Annie [Special Anniversary Edition]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

This family classic is adapted from the Broadway musical, which was based on the comic strip Little Orphan Annie. During the Great Depression in New York City, a plucky red-haired scrapper named Annie (Aileen Quinn) is the voice of hope for her fellow orphans who live under the supervision of drunken floozy Miss Hannigan (Carol Burnett). Annie's spirit is fueled by the belief that her real parents dropped her off at the orphanage with a half of a locket, promising to return for her with the other half. One day, the dingy orphanage is visited by the sophisticated Grace Farrell (Ann Reinking), personal secretary to conservative politician Oliver Warbucks (Albert Finney). In order to improve his image, Grace brings Annie to the Warbucks estate for a weeklong visit. Annie quickly wins the hearts of servants and politicians alike, eventually even bringing her song of hope, "Tomorrow," to President Roosevelt in Washington. Warbucks and Grace even go so far as to perform a public search for Annie's parents, creating an opportunity for Miss Hannigan, Rooster (Tim Curry), and Lily (Bernadette Peters) to scam their way to the reward money. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Audio: DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Surround
• Screen: Pan and Scan
• Subtitle: Korean, Thai, English, Spanish, French
• Features:
  • cc Exclusive musical performance of "It's the Hard-Knock Life" by pop group Play
  • The Age of Annie trivia game
  • Sing along with Annie
  • Act along with Annie
  • My Hollywood Adventure with Aileen Quinn
  • Trailers
  • Newly created DTS Sound

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Nominated Best Art Direction - 1982 (Dale Hennesy, Marvin March)
•     Nominated Best Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Adaptation Score - 1982 (Ralph Burns)

• Hollywood Foreign Press Association

•     Nominated Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Com - 1982 (Carol Burnett, Aileen Quinn)
•     Nominated New Star of the Year - Female - 1982 (Aileen Quinn)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Albert Finney - Daddy Warbucks
       Carol Burnett - Miss Hannigan
       Aileen Quinn - Annie
       Ann Reinking - Grace Farrell
       Bernadette Peters - Lily

• Director:

  John Huston

• Producer:

  Raymond Stark

• Screenwriter:

  Carol Sobieski

• Cinematographer:

  Richard Moore

• Composer (Music Score):

  Ralph Burns, Charles Strouse

• From Musical by:

  Martin Charnin

• Songwriter:

  Martin Chamin, Charles Strouse

• Editor:

  Margaret Booth, Michael A. Stevenson

• Production Designer:

  Dale Hennesy

• Art Director:

  Robert Guerra, Dianne I. Wager

• Associate Producer:

  Carol Sobieski

REVIEW:

• John Huston's Annie is a contemporary classic that embodies a timeless quality that few films of the 1980s have been able to accomplish. The dream casting may be its best asset, especially with Albert Finney throwing his weight around as Daddy Warbucks. Comedienne Carol Burnett is a perfect choice for the skinny, shaky Miss Hannigan, offering a complementary combination of drunken pratfalls and spinster cynicism. Even in the smaller roles that don't show up until Act III, Tim Curry's Rooster and Bernadette Peters' Lily St. Regis are dastardly comic villains. They bring a fun-filled badness into the picture when it looks like things are getting a little too sentimental. The climactic scene is a cinematic feast, employing a vertical train-bridge set piece complete with Punjab's (Geoffrey Holder) philosophical helicopter rescue. The Oscar-nominated art direction effectively re-creates Depression-era New York, of which a rascally orphan with immeasurable faith is an excellent symbol. Especially entertaining is the Bert Healy (Peter Marshall) radio show program and the orphans' gymnastic make-believe emulation of the broadcast. The wish-fulfillment theme culminates in the glorious trip to Radio City Music Hall with the actual Rockettes opening number "Let's Go to the Movies." Throughout the film, the songs are ridiculously catchy, danceable, and soaring with emotion, making Annie a well-rounded musical and ageless family favorite. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

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