We all know the story: little orphan Annie, who lives in a horrible group home for girls during the Great Depression. The home is run by the mean and drunk Miss Hannigan. Annie is lucky enough to be selected to temporarily live with the insanely rich Daddy Warbucks. Daddy Warbucks falls in love with the little red head and they all sing off into the sunset.
Those familiar with the original also will catch a smattering of amusing nods to the film’s comic-strip origins, such as a band named the Leapin’ Lizards (Annie’s favorite exclamation), as well as references to Daddy Warbucks’ famously bald pate and to FDR.
There are wonderful nods to FDR in the opening sequence, Daddy Warbucks’ bald head and even to the Annie comic-strip with a band named Leapin’ Lizards. Annie 2.0 stays true to the story but with a few modern tweaks. First, Annie (Quvenzhane Wallis) losses the red hair and gains a very big afro. And instead of a group home she lives in a foster home in Harlem with Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz), a bitter musician who is also mean and drunk. She is loaned out temporarily to a deep-pocked cell-phone mogul will Stacks (Jamie Foxx) to take “game changing” pictures to boost his failing mayoral campaign.
The efforts to modernize the story line is endless but Will Gluck forgot one important thing…it’s a musical and musicals need actors who can sing.
Jaime Foxx is the only actor with singing bono fides. But you can tell that he is holding back in an effort to not upstage…well… everyone. Cameron Diaz butchers “Little Girls”. I had to cover my ears.
Wallis’ does manage to pull off one magical moment when she sings “Opportunity” — one of four new songs written for the film by pop star Sia and Greg Kurstin.
Although not a runway hit, Annie is a family film that manages to be entertaining.
