfortable with Annie, Daddy Warbucks is soon charmed by her. He desperately wants to adopt Annie, but Annie still wants to find her real parents, so he announces on the radio a $50,000 reward for anybody who can find or prove they are her parents. The orphans accidentally tell Miss Hannigan, causing her to hire her younger con artist brother Rooster, and his dimwitted girlfriend, Lily St. Regis, to get the reward for her by posing as Ralph and Shirley Mudge and pretend to get and to bring back Annie and Rooster wants Annie to be killed.
Lily is left with the orphans after Miss Hannigan and Rooster leave, but Lily accidentally tells the secret. The orphans make her tell them what is going on, and she realizes that Rooster could leave her hanging as he has done before in the past. She and the orphans come to Warbucks' mansion where Lily demands her part in the cut while the orphans shout "We love you Miss Hannigan". While fleeing from the orphans, Miss Hannigan and Rooster are intercepted upon the arrival of President Franklin D. Roosevelt along with his Secret Service. President Roosevelt reads the papers that identify Miss Hannigan, Rooster, and Lily leading to Rooster and Lily getting arrested by the Secret Service. When Miss Hannigan claims that Rooster made her do it and to have Annie tell her how good she was to her, Annie reminds Miss Hannigan that she taught her never to lie. This enrages Miss Hannigan who blames Annie for driving her to working with Rooster. She is then carted off to a psychiatric hospital upon going insane.
With Annie telling her fellow orphans that Miss Hannigan is gone forever, President Roosevelt then presents the evidence to Annie that her real parents are actually David and Margaret Bennett, who have died when Annie was still a baby, which explains why they never returned for her. Although Annie is saddened that her parents are dead, she is cheered up with the knowledge that her parents did love her, while Daddy Warbucks officially adopts her. President Roosevelt ensures a happy ending for all as he promises that each of the other orphans will be adopted by a stable and happy family. Daddy Warbucks and Grace become engaged, and Annie lives happily with her new parents and Sandy.

## Cast

* Victor Garber as Mr. Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks, a lonely billionaire businessman who opens his heart to Annie and becomes her adoptive father.
* Alicia Morton as Annie Bennett Warbucks, an optimistic 10-year-old orphan searching for her biological parents. She gets adopted by Oliver and Grace.
* Audra McDonald as Miss Grace Farrell, Personal Secretary (later wife) to Daddy Warbucks. She eventually fell in love with Daddy Warbucks and becomes Annie's adoptive mother.
* Kathy Bates as Miss Agatha Hannigan/Mrs. Shirley Mudge (disguise), the cruel owner of the orphanage where Annie lives.
* Alan Cumming as Daniel Francis "Rooster" Hannigan/Danny the Dip/Mr. Ralph Mudge (disguise), Agatha's younger brother and known con-artist.
* Kristin Chenoweth as Lily St. Regis/Sadie Algonquin/Phyllis the Filcher, Rooster's girlfriend.

### The Orphans

* Erin Adams as Tessie, the 8 year old orphan with mood swings. Tessie goes from being happy one minute to worrisome the next.
* Sarah Hyland as Molly, the youngest of the orphans. Molly is 7 years old and has a cute doll. In the end, she also gets adopted by Oliver Warbucks and becomes the little sister of Annie.
* Lalaine as Katherine "Kate", the tomboyish Mexican-American orphan who is friends with Annie. Kate is shy, is 11 years old and wears glasses.
* Nanea Miyata as July, the oldest orphan at age 13. She is motherly to the other orphans and has a doll too.
* Marissa Rago as Pepper, the second oldest orphan at 12 years old. She is bossy and thinks that she's too old to be adopted.
* Danielle Wilson as Duffy, the loud and confident 10 year old African American orphan with a talent for singing. She dreams of being famous.

### Minor cast

* Andrea McArdle as Star-To-Be (McArdle originated the role of Annie in the musical)
* Dennis Howard as Franklin D. Roosevelt, the President of the United States.
* Douglas Fisher as Drake
* Kurt Knudson as Justice Brandeis
* Ernie Sabella as Mr. Bundles, the laundry man.
* Chester and Chip as Sandy, a stray dog who Annie adopts.
* Vic Polizos as Lt. Ward (credited as "Beat Cop"), a police lieutenant who returns Annie to Miss Hannigan.

## Musical numbers

The film's soundtrack was released on November 2, 1999, by Sony Classical.
The songs in this version reflect those of the original 1977 production, but does not include "We'd Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover", "Tomorrow (Cabinet Reprise)", "Annie", or "New Deal for Christmas". However, it does include a reprise of "N.Y.C." and of "Little Girls" that takes place at the end of the film, rather than after the song itself.
* "Overture"
* "Maybe" - Annie
* "It's the Hard Knock Life" - Annie and Orphans
* "It's the Hard Knock Life" (Reprise) - Orphans
* "Tomorrow" - Annie
* "Little Girls" - Miss Hannigan
* "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here" - Grace, Annie, and Warbucks' Staff
* "N.Y.C." - Warbucks, Grace, Annie, and Star-to-Be
* "N.Y.C." (Reprise) - Warbucks
* "Lullaby" - Warbucks
* "Easy Street" - Rooster, Miss Hannigan, and Lily
* "Maybe" (Reprise 1) - Annie
* "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" - Bert Healy and the Boylan Sisters
* "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" (Reprise) - Orphans
* "Something Was Missing" - Warbucks
* "I Don't Need Anything But You" - Warbucks and Annie
* "Maybe" (Reprise 2) - Grace
* "Tomorrow" (Reprise) - Grace
* "Little Girls" (Reprise) - Miss Hannigan
* "Finale: I Don't Need Anything But You" (Reprise) - Warbucks, Grace, and Annie

## Production

ABC began work on the film following the success of Cinderella. Although the stage musical, Annie, had already been adapted as a film in 1982, the film was considered to be a critical and commercial failure. Zadan and Meron saw remaking the musical as an opportunity to rectify the previous adaptation's errors. They enlisted Cinderella's choreographer Rob Marshall to direct and made the orphans ethnically diverse. Zadan and Meron were both so impressed by Marshall's work throughout Cinderella (saying he acted like a director) that they both asked Marshall to direct and choreograph. At first he turned it down, saying, "I'm not a director, I'm a choreographer. I don't know why you're even offering me this movie." Then Zadan and Meron asked if he ever thought about directing a movie, to which he then said, "No. I don't know anything about film." After long discussions, Marshall finally agreed to direct it, but Disney executives didn't want him. They said, "Annie is too valuable a property. We're not gonna give it to a guy who's never directed a movie." Yet, because Zadan and Meron both really believed in him, they told the executives for weeks that they wouldn't produce it. They knew that since Cinderella was so successful, the last thing Disney wanted to do was make another musical not produced by them. So they kept calling, saying, "Let's go over a list of directors," but Zadan and Meron kept saying, "no," because they really wanted Rob Marshall to do it. Disney eventually conceded and allowed him to direct and choreograph. Filming began in June 1999 and took place entirely on location in Los Angeles.
When it came to casting Lily St. Regis, the network wanted Ginger Spice to play the part. Yet, it was Rob Marshall who successfully fought for Kristin Chenoweth despite her mainly being a Broadway name at the time.
McDonald recalled in a 2017 interview that there was a reshoot of the final scene that showed her character, a black woman, getting engaged to Daddy Warbucks; she suggested the reason for the reshoots was that Disney and ABC were "a little uncomfortable" having a black woman being engaged to a white man. However, the other members of the cast and crew were not happy about having to do the reshoot, and Garber intentionally performed the scene badly so that it couldn't make it into the final cut.
The dancers' costumes and the stage set of the Broadway section of "N.Y.C." are taken directly from the "Broadway Melody" ballet in Singin' in the Rain.
This was the second time Kathy Bates and Victor Garber starred alongside each other in a film. They had previously appeared in James Cameron's 1997 disaster epic film Titanic.

## Release

Annie premiered as part of The Wonderful World of Disney on ABC on November 7, 1999. After its premiere on ABC, the film aired on cable channels such as ABC Family, Starz, and the Hallmark Channel.

### Home media

Annie was released on VHS on December 14, 1999 and on DVD on January 24, 2000 by Buena Vista Home Entertainment. The film has not been released on Blu-ray but was available to stream on Disney+ for a limited time.

## Accolades

The program proved to be popular during its initial airing, with an estimated 26.3 million viewers, making it the second-most-watched Disney movie ever to air on ABC behind Cinderella (1997). This film was praised for its casting and for being closer to the stage production than the 1982 film.
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
| 1999 | Peabody Awards | Peabody Awards | ABC, Storyline Entertainment, Columbia TriStar Television Inc., and Chris Montan Productions, in association with Walt Disney Television | Won |
| 2000 | American Choreography Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Television – Variety or Special | Rob Marshall | Won |
| 2000 | American Comedy Awards | Funniest Female Performer in a TV Special – Network, Cable or Syndication | Kathy Bates | Won |
| 2000 | Art Directors Guild Awards | Excellence in Production Design Award – Variety or Awards Show, Music Special or Documentary | Stephen Hendrickson and Edward L. Rubin | Nominated |
| 2000 | Artios Awards | Best Casting for TV Movie of the Week | Valorie Massalas and Rosalie Joseph | Nominated |
| 2000 | Cinema Audio Society Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television – Non-Fiction, Variety or Music Series or Specials | Terry O'Bright, Keith Rogers, and Edward L. Moskowitz | Nominated |
| 2000 | Costume Designers Guild Awards | Excellence in Period/Fantasy for Television | Shay Cunliffe | Won |
| 2000 | Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical/Variety | Rob Marshall | Nominated |
| 2000 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Kathy Bates | Nominated |
| 2000 | Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards | Best Period Hair Styling – Television (for a Mini-Series or Movie of the Week) | Matthew Kasten, Natasha Ladek, and Mishell Chandler | Nominated |
| 2000 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Motion Picture Made for Television | Best Motion Picture Made for Television | Nominated |
| 2000 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Kathy Bates | Won |
| 2000 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Makeup/Hairstyling in a Non-Series | Best Makeup/Hairstyling in a Non-Series | Nominated |
| 2000 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Television Movie | Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, Chris Montan, Marykay Powell, and John Whitman | Nominated |
| 2000 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie | Kathy Bates | Nominated |
| 2000 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Movie | Rob Marshall | Nominated |
| 2000 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie | Stephen Hendrickson, Edward L. Rubin, and Archie D'Amico | Nominated |
| 2000 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries or Movie | Marcia Turner, Rosalie Joseph, and Valorie Massalas | Nominated |
| 2000 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Choreography | Rob Marshall | Won |
| 2000 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie | Ralf D. Bode | Nominated |
| 2000 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or Special | Shay Cunliffe and Patricia McLaughlin | Nominated |
| 2000 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or Movie | Matthew Kasten, Mishell Chandler, and Natasha Ladek | Nominated |
| 2000 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Music Direction | Paul Bogaev | Won |
| 2000 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Picture Editing for a Miniseries or Movie | Scott Vickrey | Nominated |
| 2000 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or Movie | Edward L. Moskowitz, Terry O'Bright, and Keith Rogers | Nominated |
| 2000 | Satellite Awards | Best Actress – Miniseries or TV Film | Kathy Bates | Nominated |
| 2000 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Kathy Bates | Nominated |
| 2000 | TCA Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials | Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials | Nominated |
| 2000 | TV Guide Awards | Favorite TV Movie or Miniseries | Favorite TV Movie or Miniseries | Won |
| 2000 | Young Artist Awards | Best Family TV Movie or Pilot: Network | Best Family TV Movie or Pilot: Network | Nominated |
| 2000 | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a TV Movie or Pilot: Leading Young Actress | Alicia Morton | Nominated |
| 2000 | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a Feature Film or TV Movie: Young Ensemble | Erin Adams, Sarah Hyland, Lalaine, Alicia Morton, Nanea Miyata, Marissa Rago, and Danelle Wilson | Nominated |
| 2000 | YoungStar Awards | Best Young Actress/Performance in a Miniseries/Made for TV Film | Alicia Morton | Won |