Annie - Special Edition
Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment   -   1982   -   127 minutes

Reviewed by Lisa Ahrens

Review Date: February 17, 2004

FOR STARTERS

PHOTO GALLERY Little orphan Annie

This past January Colombia Pictures released a Special Anniversary Edition of Annie. The film was originally released to the big screen in 1982 and stars, Albert Finney, Carol Burnett, Bernadette Peters, Tim Curry and Aileen Quinn as Annie. Most know Annie is the story of a little girl left at the Hudson Street orphanage during the depression era. The orphanage is run by Miss Hannigan (Burnett), who is rather abusive and obviously spends her days (and nights) intoxicated and more than a little man crazy! Or course, Annie being the spirited orphan that she is, doesn�t let her situation get her down. She boosts the sprits of the other girls and believes that her parents are out there somewhere and that they will find her.

After a foiled escape attempt, Miss Hannigan is about to punish Annie when she is saved by Grace Farrell (Ann Reinking), Oliver Warbucks� (Finney) private secretary. Every year, Mr. Warbucks hosts an orphan in his home and this time, Grace decided that he needed to host a girl. Mr. Warbucks soon finds his home and his life turned inside out by this spunky little girl. Her charming personality and sunny disposition soon warm this billionaire Republican and staunch old bachelor�s heart. However when he offers to adopt Annie and be �Daddy Warbucks� she tells him her one wish is to find her real parents.

Mr. Warbucks launches a nationwide search for Annie�s real parents. Miss Hannigan�s brother, Rooster (Curry) and his wife Lily (Peters) show up with a disguise and a plan to claim Annie and the $50,000 offered by Mr. Warbucks. Of course, they don�t want Annie and plan to dump her in the river once they have the money. The girls at the orphanage learn of Miss Hannigan and Rooster�s plan and set out to save Annie.

Will the kidnapper�s attempts to be foiled? Will Mr. Warbucks get the daughter he now can�t live without? Of course, the story�s a classic!

VIDEO

The DVD format is full screen which some might object too given it is supposed to be a �Special Anniversary Edition� If the studio is encouraging a purchase based on visual quality, stunning sets and photography to release it with only a full screen format, it might have been a mistake. However, to make more money, the studio may opt to release a �Super Special Anniversary Edition� with a widescreen option at a later date. [Editor's Note: Shockingly, that would not be the first time something like that has happened!] It boasts a �Re-mastered in High Definition� quality but the picture is lacking.

AUDIO

The English track features, new DTS sound mix, Dolby� Digital surround sound and Dolby� Digital surround sound for French and Spanish tracks. I found the overall audio experience to be fair. Most of the action was in front portion of the soundstage. The rears do kick in during the musical numbers, but the movie does sound like it's from 1982. The DTS track did not provide an overly better experience, perhaps just sonically louder and a tad more aggressive.

SUPPLEMENTS

DVD features include, Theatrical trailers, exclusive musical performance of �It�s a Hard Knock Life� by pop group Play, The Age of Annie trivia game, Sing Along with Annie! Act along with Annie and My Hollywood Adventure with Aileen Quinn. Of all the extra features, the most interesting was My Hollywood Adventure with Aileen Quinn as I was curious as to what she looks like as an adult, which is a telling sign to the quality of the supplements. A good, not great, effort for this special edition.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Having seen the theatrical version as a child in 1979, I remember sitting in the theater wide eyed at the amazing talent of the young girls playing the orphans, Annie�s incredible singing voice the dazzling sets and costumes. I demanded to have the music (back then available on cassette tape) and drove my parents crazy singing �Tomorrow� and �It�s a Hard Knock Life� when ever they asked me to do my chores! I sat down with anticipation waiting for a wave of childhood nostalgia to wash over me and transport me back to a time of rainbows and bell bottom jeans... I waited... and I waited... and I waited. In the end, the film was mildly entertaining, I found Carol Burnett quite funny in her role as Miss Hannigan and as for sharing this special story and songs with younger generations, it might be best to rent the DVD and purchase the original theatrical score for the kids to sing along too!