The review runs long because Annie is so darn good.
Film: Annie (2014). Young Actress: Quvenzhane Wallis, age 10.
You all know the story of Little Orphan Annie, the plucky New York City girl who gets adopted by a billionaire after melting his heart. The '30s comic strip about her adventures was adapted into a musical stage play in 1977, which became a theatrical film in 1982, starring Aileen Quinn. In 1999, there was a TV movie starring Alicia Morton, and while it was good, it was mostly a straightforward remake of the '82 version, with no real significant changes. There would be no point to a third Annie movie unless it could deliver a fresh perspective... and luckily, that is just what this modern adaptation brings to the table.
Covers for film productions of Annie from 1938, 1982, 1995, 1999, and 2014.
How many have you seen?
There is so much to like about this movie, right from the very first scene. It opens on a chipper little girl with curly red hair. The reference is obvious: she's the traditional Annie, even dressed similarly to Aileen Quinn in the '82 movie. With over-the-top enthusiasm, she reads a report to her class, and at the end, she does a short tap-dance, and her classmates all groan. Clearly, they've seen this Annie before, too. The teacher then calls on "Annie B.," and Quvenzhane comes to the front of the class... with no report in her hand. When the teacher asks her where it is, she taps her temple and says, "It's up here," then delivers "a performance piece," talking about the Great Depression ("When almost everyone was poor," she explains, "so pretty much just like now, but without the Internet") while calling on her classmates to stomp their feet, representing the poor, or to pretend that they're rich and laugh.
Annie delivering her report on the Great Depression
The tongue-in-cheek reference to the traditional image of Little Orphan Annie might go over kids' heads, but their parents will get it, and likely, they'll get a laugh out of how the movie is poking fun at itself and playing against expectations. That brings us to one of Annie's biggest strengths. The plot is a fun, heartwarming foster-to-adoption story for Annie and William Stacks (Jamie Foxx), a cell-phone mogul who's running for mayor. (He's this movie's version of Daddy Warbucks). It's cute and clearly aimed at kids, but there are also several smart, subtle jokes for the adults watching, making Annie one of those rare family movies that the whole family can actually enjoy. My favorite examples are when Will tries to relate to the homeless at an outreach event by telling them that he was born and raised in Harlem and "on the playground's where I spent most of my days." Later, he takes Annie and her foster sisters to a premiere for a movie that's a clever parody of teen-angst romances like Twilight.
It's clear that this movie wants to distinguish itself from previous Annies, most notably by changing the time period from the 1930's to modern-day. For the most part, the updates work. Rather than gaining fame by appearing on a popular radio show, Annie gains a social media following after Will's campaign manager creates a Twitter account and blog in her name. And instead of a traditional mansion full of maids and butlers, Will lives alone in a Manhattan penthouse, with high-tech appliances and mobile devices instead of servants. (In Annie's room, the entire ceiling is a high-def screen displaying a starry night sky.) And when one character refers tries to refer to her as "Little Orphan Annie," she is quick to snappily correct him, "I'm not an orphan, I'm a foster kid!"
The script is a lot of fun, but there's no question that Quvenzhane is what really makes this movie. Great performances often happen when a young actress can identify with her character (think Tatum O'Neal in Paper Moon or Saoirse Ronan in Brooklyn) and I think it's a big part of what makes Quvenzhane so perfect. Annie is a young girl living in a foster home in Harlem who, by chance, gets taken in by a rich mogul and finds herself in a new life of fame and fortune. Quvenzhane was a little girl living in small-town Louisiana who, on a whim, attended an audition at her local library, was cast as the lead in Beasts of the Southern Wild, and found herself attending the 2012 Academy Awards as the young Best Actress nominee in history. When Will takes Annie to an event at the Guggenheim Museum (which she calls "a giant cinnamon roll"), she comes onstage and sings "Opportunity," one of this movie's original songs. Listening to the lyrics, it's so easy to imagine Quvenzhane singing about her own sudden fame after Beasts of the Southern Wild.
Oh, I used to think, what wouldn't I give
For a moment like this, this moment, this gift!
Now look at me and this opportunity
It's standing right in front of me
But one thing I know, it's only part luck and so
I'm putting on my best show!
{Quvenzhane on the red carpet at the 2012 Oscars.}
Under the spotlight I'm starting my life
Big dreams becoming real tonight
So look at me and this opportunity
You're witnessing my moment, you see?
I blog a lot about child actresses, and one of my rules is that I do not throw around comparisons to Shirley Temple. It's always bothered me that comparisons to Shirley are made so lightly when talking about child stars. I try to respect that Shirley was one-of-a-kind, and Quvenzhane is one of the very rare cases where I feel that comparisons to Shirley are actually deserved. Like Shirley, she isn't a fabulous singer, but she's decent (possibly thanks to auto-tuning). But when she belts out "Opportunity," it's about so much more than just her singing voice. Her talent, charm, and presence fill the screen so strongly that the supporting cast almost bows down as she brings. it. home.
Annie singing "Opportunity"
BOW. DOWN.
For longtime Annie fans like me, this version has two other original songs besides "Opportunity." One is "Who Am I?" sung by Annie, Will, and Miss Hannigan, and it's one of the weaker moments in the movie. The stage song "NYC," which was replaced in the 1982 film with "Let's Go to the Movies," is replaced here by "This City's Yours," sung by Annie and Will as he takes her on a helicopter ride over Manhattan. Quvenzhane's Annie still has a dog named Sandy, of course, but the song "Sandy" is gone. This version does do justice to some of the movie's most iconic songs, especially "Tomorrow," "It's a Hard-Knock Life" (the lyrics are now No one cares for you a bit / When you're a foster kid), and my personal favorite, "Maybe," sung by Annie and her foster sisters.
Annie and her foster sisters singing "Maybe"
The movie has some interesting changes and a lot of things to love, but no, it isn't perfect. One flaw is the long length (at almost two hours, a few scenes really drag), and another is Cameron Diaz, who plays Annie's mean foster mom Miss Hannigan and is about as awful and distracting as she was in My Sister's Keeper. It doesn't help that this movie adds a subplot for Miss Hannigan: it turns out that she's only mean because she's single. After Annie fixes her up with a nice neighborhood store-owner (David Zayas), she turns nice. It's as insulting as it sounds., but this movie also sends some really beautiful messages to kids about adoption and interracial families.
Even before Will decides to adopt Annie, she and her foster sisters prove that family is defined more by love than by biology. Some other Annie productions create a competitive spirit between the orphans, but here, Annie and her foster sisters are a smaller, closer, and more supportive group. (They even recycle their garbage, too - another good message for kids!) Watching them work together to accomplish the complex choreography in the "Hard-Knock Life" number, it's easy to imagine that these young actresses all became friends during filming. The foster sisters might have small roles, but they each do them well. Especially adorable is Nicolette Pierini ( The Magic of Belle Isle) as the littlest girl, who serves as something of a sidekick to Annie. This character is traditionally named Molly (she was played in the 1999 film by Sarah Hyland, who makes a cameo appearance here) but she's name-updated to Mia for this version.
Annie has its flaws, but I honestly cannot understand all the hate thrown at this movie. Too many reviews crossed the line from unkind to downright cruel. At the 2015 Oscars - which, by the way, didn't nominate a single black actor or actress - host Neil Patrick Harris even roped David Oyelowo into delivering a mean Annie punchline. As if knocking a children's movie that's already been abused enough is the kind of humor fitting for an Oscars host. I guess the writers were feeling lazy and wanted an easy target. The fact is that bad kids movies get made every single year, and most critics don't pay them much attention. So why did so many critics get so angry at Annie, which had so many good things about it?
Four Annies: Mitzi Green (1932), Aileen Quinn (1982), Alicia Morton (1999), and Quvenzhane.
More at my Annie comparisons album.
Again, I honestly don't get it, but I think the sad truth is that a lot of media trolls out there really are eager to see child stars crash and burn. Quvenzhane is such a bright shining star in this movie, and maybe some people just couldn't stand to see her flying so high. There's a good reason why this was a commercial success, despite the unanimously bad reviews: you can't always trust the critics. See this movie for yourself, and I'll bet you fall in love, too.
AWARDS
BET Awards: nominated for Best Picture
Critics' Choice Awards: nominated for Best Young Actor/Actress (Quvenzhane)
Golden Globes: nominated for Best Actress in a Motion Picture: Musical or Comedy (Quvenzhane)
NAACP Image Awards: nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (Quvenzhane)
You all know the story of Little Orphan Annie, the plucky New York City girl who gets adopted by a billionaire after melting his heart. The '30s comic strip about her adventures was adapted into a musical stage play in 1977, which became a theatrical film in 1982, starring Aileen Quinn. In 1999, there was a TV movie starring Alicia Morton, and while it was good, it was mostly a straightforward remake of the '82 version, with no real significant changes. There would be no point to a third Annie movie unless it could deliver a fresh perspective... and luckily, that is just what this modern adaptation brings to the table.
Covers for film productions of Annie from 1938, 1982, 1995, 1999, and 2014.
How many have you seen?
There is so much to like about this movie, right from the very first scene. It opens on a chipper little girl with curly red hair. The reference is obvious: she's the traditional Annie, even dressed similarly to Aileen Quinn in the '82 movie. With over-the-top enthusiasm, she reads a report to her class, and at the end, she does a short tap-dance, and her classmates all groan. Clearly, they've seen this Annie before, too. The teacher then calls on "Annie B.," and Quvenzhane comes to the front of the class... with no report in her hand. When the teacher asks her where it is, she taps her temple and says, "It's up here," then delivers "a performance piece," talking about the Great Depression ("When almost everyone was poor," she explains, "so pretty much just like now, but without the Internet") while calling on her classmates to stomp their feet, representing the poor, or to pretend that they're rich and laugh.
Annie delivering her report on the Great Depression
The tongue-in-cheek reference to the traditional image of Little Orphan Annie might go over kids' heads, but their parents will get it, and likely, they'll get a laugh out of how the movie is poking fun at itself and playing against expectations. That brings us to one of Annie's biggest strengths. The plot is a fun, heartwarming foster-to-adoption story for Annie and William Stacks (Jamie Foxx), a cell-phone mogul who's running for mayor. (He's this movie's version of Daddy Warbucks). It's cute and clearly aimed at kids, but there are also several smart, subtle jokes for the adults watching, making Annie one of those rare family movies that the whole family can actually enjoy. My favorite examples are when Will tries to relate to the homeless at an outreach event by telling them that he was born and raised in Harlem and "on the playground's where I spent most of my days." Later, he takes Annie and her foster sisters to a premiere for a movie that's a clever parody of teen-angst romances like Twilight.
It's clear that this movie wants to distinguish itself from previous Annies, most notably by changing the time period from the 1930's to modern-day. For the most part, the updates work. Rather than gaining fame by appearing on a popular radio show, Annie gains a social media following after Will's campaign manager creates a Twitter account and blog in her name. And instead of a traditional mansion full of maids and butlers, Will lives alone in a Manhattan penthouse, with high-tech appliances and mobile devices instead of servants. (In Annie's room, the entire ceiling is a high-def screen displaying a starry night sky.) And when one character refers tries to refer to her as "Little Orphan Annie," she is quick to snappily correct him, "I'm not an orphan, I'm a foster kid!"
The script is a lot of fun, but there's no question that Quvenzhane is what really makes this movie. Great performances often happen when a young actress can identify with her character (think Tatum O'Neal in Paper Moon or Saoirse Ronan in Brooklyn) and I think it's a big part of what makes Quvenzhane so perfect. Annie is a young girl living in a foster home in Harlem who, by chance, gets taken in by a rich mogul and finds herself in a new life of fame and fortune. Quvenzhane was a little girl living in small-town Louisiana who, on a whim, attended an audition at her local library, was cast as the lead in Beasts of the Southern Wild, and found herself attending the 2012 Academy Awards as the young Best Actress nominee in history. When Will takes Annie to an event at the Guggenheim Museum (which she calls "a giant cinnamon roll"), she comes onstage and sings "Opportunity," one of this movie's original songs. Listening to the lyrics, it's so easy to imagine Quvenzhane singing about her own sudden fame after Beasts of the Southern Wild.
Oh, I used to think, what wouldn't I give
For a moment like this, this moment, this gift!
Now look at me and this opportunity
It's standing right in front of me
But one thing I know, it's only part luck and so
I'm putting on my best show!
{Quvenzhane on the red carpet at the 2012 Oscars.}
Under the spotlight I'm starting my life
Big dreams becoming real tonight
So look at me and this opportunity
You're witnessing my moment, you see?
I blog a lot about child actresses, and one of my rules is that I do not throw around comparisons to Shirley Temple. It's always bothered me that comparisons to Shirley are made so lightly when talking about child stars. I try to respect that Shirley was one-of-a-kind, and Quvenzhane is one of the very rare cases where I feel that comparisons to Shirley are actually deserved. Like Shirley, she isn't a fabulous singer, but she's decent (possibly thanks to auto-tuning). But when she belts out "Opportunity," it's about so much more than just her singing voice. Her talent, charm, and presence fill the screen so strongly that the supporting cast almost bows down as she brings. it. home.
Annie singing "Opportunity"
BOW. DOWN.
For longtime Annie fans like me, this version has two other original songs besides "Opportunity." One is "Who Am I?" sung by Annie, Will, and Miss Hannigan, and it's one of the weaker moments in the movie. The stage song "NYC," which was replaced in the 1982 film with "Let's Go to the Movies," is replaced here by "This City's Yours," sung by Annie and Will as he takes her on a helicopter ride over Manhattan. Quvenzhane's Annie still has a dog named Sandy, of course, but the song "Sandy" is gone. This version does do justice to some of the movie's most iconic songs, especially "Tomorrow," "It's a Hard-Knock Life" (the lyrics are now No one cares for you a bit / When you're a foster kid), and my personal favorite, "Maybe," sung by Annie and her foster sisters.
Annie and her foster sisters singing "Maybe"
The movie has some interesting changes and a lot of things to love, but no, it isn't perfect. One flaw is the long length (at almost two hours, a few scenes really drag), and another is Cameron Diaz, who plays Annie's mean foster mom Miss Hannigan and is about as awful and distracting as she was in My Sister's Keeper. It doesn't help that this movie adds a subplot for Miss Hannigan: it turns out that she's only mean because she's single. After Annie fixes her up with a nice neighborhood store-owner (David Zayas), she turns nice. It's as insulting as it sounds., but this movie also sends some really beautiful messages to kids about adoption and interracial families.
Even before Will decides to adopt Annie, she and her foster sisters prove that family is defined more by love than by biology. Some other Annie productions create a competitive spirit between the orphans, but here, Annie and her foster sisters are a smaller, closer, and more supportive group. (They even recycle their garbage, too - another good message for kids!) Watching them work together to accomplish the complex choreography in the "Hard-Knock Life" number, it's easy to imagine that these young actresses all became friends during filming. The foster sisters might have small roles, but they each do them well. Especially adorable is Nicolette Pierini ( The Magic of Belle Isle) as the littlest girl, who serves as something of a sidekick to Annie. This character is traditionally named Molly (she was played in the 1999 film by Sarah Hyland, who makes a cameo appearance here) but she's name-updated to Mia for this version.
Annie has its flaws, but I honestly cannot understand all the hate thrown at this movie. Too many reviews crossed the line from unkind to downright cruel. At the 2015 Oscars - which, by the way, didn't nominate a single black actor or actress - host Neil Patrick Harris even roped David Oyelowo into delivering a mean Annie punchline. As if knocking a children's movie that's already been abused enough is the kind of humor fitting for an Oscars host. I guess the writers were feeling lazy and wanted an easy target. The fact is that bad kids movies get made every single year, and most critics don't pay them much attention. So why did so many critics get so angry at Annie, which had so many good things about it?
Four Annies: Mitzi Green (1932), Aileen Quinn (1982), Alicia Morton (1999), and Quvenzhane.
More at my Annie comparisons album.
Again, I honestly don't get it, but I think the sad truth is that a lot of media trolls out there really are eager to see child stars crash and burn. Quvenzhane is such a bright shining star in this movie, and maybe some people just couldn't stand to see her flying so high. There's a good reason why this was a commercial success, despite the unanimously bad reviews: you can't always trust the critics. See this movie for yourself, and I'll bet you fall in love, too.
AWARDS
BET Awards: nominated for Best Picture
Critics' Choice Awards: nominated for Best Young Actor/Actress (Quvenzhane)
Golden Globes: nominated for Best Actress in a Motion Picture: Musical or Comedy (Quvenzhane)
NAACP Image Awards: nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (Quvenzhane)