So, I just saw this movie. I thought Ann Reinking was FAN-F*CKING-TABULOUS. She's definitely the best part of it. Also, a shout-out to Carol Burnett playing a drunk-ass, scary Miss Hannigan.
I love, love, love this movie. I used to watch it daily when I was a kid. I had a locket that looked similar to Annie's and everything. I think I even used "Tomorrow" as my first audition song because of it.
This was one of my favorite movies as a kid. I used to play the record (yes an actual record) all the time.
I liked when the girls clowned around with "You're never fully dressed Without a Smile"
I love how they all wear brownish shades of clothes except for Annie's red sweater.
Carol Burnett is perfect as the boozing mean boss of the girls.
As a little kid it was very exciting to watch Annie move into the Warbucks house.
I would say the only weak part was when Ann Reinking did her solo dance---it took it out of the 30's and into the early 80's in terms of clothes and hair. But, we also used to have fun imitating her over the top dancing.
The girls knocked it out of the park with the gymnastics in Hard Knock Life.
The girl that played Annie....I thought she screamed more than sang a lot, and the girls who got solos (ex.: Grover! Why not think it over!) had much stronger and fuller forces than Eileen Quinn.
Still, to me this is the quintessential version of Annie. I still like to listen to the CD (when nobody else is around of course).
Oddly enough, last evening, I was sorting through some boxes of old stuff from my childhood and I found the LP of the soundtrack and a photo book from this.
I *loved* that movie. I nearly wore out the soundtrack and I'm sure I drove my foster-mother crazy with my off-key singing.
The last thing I saw on television before I got rid of the boob tube was "Annie" on cable.
When I met Ann briefly, all I could think was "OMG SHE WAS IN ANNIE!!!!"
this version is pretty good (and I even liked the added song about the movies for Reinking) but I also REALLY enjoyed the Rob Marshall (I think?!!?) TV movie version. The film's star went on, I believe, to a starring role on ARCHIE BUNKER'S PLACE after Jean Stapleton left ALL IN THE FAMILY.
I bought the DVD for my nieces last year and they LOVE it, so I've seen it about 50 times since then.
Here's a fun fact for you. The girl who sings the "Grover: Why not think it over" solo is Amanda Peterson. She's probably best known as Cindy Mancini in Can't Buy Me Love with Patrick Dempsey.
Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be enbered with your old nonsense. ~ Emerson
Burnett is perfect--I kept digitally pasting her performance over Kathy Bates' while watching the TV version. It's always great to see Ann Reinking, but she was completely wasted in the role of Grace (and her voice is all wrong for it--that's why they had to put in new songs, although they're fine.) I wonder what would have happened if Reinking had played Lily and Bernadette Peters had been given Grace. Her voice is much more suited to it, and she's such a childlike performer (especially then) that she might have had more rapport with Annie. And Reinking would have been a sizzling, sexy/comic Lily. Thoughts?
I ask in all honesty/What would life be?/Without a song and a dance, what are we?/So I say "Thank you for the music/For giving it to me."
that's a good idea, I had never thought of it. I do find the movie's version of Grace more interesting than the stage version (but then Audra brought the "original Grace" back on track with her version, so it could be in the performing). I never think of Lily as being all that sexy, more kooky/charming, which is not Reinking's forte, but then again neither is motherly rapport (though she does pretty well with Nicole---Fosse's real daughter?---in ALL THAT JAZZ). I think Bates is fine as Hannigan, however. I like her AND Loudon's original AND Burnett's, as well as many who have played it on B'way and tour since.....it's one of those roles that a good actress can have a field day with.
I may be shot for this, but I actually prefer the 99 TV version. I can't stand Carol Burnett, and I'm not crazy about the new songs (who thought replacing NYC with Let's Go to the Movies was a good idea?). And the new plot is odd as well.
I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.
I thought they took a wonderful stage musical and turned in into dreck for the film.
The different characters (Punjab?!), taking it out of the holiday season and sticking in the 4th of July because fireworks were cheaper than snow... Awful.
The only things that are worth watching are Carol and Audra and watching Andrea belt out 'Just got here this morning!'.
"TheatreDiva90016 - another good reason to frequent these boards less."<<>>
“I hesitate to give this line of discussion the validation it so desperately craves by perpetuating it, but the light from logic is getting further and further away with your every successive post.” <<>>
-whatever2
I thought she screamed more than sang a lot, and the girls who got solos (ex.: Grover! Why not think it over!)
I LOVED that girl's voice! Man, I played that part over and over.
"The Hard-Knock Life" was the highlight of the movie for me. When they're all on the outside of the building, it kind of reminded me of Rent. Yeah, I never thought I would equate Annie with Rent, either.
I love how the movie did "Never Fully Dressed" too. The girl playing Molly is ADORABLE.
There were a lot of characters that were part of the original strip, that's not my point.
Why add him, that horrid car chase and all of the other stuff when the show had enough going for it?
"TheatreDiva90016 - another good reason to frequent these boards less."<<>>
“I hesitate to give this line of discussion the validation it so desperately craves by perpetuating it, but the light from logic is getting further and further away with your every successive post.” <<>>
-whatever2
I think what makes this movie so special for me is that I saw it a million years before I knew anything about the stage version or had the mental capacity to contrast and compare.
"TheatreDiva90016 - another good reason to frequent these boards less."<<>>
“I hesitate to give this line of discussion the validation it so desperately craves by perpetuating it, but the light from logic is getting further and further away with your every successive post.” <<>>
-whatever2
Cheyenne Jackson tickled me. AFTER ordering SoMMS a drink but NOT tickling him, and hanging out with Girly in his dressing room (where he DIDN'T tickle her) but BEFORE we got married. To others. And then he tweeted Boobs. He also tweeted he's good friends with some chick on "The Voice" who just happens to be good friends with Tink's ex. And I'm still married. Oh, and this just in: "Pettiness, spite, malice ....Such ugly emotions... So sad." - After Eight, talking about MEEEEEEEE!!! I'm so honored! :-)
Speaking of watching bad movies again, I have Grease 2 on in the back ground.
I forgot just how mind-numbingly bad it is.
"TheatreDiva90016 - another good reason to frequent these boards less."<<>>
“I hesitate to give this line of discussion the validation it so desperately craves by perpetuating it, but the light from logic is getting further and further away with your every successive post.” <<>>
-whatever2
even though the storyline/plot is much simpler and more farcical, it's in some ways similar to play/musical/musical-film versions of various properties: MATCHMAKER/HELLO DOLLY, CHICAGO, I AM A CAMERA/CABARET, even DREAMGIRLS, HAIRSPRAY, RENT. You can agree with some choices in adaptation and disagree with others. Each version has strengths and weakneses, given the era produced and the constraints/opportunities of each medium. Ranking them can belittle their comparison. "Compare/constrast" does not need to be "accept/dismiss."
The 1982 movie was my first experience with Annie, so when I finally saw different versions of it (high school productions in the 90s) I thought....why is it at Christmas? I liked the (let's go to the movies! song---my friends still sing it sometimes on our way to the movies--and yes we all have big L's on our head)
And the Punjab character was good from a little kid's 1982 point of view because he was so mysterious and he was able to practically hypnotize Annie, and when he helped out that girl and made her faint? That was really cool.