Annie (1982)

So, I just saw this movie. I thought Ann Reinking was FAN-F*CKING-TABULOUS. She's definitely the best part of it. Also, a shout-out to Carol Burnett playing a drunk-ass, scary Miss Hannigan.

Your thoughts?

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This was one of my favorite movies as a kid. I used to play the record (yes an actual record) all the time.

I liked when the girls clowned around with "You're never fully dressed Without a Smile"

I love how they all wear brownish shades of clothes except for Annie's red sweater.

Carol Burnett is perfect as the boozing mean boss of the girls.

As a little kid it was very exciting to watch Annie move into the Warbucks house.

I would say the only weak part was when Ann Reinking did her solo dance---it took it out of the 30's and into the early 80's in terms of clothes and hair. But, we also used to have fun imitating her over the top dancing.

The girls knocked it out of the park with the gymnastics in Hard Knock Life.

The girl that played Annie....I thought she screamed more than sang a lot, and the girls who got solos (ex.: Grover! Why not think it over!) had much stronger and fuller forces than Eileen Quinn.

Still, to me this is the quintessential version of Annie. I still like to listen to the CD (when nobody else is around of course).

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Updated On: 2/18/08 at 03:48 PM

this version is pretty good (and I even liked the added song about the movies for Reinking) but I also REALLY enjoyed the Rob Marshall (I think?!!?) TV movie version. The film's star went on, I believe, to a starring role on ARCHIE BUNKER'S PLACE after Jean Stapleton left ALL IN THE FAMILY.

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Do I hear......Happinesssssss.....in here?

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Burnett is perfect--I kept digitally pasting her performance over Kathy Bates' while watching the TV version. It's always great to see Ann Reinking, but she was completely wasted in the role of Grace (and her voice is all wrong for it--that's why they had to put in new songs, although they're fine.) I wonder what would have happened if Reinking had played Lily and Bernadette Peters had been given Grace. Her voice is much more suited to it, and she's such a childlike performer (especially then) that she might have had more rapport with Annie. And Reinking would have been a sizzling, sexy/comic Lily. Thoughts?

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I may be shot for this, but I actually prefer the 99 TV version. I can't stand Carol Burnett, and I'm not crazy about the new songs (who thought replacing NYC with Let's Go to the Movies was a good idea?). And the new plot is odd as well.

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I thought she screamed more than sang a lot, and the girls who got solos (ex.: Grover! Why not think it over!)

I LOVED that girl's voice! Man, I played that part over and over.

"The Hard-Knock Life" was the highlight of the movie for me. When they're all on the outside of the building, it kind of reminded me of Rent. Yeah, I never thought I would equate Annie with Rent, either.

I love how the movie did "Never Fully Dressed" too. The girl playing Molly is ADORABLE.

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There were a lot of characters that were part of the original strip, that's not my point.

Why add him, that horrid car chase and all of the other stuff when the show had enough going for it?

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I think what makes this movie so special for me is that I saw it a million years before I knew anything about the stage version or had the mental capacity to contrast and compare.

The stage show was charming. The movie sucked.

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Speaking of watching bad movies again, I have Grease 2 on in the back ground.

I forgot just how mind-numbingly bad it is.

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Now, there's a movie I can't get through.

"Each version has strengths and weakneses, given the era produced and the constraints/opportunities of each medium."

Honestly, I can't think of a single "strength" in the '80s film version.