Annie

It sparked an international debate when it was announced Annie (the musical film from the 80’s) would be remade, reinvented and recast with an African American lead character. Who could ever replace the original Annie – an adorable ginger curled, freckle faced orphan who could belt out a tune and have the luck to be adopted by a billionaire (obviously not questionable in the eighties). Annie, released in 1982 was an instant favourite with its target audience. Annie merchandise was a hot seller with anything from lunchboxes, umbrellas, dolls and get this – Annie wigs!

Skip to 2014 and all those show tune loving kids who grew up singing Tomorrow and It’s a Hard Knock Life, have thrown out their wigs and memorabilia and are adults with kids of their own. The new Annie really struck a nerve with fans of the original. They were seething that Will Smith wanted to produce yet another film for one of his offspring. Tables were turned, and it wasn’t the ginger being accused of stealing souls this time. Luckily by the time the film was ready to go, Willow had outgrown the role.

I haven’t seen the new Annie and I’m really not inclined to, but here is an excerpt from a review – ouch!

“The movie opens with a perky, red-headed girl named Annie giving a presentation to her classmates. When she’s finished, the entire room erupts with jeers and hisses. Then the homeroom teacher calls up another girl named Annie (Quvenzhané Wallis) to give her presentation. This hip, new Annie leads her peers in a foot-stomping chant about FDR’s New Deal, and they burst into applause. Within five not-so-subtle minutes, the new Annie is acknowledging the original film and shitting on its memory. ”

“But if you truly love something, why try to mock and redress it with such severity? It’s like if the next James Bond movie started with Daniel Craig throwing Sean Connery down a staircase while mocking his accent.”

http://consequenceofsound.net/2014/12/film-review-annie/