Annie
Tags: depressing

Plot synopsis:
It all begins one snowy evening shortly before Christmas, 1933, but no one is feeling very festive at the Girls' Annex of The New York City Municipal Orphanage.11-year old Annie (Alicia Morton, in her film debut, after launching her professional life on Broadway) is gazing out a window at the falling flakes when the silence is pierced by the cries of little Molly (Sarah Hyland), calling for her vanished mother. Pepper (Marissa Rago) angrily erupts over being awakened, but July (Nanea Miyata) jumps to Molly's defense. Annie breaks up the scuffle, and comforts Molly by telling her she was just having another nightmare. Molly admits that he misses her parents terribly, but Pepper, apparently believing that heavy armor is the surest defense, curtly reminds her that they are orphans, that they neither have, nor ever will have, parents. Annie retorts that she is not an orphan - that her parents are alive and are coming back for her, and Molly chirps triumphantly that Annie has a note to prove it. Molly asks Annie to read the note aloud once more, something Annie has done so often that the other girls know its contents quite well:"Please take care of our little darling. Her name is Annie. She was born on October the 28th [1922]. We will be back to get her soon. We have left half of a silver locket around her neck and kept the other half, so that when we come back for her you will know she is our baby."The note may be an object of ridicule to Pepper, but to Annie it means that she might live every orphan's dream: to be reunited with the family she has never known. She goes on to imagine what her parents might be like (MAYBE). But after 11 years her patience is exhausted, and if her mother and father are not coming for her, she will go and find them. She gathers a flashlight and her few belongings, admonishes Pepper to look after Molly, and at 4 AM creeps out of the dormitory hall. She does not get far, however, before she collides with the cold, uncaring Miss Agatha Hannigan (Kathy Bates), who manages the annex. Annie prepares for a beating, but instead Miss Hannigan arouses the rest of the group and orders them to " ... clean this dump 'til it shines like the top of the Chrysler Building!" They girls grudgingly recite, "We love you, Miss Hannigan," and then bewail their predicament (THE HARD-KNOCK LIFE).Later that morning, Mr. Bundles (Ernie Sabella) arrives to distribute the orphans' monthly change of bed linen, and now Annie does escape, by hiding in the laundry bin. Miss Hannigan prepares to send the orphans to their sewing machines (rather than to breakfast), only to learn that Annie has gone out with the dirty linen. As she makes a futile attempt to halt the laundry truck, the orphans celebrate Annie's getaway (HARD-KNOCK LIFE REPRISE). Yet the world outside the orphanage is no warmer or more caring than Miss Hannigan, and Annie finds nothing but apathy along the streets. As cold and hunger begin to set in, she manages to steal an ear of roasted corn from a preoccupied vendor (Frank Cavestani). She then takes refuge among some empty boxes, only to have her meal pilfered by a light-colored canine that is trying to avoid the dog pond. When Annie protests, the dog returns the prize, and she finds herself comforting them both with hopeful reassurance (TOMORROW). When her new friend is about to be seized by a patrolman (Vic Polizos), Annie claims that the dog belongs to her and that his name is Sandy. Ordered to call him, she reluctantly does so, yet soon Sandy obligingly lopes to her side. The policeman warns her to provide a license and leash for her companion, and the fugitives walk victoriously away (TOMORROW REPRISE).Their victory is short-lived, however, and by nightfall they are fleeing the police. They hide among some newly-impoverished victims of Great Depression. When the police discover the two, Annie covers Sandy's bolt for freedom, and then she is caught and returned to Miss Hannigan's custody the next morning. The orphans are directed back to their halls and Annie is ordered to the front office to await her punishment. Stressed by the situation and teased by the orphans, Miss Hannigan rails against the perils of her job (LITTLE GIRLS). As her taskmaster reappears, Annie learns that she is expected to clean the entire annex - with a toothbrush. There is no way to win; when asked if she is glad to be back, and Annie murmurs, "Yes, Miss Hannigan," she is upbraided for telling a lie. The dismal scene is interrupted by the sudden arrival of Grace Farrell (Audra McDonald), who explains that the City Board of Orphans has sent her. Miss Hannigan, terrified that she is about to lose her position, frantically tries to explain that Annie simply got "mixed up" in the laundry and that the police were called as an overreaction. Grace takes note of the charming little girl who glows through the manager's ranting, and at length she succeeds in explaining that she is the personal secretary to Oliver Warbucks, the fabulously wealthy industrialist. Mr. Warbucks wishes to invite an orphan as his guest for the Christmas holidays, and Grace immediately decides that Annie is her choice. A quick reminder of everything that she has just confessed overcomes Miss Hannigan's objections, Grace and Annie leave the orphanage to the other orphans' cheers, and the hapless manager returns to her lamentations (LITTLE GIRLS REPRISE).Thrilled to be free of the orphanage at last, Annie is hardly prepared for the overwhelming opulence that greets her at Warbucks' lavish 5th Avenue abode. She instantly endears herself to the butler, Drake (Douglas Fisher), Cecile (Kimberly Lyon), Mrs. Greer (Ruth Gottschall), Mrs. Pugh (Brooks Almy) and the rest of the grand household staff, but she cannot quite comprehend her good fortune; when Grace asks her what she wants to do first, Annie replies, "The floors - I'll scrub them, and then I'll do the windows." Grace quickly explains that Annie is their guest, and then details a list of luxuries that await her (I THINK I'M GONNA LIKE IT HERE). This mirthful introduction ends when Annie literally bumps into the redoubtable Oliver Warbucks himself, but her innocent bravery leaves her unruffled. He is in an unpleasant mood, complaining that his factories are closing down in the grip of the Depression, when he suddenly refocuses upon the little girl in his presence. He asks, stiffly and with no emotion, why she is there, and when Grace reminds him that he plans to entertain an orphan to counter the bad publicity he is receiving, he remains sternly business-like: "Your'e a girl - orphans are boys." But Warbucks is unprepared for this disarming damsel, who with a sigh of resignation says she understands if he wants to exchange her for a boy. She walks slowly away, expressing awe at the size of his "house." Faced with Grace's glare and sensing feelings he seemed to have forgotten, he assures Annie that he is delighted that she will be spending Christmas with him "... in my big house." The tycoon cannot realize that his young guest has already opened a door that will never close.Still, the signs are unmistakable. Although Annie is thrilled by the chance to see a Broadway show with Grace, Warbucks finds her standing next to him in his executive room; she explains, "I'd kind of like to watch you work." Resistance is pointless, and soon Annie looks on with immense delight as he discusses the gloomy economic scene with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Upon learning that the President is visiting New York City for Christmas, Annie quickly urges her host to invite him for Christmas dinner, and in rapid succession, the invitation is tendered - and accepted. The bewildered Warbucks can only remark, "I wonder what Democrats eat." He tries to claim that he is too busy to go out and celebrate, so Annie counters with, "I've never seen New York before, so I'm happy just to watch you work." He is vexed to learn that Miss Hannigan's iron grip has kept the orphans penned within the annex, and when Annie asks him what the City is like, he scours his memory to recall the last time he has taken a good look at it. The captain of industry is certainly no match for the combined forces of Annie and the metropolis - and they begin to combine their spells (N.Y.C.). Drake asks Grace if they will be needing the car, and she replies, "No, I think she's been cooped up long enough!"The next few hours are filled with all the magic one feels when looking at the ordinary and seeing its beauty for the first time; it seems that the mogul, his aide and their gleaming, winsome sprite belong together, and all three belong to the City (and vise versa!). The splendor of Manhattan is as obvious as it is overlooked - in the show they attend, BROADWAY LULLABY, the "Star-To-Be" (Andrea McArdle, who - by the way - created the original role of "Annie" for Broadway) offers this simple logic: "Go ask the Gershwins, or Kaufman and Hart, the place they love the best; though California pays big for their art, their fan mail comes addressed ... to N.Y.C!" In due course, the riant trio becomes a foursome, for as they leave 45th Street's Imperial Theatre, Sandy leaps into their horse-drawn carriage - and into their lives. Warbucks praises of New York City morph into a lullaby with Annie dozing in the crook of his arm: "Give in, don't fight; good girl, goodnight. Sleep tight, in N.Y.C."Soon Grace gives Miss Hannigan incredible news: the billionaire mogul wants to adopt her "nothin' but trouble" orphan. After excusing herself from the front office to release a scream of consternation, the manager signs the necessary papers. As Grace departs the office, a sinister-looking pair enters and does little to brighten Miss Hannigan's mood. They are her delinquent brother, Daniel Francis "Rooster" Hannigan (Alan Cumming) and his feather-brained floozy, Lilly St. Regis (Kristin Chenoweth). Learning that Annie is about to become an heiress, Rooster begins to scheme for some way to use his sister's connection with Annie to deliver them all to a life of ill-gotten ease (EASY STREET). Meanwhile, Warbucks is about to present Annie with the good news - and about to receive some unexpected news in return. He has already realized that although his efforts to overcome the heartbreak of his own, orphaned childhood have made him very wealthy, the riches surrounding him pale beside the joy Annie has brought. Not knowing quite how to express himself, he tries to show his feelings by replacing Annie's broken locket with a new and very costly one. In the headlong rush that has followed his discovery of true happiness, he has overlooked part of what makes Annie so special: the fierce loyalty of her love. He might as easily separate a bear cub from its mother as remove Annie's only link with her parents. Although he is clearly stung by her rebuff, his own love shows its share of loyalty; if finding her parents means so much to Annie, and he has the resources to help her, then they are hers to command.Among the most popular of Manhattan's radio programs is "The Hour of Smiles," hosted by Bert Healy (Jerry Whitman) and the Boylan Sister (Bobbi Page, Linda Harmon and Edie Lehmann-Boddicker). The orphans sneak downstairs to enjoy the show (YOU'RE NEVER FULLY DRESSED WITHOUT A SMILE) and some respite from their taskmaster - when they hear Annie's voice, along with Warbucks' offer of $50,000 to the couple that can prove they are Annie's mother and father. This results in a burst of celebration, with Duffy (Danelle Wilson), Pepper and Molly in turn portraying Healy, and July, Kate (Lelaine) and Tessie (Erin Adams) giving their collective impersonation of the Boylan Sisters. The girls turn from singing to dancing, which Miss Hannigan soon rudely interrupts. Not long afterwards, an unkempt couple appears, claiming to be Annie's father and mother. The "mother's" misstep soon reveals that they are really Rooster and Lilly, but their plan offers promise, provided Miss Hannigan can furnish key details from Annie's past. Miss Hannigan demands a large cut of the 50 grand, and that she replace Lilly, who is too easily tripped up. When the former asks what is to be done with Annie after they succeed, Rooster produces a switchblade and slides it near his throat; the child will be removed - permanently. The three once again fantasize over the fruits of their fiendish labors (EASY STREET REPRISE). Meanwhile, the Warbucks estate is flooded with false claimants, none of which apparently knows anything about Annie's birth date or her locket. The locket itself provides no help; some 90,000 such items had been produced and sold between 1918 and 1924, so the Federal Bureau of Investigation cannot trace Annie's family through it. Still, no one - and especially not Annie - can now mistake the fact that her happiness is Warbucks' only concern, and that her absent parents might not be her only source of love after all.Now, unlike the speedy, industry-efficient manner in which he tried to bring Annie into his life, the mogul quite literally waltzes, slowly and gently, into hers (SOMETHING WAS MISSING). He assumes nothing, but instead asks her if she would consider becoming his daughter. While she will not give up hope of finding her family, she allows, with building affection, that " ... if I can't have my real parents, I think I'd really like it if you'd be my father!" This seems to settle the matter, and Warbucks asks US Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis (Kurt Knudson) to come to his home to finalize the adoption. Grace forgets formalities, if only for an instant, and embraces both the tyke and the tycoon. What is more, because it is Christmas Eve, Warbucks calls for a splendid party to celebrate the wonderful turn of events; the entire staff is to be invited. Grace and Drake begin preparations, but not before Annie completes a vision of her family in the making: "Miss Grace," she adds, "will you be there too? Because, it's really great when you're both together!" The Warbucks mansion soon becomes the site of a grand Yuletide festival. Annie descends the stairs in what comic strip fans will recognize as a modified form of her trademark red dress and curls, emitting her equally well-known "Leapin' Lizards!" Warbucks and Annie greet their future together (I DONT NEED ANYTHING BUT YOU).Before the adoption formalities begin, however, Drake is obliged to present a shabby and foreboding couple as "The Mudges." Sandy immediately senses something is amiss and growls accordingly, but "Ralph and Shirley" seem to have all the necessary papers to establish that they are Annie's real parents; they can even produce the missing half of the locket. What is more, they seem to know nothing about the reward money; they simply showed up now because they can finally support their little girl, and because " ... the very nice, very attractive lady at the orphanage ..." directed them here. Shocked by this sudden shattering of their hopes, Warbucks and Grace ask that the couple return the next day (Christmas) for Annie and their certified check of $50,000. Annie is relieved to be free from their midst - she sees nothing of herself, or of anyone she would care to be near, in this disheveled and ominous brace of strangers. Warbucks attempts to put the best face he can on this deep disappointment, but Annie turns and scampers upstairs in tears. Grace tries to console her (MAYBE & TOMORROW REPRISE), but tomorrow promises only to be the cruelest of Christmases.Yet all is not lost. Brimming with hubris, Miss Hannigan chortles, " ... my heart is filled with glad tidings of great joy ..." as she and Rooster put their Christmas Day cozenage into action. But they have also planted the seeds of nemesis, leaving Lilly with the orphans, which is much like assigning a chicken to guard a fox. On 5th Avenue, Warbucks has been in continual touch with President Roosevelt and the FBI, but so far nothing has arisen to challenge the "Mudges'" story. "Ralph and Shirley" seem to be everything they claim. Back at the orphanage, however, Lilly has been entertaining the girls with several hands of poker, and she winds up owing them nearly $500. "Beginners' luck!" declares Pepper to their disgruntled pigeon. Fortunately for Lilly, she remembers how rich she will be when Aggie and Rooster return from Warbucks; unfortunately for her, however, she remembers this out loud, and Molly exclaims, "That's where Annie is!" Duffy rifles through Lilly's purse and finds incriminatingly false identification, so soon the girls force her to " ... fess up." Lilly nows remembers something else - that someone has let her take the blame for his conniving in the past. The plot is quickly unraveling, but will it be exposed in time to save Annie?Soon afterwards, Annie's counterfeit family takes the check - and her - and attempts to flee the premises, but as they near their exit, Lilly bursts through the doors and exposes the scam. While she and Rooster begin to bicker, Miss Hannigan grabs the check and bolts for the hallway, but she is driven back by the orphans, who arrive to administer a verbal coup-de-grace: "We love you, Miss Hannigan!" The "Mudges" reverse course but are blocked by a phalanx of Secret Service agents, who then part to reveal President Roosevelt himself. The plotters have left an impressive paper trail of fingerprints and aliases behind them, as the President quickly reveals. When she is placed in handcuffs Lilly declares, "It ain't Easy Street, but at least I'm wearin" silver!" Miss Hannigan has one card left to play, or so she hopes, and she pleads with Annie to " ... tell everyone how good I always been to ya!" "Miss Hannigan, I would," Annie beams with impunity, "but the one thing you always taught me was, 'Never tell a lie!'" That is all for Miss Hannigan - as she is hauled from the Warbucks premises, strapped into an appliance truck, she bellows the closing lines from LITTLE GIRLS: She is headed " ... straight for the nuthouse, with all the nuts and the squirrels! There I'll stay, tucked away, 'til the prohibition of little girls!"The orphans are overjoyed to realize that their antagonist is finally gone from their lives, but President Roosevelt has more to tell Annie. Her note has been traced to an apparently honorable couple named David and Margaret Bennett, but when she asks where they are, it is left to Warbucks to break the news: they passed on long ago. This brings a painful end to what had been Annie's fondest hope, and yet - she wisely reasons that her parents loved her and that only their passing kept them from coming for her. Her irrepressible spirit soon resurfaces, and she points out the bright side: "At least I'm not a Mudge!" The President then guarantees the other girls that a respectable family will adopt each of them, and when Grace announces that Annie has picked out presents for the liberated lasses the Chief Executive joins them for a look under the Christmas tree. With all debts to the past finally paid, Annie can turn to the future - now she can become Annie Bennett Warbucks. "I love you very much, Annie," her new father tells her, to which she gleefully replies, "And I love you, Daddy Warbucks!" As they reprise I DON'T NEED ANYTHING BUT YOU, Warbucks can finally give Annie her new locket - and present a diamond ring to Grace.

Review: The casting,direction, writing, choreography all come together in perfect balance to entertain people of all ages.My only wish is that budget and time constraints would have allowed for theentire original story and score to remain in tact.
The Hooverville / "We'd Like to Thank You Mr. Hoover"  sequence in the original stage musical was perfect inshowing the effects of the depression, as well as giving us the introduction to Sandy.
I only hope that future TV musicals allow the time for the full production, much like the 1993 version of "Gypsy" starring Bette Midler.I've noticed that some people have commented about the multi-racial castingand how secretary Grace would never have been a black woman.
I would like to point out to the ignorant type that the 1982 version is NOT the original Annie.
This version wasn't perfect, but definately much better.Beginning with Alicia Morton: She is a sensational Annie.
She had a georgeous voice and wasn't a complete loser like the Grace in the movie.I noticed how in the 1982 version, Annie never sings "Tomorrow" in the actual movie until she's in the whitehouse.
Also, they add in the stupid "Dumb Dog" song along with "We Got Annie" and "Let's Go To The Movies" and that song Mrs. Hannigan sings with Oliver Warbucks.
They did however take out "You Won't Be An Orphan For Long", "We'd Like To Thank You Herbert Hoover", "Annie", and "We're Getting a New Deal for Christmas." Nonetheless, I was very happy to see "Something was Missing" back in.
I thought Oliver should sing a song to Annie always.The ending of the recent version was a bit different however.
So both films were at fault there.Either way, I think those who think the recent version wasn't as good as the original know absolutely nothing about the stage version.
The only real fault is that Kathy Bates isn't very gin-soaked or ahteable even as Miss Hannigan.This film was made for TV, and yet you wouldn't think it.
Granted some of the sets have a studio feel to them, in particular the mansion, you forget about this as the dancing and story sweep away your imagination.The best advice I can give you on watching this film is to not, as I have done here, continuously compare and contrast this to the 1982 version, as this will deter you from enjoying the full effect of a movie that captures the Broadway atmosphere.All who value a good musical with fantastic orchestration are gonna like this movie!.
This version of Annie is a remake of the stage musical.
Falling in the latter category, I like this version better.To me, Alicia Morton was superior to Aileen Quinn in every way, but most noticeably voice quality.
As much as I love Carol Burnett, I thought Kathy Bates did a fantastic job as Ms. Hannigan and Alan Cumming was a nice surprise as Rooster.One last thing to remember is that since this was for tv, their budget was a lot smaller than a feature film.
I know people are saying this shouldn't be compared to the '82 "Annie," so I'll try to refrain from doing that, though I haven't seen the Broadway version, so it'll be hard.
On stage you can't exactly have 30 girls running all over the place, but movie versions of theatrical productions should be more realistic.
She's attractive and sings well, but such jobs simply were not available to blacks in that era, and the intimated interracial marriage at the end would have been unthinkable.Disney's rewriting of history to conform to current viewpoints isn't a new thing (see Pocahontas), but it continues to be annoying, especially for those who are trying to raise kids with a sense of the past as it really was..
I have heard people criticize it many times calling it an overblown turkey, I do admit at times it does seem that way when I watch it now, especially since I am 22 years old now, but there is no comparison to this new TV version, while the 82 version may have been overblown, this new version is just plain dull and lifeless, I know they were trying to tone it down, but that doesn't mean you have to take all the personality out of it, this movie has neither wit nor humor.
Aileen Quinn had spunk and energy, and a better singing voice than the Annie in this movie, when I saw her as a child I wanted to be just like her, the girl in this version didn't do anything for me.
Kathy Bates as Hannigan is okay, but cannot be compared to Carol Burnett who was hilarious in the 82 version, I don't think her performance was over the top at all.
The ending in this version was downright awful, they had Miss Hannigan pretending to be Annie's mother, instead of Lily.
I mean they made the Annie and Grace into idiots in this movie, like they wouldn't be able to recognize her.
A remake of the original movie of 'Annie', more largely based on the broadway version.
It's even better then the orginal and half of that goes to little Alicia Morton who plays Annie in this irresistible remake of the all time classic!.
Like the ridiculous notion that Ridley Scott was ostensibly toying with a few years ago of remaking 'Citizen Kane' this re-adaptation of 'Annie' pales beside John Huston's magnificent film of this stage musical.
Everything is better in the 1982 version, including the acting, the dialogue, the songs, and especially the relationship between Daddy Warbucks and Annie.
In this one, the two are in pretty much love with each other right away, and it's disappointing and lame.Victor Garber and Alan Cumming are both great actors, but they're playing characters that have already been played to near-perfection before.
Kathy Bates puts in a good bid as Miss Hannigan, but it's impossible to tell whether the character is nicer or meaner than Carol Burnett's version.
While Bates version seems nicer all around, she does not turn over a new leaf at the end nor does she oppose the murder of poor Annie.
Some notable omissions from this version include no Punjab or Asp, Rooster's "Cock-a-doodle-doo", the Hannigan-Warbucks "Sign" number, Annie's curls, and the emphasis on "Tomorrow".Overall, it is an enjoyable watch, however if you are looking to see the very best version, I'd recommend the 1982 classic..
Like most people who loved "Annie" the musical, I was waiting to see this.
and so does the little girl who plays Anni- i wish i saw them in more movies, id definitely go see them.
I am not saying that the new version should've been exactly like the old one but they should have had Alicia Morton have curly hair throughout the whole movie and just not at the end.
It isn't a remake of the 1982 movie, but of the original 1977 Broadway musical.
As to performances in this version, I thought they were all excellent and I liked the re-writing of Hannigan being Annie's mother..
And this TV musical gets far closer to the spirit of the original show than the previous film ever did.Without the film's overblown ending, its bizarre inclusion of Punjab (a minor character from the original comic) and with some original songs brought back from the dead, this version is clearly trying to recreate the broadway show on the small screen.
Her version of Little Girls is so-so, but it's not the stand-out song and certainly doesn't deserve two reprises.The other performances are fairly good, with scots thesp Alan Cumming delightfully villainous as Rooster.
The new Annie features an excellent cast, the standouts being Kathy Bates and Cabaret's Alan Cummings (incidentally, playing the roles Burnett and Curry played in the 82 version).
to be better than the original, but it is brighter, and Easy Street blew away the old version, with Kathy Bates and Alan Cumming being really outstanding.
I'm glad they didn't try to remake the original movie, because nothing can compare to Carol Burnett as Ms. Hannagan, and the original Annie is without peer.This new adaptation is much more lighthearted and colorful than the original.
I have seen both versions of "Annie", and the new one is very good, almost as good as the original.
The new orchestrations and movie version of Annie was refreshing, it was like watching it for the first time and listening to new songs.
This movie is based on the Broadway show which made it's debut in 1977, the characters like Punjab and the Asp do not exist in the stage production nor do songs like Dumb Dog, Sandy, I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here.
Very classy!Let's be glad that with so many variations, sequels, and re-incarnations of this classic story (which is actually just a drag version of OLIVER TWIST) that ANNIE's creators decided to revisit their original.
I had some major problems with this version of one of my favorite movies, the classic Annie.
Fist of all that little Alicia Morgan DOES have a good voice, even if she doesn't have curls or if she doesn't sing like the original Annie.
This was a Disney made for TV movie version of the Broadway musical Annie.
[If you don't believe me, go to the Disney website and read about why they wanted the obvious changes from the 1981 version.] I admire all the actors in the cast, and like both films!
"Something was Missing" is very sentimental, and perfect with Victor Garber's understated acting and beautiful voice.All in all, the 1981 and '99 Annie films were very enjoyable, but this version is better.
I really loved Aileen Quinn,(and I wish people would stop making horrible comments about her) but Alicia Morton is closer than what Annie is like in the stage show, in terms of age, and while both girls were wonderful, Morton has got the better voice.
Annie's friends were well done too, but the scene stealer has to be Kathy Bates as Miss Hannigan, just like the wonderful Carol Burnett.
The Broadway original is said to have contained political overtones, and the 1982 motion picture was frankly crafted to reflect John Houston's considerable talents, but this version of ANNIE was made for all of us who want to be moved by a story and still feel jolly-well elated about the way it develops and ends.
This is not a remake of the 1982 "Annie" (thank heavens), this is the first filmed version of the original Broadway "Annie", I know, I've appeared in a couple of different stage productions of the show.
The 3-time Tony-Award-winning First lady of the Broadway musical theater Audra Ann McDonald's portrayal of Grace Farrell put her on the road to becoming a big star in Hollywood as well, and Victor Garber (of "Titanic" and tv's "Invisible Child") makes for an even better Oliver Warbucks than Albert Finney.
Anyone who compares this movie to the 1982 Annie with Albert Finney & Carol Burnett will either love or hate it in comparison.
The music, the songs and the dances are the best than you can expect from a Broadway musical and the teleplay is much less stagy than the 1982 version (confront for instance the scene in which Annie goes to Broadway, what sense of entertainment in using the number NYC and yet continue to keep the story running in the best Disney style) Alicia Morton is a little miracle of class and style, Kathy Bates is superb, Audra McDonald and Victor Garber are a treat!
It was a little short, but they made up for that with an ALL STAR cast mostly made up of Broadway Tony Award winners - Audra McDonald, Kristen Chenowith, Alan Cumming...and excellent talent - Kathy Bates, Victor Garber...
My personal favorites were Victor Garber(Daddy Warbucks), Kathy Bates(Miss Hannigan) and especially Audra McDonald(Miss Farrell).
Alicia Morton is a great Annie, and I really liked Alan Cummings as Rooster and Audra MacDonald as Grace Farrell.
Alicia Morton, Kathy Bates, Victor Garber, Audra McDonald, Alan Cumming, and Kristin Chenoweth all star in this ABC TV Musical and, along with the help of a sharp cast of orphan girls (Erin Adams, Sarah Hyland, Nanea Miyata, Lalaine, Marissa Rago, and Danelle Wilson), give praiseworthy performances in this modern remake of the classic tale.
Former Les Miserables cast member Alicia Morton steals the show, and despite solid performances by Kathy Bates as Miss Hannigan and Victor Garber as Oliver 'Daddy' Warbucks, the entire musical really revolves around, and depends upon, the delightful Morton.
Espessially so people don't begin thinking that all that Broadway is, is cheesy music like Annie, and that it can be really good.
The movie was lovely in many places, save the use of Kathy Bates who for any role in a light-hearted musical is an unwise choice.
My comments on this film are being compared to the original Broadway play "Annie" rather than the 1982 film version, as I have been a fan of this musical since I first saw a live version of it.
Perhaps the original version with Carol Burnett was more humorous and exciting than this film, but I actually like the feel of this one even better.
It has that typical happy and innocent feel evident in many of my favorite Disney movies, such as "The Parent Trap." Unlike the original, all of the actors actually prove to be good singers as well, which is essential in a film like this.
All of the songs are performed similar to the original musical, a great thing for fans like myself.
The new actress playing Annie didn't have the same charm as the original, but had a good singing voice.
I think that the new movie had a better Annie and molly.
The new one had better singing and acting.And its closer to the stage play.I think the new Annie is a whole lot prettier.
As Miss Hannigan, the mean-spirited orphanage manager, Kathy Bates tries too hard to `play it up,' and her forced performance ends up coming off disturbingly like a bad Rosie O'Donnell impression at times.
I have never seen "Annie" on stage (although I would love to), so my opinions are not based on which movie version was more like the play.
I preferred the way the character of Miss Hannigan was written for this version--a little mean, but not a vicious drunkard (this is no reflection on Carol Burnett who is a great actress!), and Kathy Bates did a great job.
However, I liked Alicia Morton better as Annie, she has a "cuter" voice and doesn't have that ugly (imo) curly hair.Most songs were better in the new version but i was really disappointed with the thin plot.
But since this is not a remake of the original film but of the broadway show (which i have not seen) this might be understandable.Although i might sound a bit negative I really liked this version and gave it 8/10.
Alicia Morton stars in the role of Annie together with Victor Garber, Audra McDonald, Alan Cumming, Kathy Bates and Kristin Chenoweth.Annie hates the orphanage especially her foster mom,Miss Hannigan.That is why she is very excited when a famous and eccentric billionaire Daddy Warbucks picks her up to spend Christmas at her mansion for one week.Warbucks is impressed with Annie's optimism and positive attitude especially with her hopes of seeing her real parents again to comeback and pick her up.To help her,Warbucks offers a million dollars of reward to come back and claim her as her real parents.Seeing an opportunity here,Miss Hannigan makes a plan and convinces her brother Rooster and his girlfriend Lily to come out as her allegedly real parents to claim her.It may not be as good as the 1982 film version,this Disney TV movie is definitely fun to watch and full of entertainment.The songs are fun and lively.Alicia Morton did a wonderful job as Annie.The singers were also a lot better.But obviously,the characters aren't up to par with it for Albert Finney and Carol Burnett are a lot better compared to Victor Garber and Kathy Bates.But overall,it was still worthy to watch..
ABC/Disney mounted an elaborate and entertaining remake of the 1977 Broadway musical Annie for television in 1999 which, for my money, was vastly superior than the theatrical version released back in 1982.
Marshall knows what a musical should look like and having him at the helm as director and choreographer made a big difference in making the piece work, as opposed to the 1982 version which was directed by John Huston, a competent director but clueless where musicals are concerned.For those who don't know, this is the story of a little girl named Annie living in an orphanage during the depression, run by a cruel and sadistic witch named Miss Hannigan, who is chosen to spend a week in the mansion of a billionaire named Oliver Warbucks, a publicity stunt arranged by Warbucks' secretary Grace Farrell.
We then watch as a relationship develops between the lonely philanthropist and the little girl and how Miss Hannigan sees Annie's good fortune as a ticket to Easy Street (which is, BTW, the name of one of the show's best songs).Kathy Bates is deliciously evil as Miss Hannigan.
During the production number, "NYC", there is actually a cameo appearance by Andrea McArdle, who originated the role of Annie in the original 1977 Broadway production.For me, this is a much richer version of this musical, that takes the show back to the basics, remaining faithful to the original piece while benefiting from strong direction and choreography from Rob Marshall and some on-target casting..
Kathy Bates does not make a good Miss Hannigan,Carol Burnett was so much funnier.
Thankfully.Everything that I didn't like about the original movie has been removed, making this a much stronger film.
This just blows compared to the 1982 version, where he actually helped saving both Annie's and Warbuck's lives.Now, my biggest issue with this movie: It has zero character development.