Annie (1999 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Annie |
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DVD cover
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| Based on |
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| Directed by | Rob Marshall |
| Starring |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
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| Producer(s) | John Whitman |
| Cinematography | Ralf Bode |
| Editor(s) | Scott Vickrey |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
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| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Original release | November 7, 1999 |
Annie is a fun musical movie made for television in 1999. It was part of The Wonderful World of Disney. The movie is based on the famous 1977 Broadway musical of the same name. That musical was inspired by the 1924 Little Orphan Annie comic strip by Harold Gray. This 1999 film was the second movie version of the musical. The first was a theatrical film in 1982.
Rob Marshall directed this version, and Irene Mecchi wrote the story for the screen. Many talented actors starred in it, including Kathy Bates, Alan Cumming, Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, and Victor Garber. A young actress named Alicia Morton played Annie in her very first movie role.
Annie first aired on ABC on November 7, 1999. It was very popular, with over 26 million people watching it. This made it one of the most-watched Disney movies on ABC at the time. The film won two Emmy Awards and a George Foster Peabody Award for its quality. Later, the musical was adapted into a third film in 2014 and a live TV production in 2021.
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Discovering Annie's Story
In 1933, during a tough time called the Great Depression, a brave 11-year-old girl named Annie Bennett lived in a New York City orphanage. She had been there since she was a baby. Annie held onto a special locket and a note from her parents. The note promised they would return for her. The orphanage was run by the mean Miss Hannigan. She made the orphans work hard and was not kind to them.
One night, Annie decided she couldn't wait any longer. She tried to escape to find her parents. Miss Hannigan caught her, but Annie cleverly hid and finally got away. While on her own, Annie found a friendly dog and named him Sandy. However, a police officer soon found Annie and took her back to the orphanage. Miss Hannigan punished Annie with extra chores.
Annie Meets a Billionaire
Around Christmas, a very rich man named Oliver Warbucks decided he wanted to invite an orphan to his home. His kind secretary, Grace Farrell, chose Annie. Annie and Sandy went to his huge estate and experienced a life of luxury.
At first, Mr. Warbucks wasn't used to having a child around. But Annie's cheerful spirit quickly won him over. He wanted to adopt her, but Annie still hoped to find her birth parents. So, Mr. Warbucks announced on the radio that he would give a large reward to anyone who could prove they were Annie's parents.
A Tricky Plan Unfolds
The other orphans accidentally told Miss Hannigan about the reward. This gave Miss Hannigan a bad idea. She asked her sneaky younger brother, Rooster, and his girlfriend, Lily St. Regis, to pretend to be Annie's parents. They planned to trick Mr. Warbucks and get the money.
Lily stayed with the orphans while Miss Hannigan and Rooster went to Mr. Warbucks' mansion. Lily accidentally let slip their secret plan. The orphans made her tell them everything. Lily realized Rooster might leave her out of the money, so she and the orphans rushed to the mansion. They arrived just as Miss Hannigan and Rooster were about to get the reward.
A Happy Ending for Annie
Suddenly, Franklin D. Roosevelt, the President of the United States, arrived with his Secret Service agents. President Roosevelt had papers that showed Miss Hannigan, Rooster, and Lily were trying to trick everyone. Rooster and Lily were arrested. Miss Hannigan tried to blame Rooster, but Annie reminded her that she taught her never to lie. Miss Hannigan became very angry and was taken away.
Annie and the other orphans were happy that Miss Hannigan was gone. President Roosevelt then shared some sad news: Annie's real parents, David and Margaret Bennett, had passed away when she was a baby. This was why they never returned. Annie was sad, but she knew her parents loved her. Mr. Warbucks officially adopted Annie. President Roosevelt promised that all the other orphans would also find loving families. Mr. Warbucks and Grace got engaged, and Annie lived happily with her new family and Sandy.
Meet the Characters
- Victor Garber as Mr. Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks: A very rich businessman who learns to love Annie and becomes her adoptive father.
- Alicia Morton as Annie Bennett Warbucks: A hopeful 10-year-old orphan who dreams of finding her parents. She is later adopted by Oliver and Grace.
- Audra McDonald as Miss Grace Farrell: Mr. Warbucks' kind personal secretary, who later becomes his wife and Annie's adoptive mother.
- Kathy Bates as Miss Agatha Hannigan: The mean owner of the orphanage where Annie lives.
- Alan Cumming as Daniel Francis "Rooster" Hannigan: Agatha's sneaky younger brother, who tries to trick people for money.
- Kristin Chenoweth as Lily St. Regis: Rooster's girlfriend, who helps him with his plans.
The Orphans
- Erin Adams as Tessie: An 8-year-old orphan who often changes her mood.
- Sarah Hyland as Molly: The youngest orphan at 7 years old, who has a cute doll. She is also adopted by Mr. Warbucks.
- Lalaine as Katherine "Kate": An 11-year-old tomboyish orphan and Annie's friend.
- Nanea Miyata as July: The oldest orphan at 13, who acts like a mother to the others.
- Marissa Rago as Pepper: The 12-year-old second oldest orphan, who can be a bit bossy.
- Danielle Wilson as Duffy: A loud and confident 10-year-old orphan who loves to sing.
Other Important People
- Andrea McArdle as Star-To-Be: (Andrea McArdle played the original Annie in the Broadway musical!)
- Dennis Howard as Franklin D. Roosevelt: The President of the United States.
- Douglas Fisher as Drake: A member of Warbucks' staff.
- Kurt Knudson as Justice Brandeis: A judge.
- Ernie Sabella as Mr. Bundles: The laundry man.
- Chester and Chip as Sandy: The friendly stray dog Annie adopts.
- Vic Polizos as Lt. Ward: A police officer.
Songs from the Movie
The movie's soundtrack was released on November 2, 1999. It features many songs from the original 1977 musical. Some songs from the musical were not included in the movie, but it did add a few reprises (repeated parts) of other songs.
Here are the songs featured in the film:
- "Overture"
- "Maybe" - Annie
- "It's the Hard Knock Life" - Annie and Orphans
- "It's the Hard Knock Life" (Reprise) - Orphans
- "Tomorrow" - Annie
- "Little Girls" - Miss Hannigan
- "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here" - Grace, Annie, and Warbucks' Staff
- "N.Y.C." - Warbucks, Grace, Annie, and Star-to-Be
- "N.Y.C." (Reprise) - Warbucks
- "Lullaby" - Warbucks
- "Easy Street" - Rooster, Miss Hannigan, and Lily
- "Maybe" (Reprise 1) - Annie
- "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" - Bert Healy and the Boylan Sisters
- "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" (Reprise) - Orphans
- "Something Was Missing" - Warbucks
- "I Don't Need Anything But You" - Warbucks and Annie
- "Maybe" (Reprise 2) - Grace
- "Tomorrow" (Reprise) - Grace
- "Little Girls" (Reprise) - Miss Hannigan
- "Finale: I Don't Need Anything But You" (Reprise) - Warbucks, Grace, and Annie
Behind the Scenes: Making Annie
ABC decided to make this Annie film after their success with the movie Cinderella. Even though there was an earlier Annie movie in 1982, the producers wanted to create a new version. They wanted to fix some things people didn't like about the first movie.
They asked Rob Marshall, who choreographed Cinderella, to direct and choreograph Annie. At first, he wasn't sure, saying he was just a choreographer. But the producers believed in him strongly. They convinced Disney executives to let him direct, even though he hadn't directed a movie before. Filming for Annie began in June 1999 in Los Angeles.
When casting the role of Lily St. Regis, the network wanted a famous singer. However, Rob Marshall insisted on Kristin Chenoweth, who was mainly known for Broadway shows at the time. He believed she was perfect for the part.
A fun fact: The costumes and stage design for the "N.Y.C." Broadway scene were inspired by the "Broadway Melody" ballet in the classic movie Singin' in the Rain. Also, Kathy Bates and Victor Garber had worked together before in the famous 1997 movie Titanic.
When Annie Came Out
Annie first aired on ABC on November 7, 1999, as part of The Wonderful World of Disney. After its first showing, the movie was also shown on other TV channels like ABC Family, Starz, and the Hallmark Channel.
Watching Annie at Home
The movie was released on VHS on December 14, 1999, and on DVD on January 24, 2000. For a while, you could also stream it on Disney+.
More About Annie
- Annie Jr. - A shorter version of the musical for school and amateur plays.
- Annie (1982 film) - The first movie based on the musical.
- Annie (2014 film) - A more modern movie version of the story.
- Annie (musical) - The original Broadway show.
- Little Orphan Annie - The comic strip that started the whole Annie story.
