My Two Cents: Annie (2014)

Dir. Will Gluck

Cast:

Quvenzhané Wallis
Jamie Foxx
Rose Byrne
Bobby Cannavale
Cameron Diaz
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
David Zayas

As a fan of the 1982 film adaptation of the uber popular Broadway stage hit based on Harold Grey's "Little Orphan Annie" comic strip, gets a punched-up, hip-hoppified reboot courtesy of executive producers Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter and Will Smith and company. Does it make it any better? No. It wasn't such a groundbreaking story to begin with. I did enjoy the Carol Burnett performance as the shrewd and bitter drunk Miss Hannigan; the manager of the orphanage that begat the Aileen Quinn-starring original. Also, Quinn seemed apropos for the part. She also gave a stirring rendition of "Tomorrow" that I always enjoyed from the soundtrack I had bought at the time of its release.

Now, for my take on the 2014 version. Quvenzhané Wallis, who was Oscar-nominated for 2010's "Beasts of The Southern Wild" and holds the record as being the youngest nominee of all time, acquits herself nicely as the new Annie, a plucky NYC foster child who is able to see the good in the world's most jaded city. Even her foster mother (or madam, perhaps - Cameron Diaz in a role that may have kept her out of movie roles for quite an eternity) tries to hate the shit out of her, but finds herself having too soft a spot for her in the end.

By now, unless you've lived in a bomb shelter for the better part of 40 years, you know that Annie (Wallis) will be a political pawn for a billionaire cell phone mogul who's running for NYC mayor (Jamie Foxx who's renamed Will Stacks instead of Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks) whose annoying quirks and need for "space" are the obvious tell-tale signs that the filmmakers won't upset the formula. As for the musical dance numbers, they have the charm of a viral Youtube Nicki Minaj video (PG-rated, of course) on autotune. At least, the John Huston-directed 1982 version, that despite being polarized and still pretty maligned had the benefit of some very splashy choreography and the star-wattage of Carol Burnett as the cruel Hannigan, Ann Reinking as the resourceful Grace Farrell; Warbucks' secretary and Tim Curry as the nefarious villain Rooster Hannigan.


Is the remake a total dog? Not really. Wallis is so charming and likable that she allows me to overlook all of the film's fatal flaws. Rose Byrne adds sweetness to the new Grace Farrell and the foster kids' rendition of "Hard Knock Life" put a smile to my face as I watched it and Foxx and Wallis shared a nice musical number in a helicopter over Ellis Island. More moments like this one and "Annie" 2014 might've made the grade. Still, Diaz's overwrought performance of Miss Hannigan may be the reason why she hasn't graced us movie-wise in three years. Here's hoping to Almighty God that there's no sequel....with or without her.