Annie (1999 film)
{{short description|1999 American television film by Rob Marshall}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2014}}
{{Infobox television
| image = AnnieDVD.jpg
| image_size =
| image_alt =
| caption = DVD cover
| genre =
| based_on = {{Plainlist|
- {{based on|Annie|Charles Strouse|Martin Charnin|Thomas Meehan}}
- {{based on|Little Orphan Annie|Harold Gray}}
}}
| teleplay = Irene Mecchi
| director = Rob Marshall
| starring = {{Plainlist|
}}
| narrated =
| composer = {{Plainlist|
- {{small|Score:}}
- Danny Troob
- {{small|Songs:}}
- Charles Strouse (music)
- Martin Charnin (lyrics)
}}
| country = United States
| language = English
| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|
- Chris Montan
- Craig Zadan
- Neil Meron
}}
| producer = John Whitman
| editor = Scott Vickrey
| cinematography = Ralf Bode
| runtime = 90 minutes
| company = {{Plainlist|
- Chris Montan Productions
- Storyline Entertainment
- Columbia TriStar Television
- Walt Disney Television
}}
| budget =
| network = ABC
| released = {{Start date|1999|11|07}}
}}
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 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, 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.{{cite web | url=http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/Annie-1999.html | title="Annie" (1999) review | author=Michael Scheinfeld | publisher=Common Sense Media | access-date=2007-11-02 | quote="...the conniving Hannigan and her unscrupulous brother pose as Annie's parents..."}}
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 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. 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 a shy 11-year-old who 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
{{main|Annie (1999 film soundtrack)|l1=Annie (1999 film soundtrack)}}
{{unreferenced-section|date=February 2025}}
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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/impossible-cinderella-producers-hope-valentines-day-rebroadcast-hits-big-com-80039|title=Impossible? 'Cinderella' Producers Hope Valentine's Day Rebroadcast Hits Big|last1=Jones|first1=Kenneth|last2=Gans|first2=Andrew|date=February 12, 1999|website=Playbill|access-date=July 17, 2018|last3=Lefkowitz|first3=David}} 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
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.{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeyVLyjxgrg | title=A Conversation with Rob Marshall | website=YouTube | date=March 26, 2012 }}
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.{{cite web|last=Bitette|first=Nicole|date=July 26, 2017|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/audra-mcdonald-studio-issues-annie-proposal-article-1.3358459|title='Annie' star Audra McDonald says studio was 'uncomfortable' with a black woman marrying Daddy Warbucks |work=New York Daily News|access-date=October 6, 2019}} 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).{{cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1999-11-10-9911100245-story.html |title=ABC sweeps Sunday; TV: With 'Annie,' 'So You Want to be a Millionaire?' and 'The Practice,' it's no hard-knock life. |date=November 10, 1999 |access-date=27 December 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221227182505/https://www.baltimoresun.com/ |archive-date=27 December 2022 |url-access=limited}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1999/11/09/for-annie-not-such-a-hard-knock-life-on-abc/dba7a08d-7d93-4c6b-bbc3-6d49038e445f/ |title=For 'Annie,' Not Such a Hard-Knock Life on ABC|last=De Moraes|first=Lisa|author-link=Lisa de Moraes|newspaper=The Washington Post |date=November 9, 1999 |access-date=5 March 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306004608/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1999/11/09/for-annie-not-such-a-hard-knock-life-on-abc/dba7a08d-7d93-4c6b-bbc3-6d49038e445f/ |archive-date=6 March 2023 |url-access=limited}} This film was praised for its casting and for being closer to the stage production than the 1982 film.{{cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1999-11-07-9911050409-story.html |title='ANNIE' IS SWEEPS DARLING|date=November 7, 1999 |access-date=18 May 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250518173557/https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1999/11/07/annie-is-sweeps-darling/ |archive-date=18 May 2025 |url-access=limited}}
See also
- Annie Jr. - School and amateur productions of Annie.
- Annie (1982 film)
- Annie (2014 film) - Modernized re-imagining loosely based on the same story
- Annie (musical) - The musical which the films are based on.
- Little Orphan Annie - The Harold Gray comic strip from which the whole Annie universe is based.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|0207972|Annie}}
{{Little Orphan Annie}}
{{Rob Marshall}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Annie (1999 Film)}}
Category:1999 television films
Category:1999 comedy-drama films
Category:1990s English-language films
Category:1990s musical comedy-drama films
Category:American Broadcasting Company original films
Category:American comedy-drama television films
Category:American musical comedy-drama films
Category:American musical television films
Category:Cultural depictions of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Category:Disney television films
Category:Films about child labour
Category:Films based on adaptations
Category:Films based on American comics
Category:Films based on comic strips
Category:Films based on Little Orphan Annie
Category:Films based on musicals
Category:Films directed by Rob Marshall
Category:Films set in New York City
Category:Films shot in Los Angeles
Category:Films with screenplays by Irene Mecchi
Category:Great Depression films
Category:Live-action films based on comics
Category:Peabody Award–winning broadcasts
Category:Walt Disney anthology television series episodes