Gideon24 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. This version was directed by Rob Marshall, whose next directorial assignment was a little thing called Chicago. 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. I found Bates' interpretation of the character much richer than Carol Burnett's take on the role in 1982. Burnett played Miss Hannigan as a drunk, but Bates brought the greed and viciousness back to the role that Dorothy Loudon introduced to the character back on Broadway in '77. Bates also surprised as a competent vocalist. Her version of my favorite song in the score, "Little Girls" is just superb.I have to admit that I found Victor Garber a little bland as Daddy Warbucks. I actually preferred Albert Finney in the '82 version , though Garber's solo, "Something was Missing" was lovely. Alicia Morton is competent as the title character and Audra McDonald brings a substance to the role of Grace that has been missing in previous versions of the show. Alan Cumming and Kristen Chenoweth are brilliant as Rooster and Lily, Miss Hannigan's brother and his girlfriend, who are Hannigan's cohorts in extorting money from Warbucks through Annie. Cumming, Chenoweth, and Bates bring down the house with "Easy Street".Other songs in the Charles Strouse/Martin Charnin score include "Maybe", "It's a Hard Knocks Life","I think I'm gonna like it here", "You're Never Fully Dressed without a Smile", and, of course, "Tomorrow". 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.

kyle-cruse 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. In that light, this is a great adaptation from stage to screen, as it mostly stays true to the original story and maintains much of that on-stage feel. This version brings back the song "N.Y.C," the great musical number that the 1982 version omitted. 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. Two things really keep this from being a perfect version of this story. First, one of my favorite scenes, in which Annie gets everyone at the White House to sing "Tomorrow," is not in this version. Also, Miss Hannigan pretending to be Annie's mother is completely different from the original story and is hardly believable. Nevertheless, I will overlook those two things because of the great joy this film brings and overall good job this adaptable does to one of my favorite musicals.*** out of ****

Balthazar-5 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. However, Rob Marshall before 'Chicago' is clearly very much in charge of the theatrics, and his choreography and mise en scene is fine. The problem is simply in the casting. Almost without exception, the roles are, simply, too big for the players. In singing & dancing, Alicia Morton can stand beside Aileen Quinn, but not in charisma and screen presence. Victor Garber and, particularly, Audra McDonald slip further down the comparison ladder, as does Alan Cumming. While Kathy Bates is no Carol Burnett, however, she does give a certain gravitas to Miss Hannigan. Only improvement, as far as I can see is that Sandy makes a better mutt. For cinephiles, also, there is a major let-down in the substitution of the anaemic 'NYC' for the sensational 'Let's go to the movies' sequence in Huston's film. All of the above notwithstanding, if we remember it is only a TV movie, with all of the budgetary implications of that, it is an honourable effort, but why would anyone want to watch this rather that Huston's minor masterpiece.

chickenlegs92 I used to be obsessed with Annie when I was young and saw all of the movies and the Broadway show. Then, I saw that this film was coming out. I was so excited. I watched it and absolutely loved it. I think it is the best Annie film to date. Why do I think that? the acting. Newcomer Alicia Morton is adorable and has a fantastic voice. She does great in the emotional scenes and is tough at some times and sweet at others. Audra Mcdonald also gives a solid performance and plays the part of grace perfectly. Kudos to Kathy Bates for singing because in an interview I saw she said she'd never sing. She also was hilarious at Ms. Hannigan. Victor Garber, Alan Cumming, and Kristin Chenoweth also gave great performances. Oh and the orphans and Sandy were adorable! I recommend this film. Great for the family.