BB
(out of 5)
If you had the choice to either see this movie or walk a plank, take the plank. Adapted from the Broadway musical, which itself was based on the popular Depression-era comic strip, this insanely bad mishmash of a musical is about the titular plucky, redheaded orphan (Aileen Quinn seriously overdoing it) who goes to live with a filthy rich Manhattan industrialist (Albert Finney) as part of a publicity stunt to improve his reputation in a city drowning in unemployment. The girl’s spark of energy and genuine love inspire him and his kindly secretary (Ann Reinking) so much that they keep her for good, which doesn’t sit well with the conniving woman (Carol Burnett) who runs the orphanage that Annie came from. She and her dishonest brother (Tim Curry) and sister-in-law (Bernadette Peters) contrive to get Annie back and take Finney for all he’s worth. The songs ring out loud and clear for the world to hear, some of them tunefully cute, some of them really annoying, but John Huston was never meant to direct a musical and he does a terrible job of it. The dramatic scenes are too heavy, the dance numbers are sometimes too busy, and the whole bloated thing is too darn long. The first death toll of the traditional musical film had been rung thirteen years earlier with Hello, Dolly!, but Annie came around just in time to drill one of the last big nails into the coffin.
Columbia Pictures, Rastar Pictures
USA, 1982
Directed by John Huston
Screenplay by Carol Sobieski, based on the stage play by Thomas Meehan, from the comic strip Little Orphan Annie by Harold Gray
Cinematography by Richard Moore
Produced by Ray Stark
Music by Charles Strouse
Production Design by Dale Hennesy
Costume Design by Theoni V. Aldredge
Film Editing by Michael A. Stevenson
Cast Tags: Aileen Quinn, Albert Finney, Amanda Peterson, Angela Lee, Angela Martin, Ann Reinking, April Lerman, Bernadette Peters, Carol Burnett, Cherie Michan, Colleen Zenk, Danielle Miller, Edward Herrmann, Geoffrey Holder, I.M. Hobson, Irving Metzman, Jamie Flowers, Jan Mackie, Janet Jones, Jerome Collamore, Jon Richards, Julie Whitman, Kari Baca, Ken Swofford, Kurtis Epper, Lara Berk, Larry Hankin, Linda Saputo, Lisa Kieldrup, Liz Marsh, Lois De Banzie, Loni Ackerman, Lu Leonard,Lucie Stewart, Mavis Ray, Murphy Cross, Nancy Sinclair, Pamela Blair, Peter Marshall, Robin Ignico, Roger Minami, Rosanne Sorrentino, Shawnee Smith, Sonja Haney, Tim Curry, Tina Caspary, Toni Ann Gisondi, Victor Griffin, Victoria Hartman, Wayne Cilento
Academy Award Nominations
Best Art Direction (art direction: Dale Hennesy; set decoration: Marvin March)
Best Music (Original Song Score and its Adaptation-or-Adaptation Score) (adaptation score by Ralph Burns)
Golden Globe Award Nominations
Best Performance By An Actress in a Motion Picture-Comedy or Musical (Carol Burnett)
Best Performance By An Actress in a Motion Picture-Comedy or Musical (Aileen Quinn)
Razzie Award
Worst Supporting Actress (Aileen Quinn)
Nominations
Worst Picture
Worst Director (John Huston)
Worst Screenplay (Carol Sobieski)
Worst New Star (Aileen Quinn)
British Academy Award Nomination
Best Original Song (“Tomorrow”)
