One of the great things about being a mom of two girls is getting to experience, again, some of the things I enjoyed during my own childhood. Watching movies that I loved as a kid with my girls is definitely at the top of my list. This weekend's feature, the 1982 classic, Annie. Manys the afternoon my sister and I spent in front of our cabinet TV watching Annie on HBO singing along to all those great songs - "It's a Hardknock Life" and "Tomorrow". We didn't really understanding the lyrics to "Sign" - something about dancing in "scanties", "bathtub gin" and "making hay"? - and we always took a bathroom or snack break during the boring and annoying "Let's Go to the Movies" with all the women wrapped in tin foil, dancing.
Seeing this movie again as an adult was just as enjoyable as the ten thousand other times I have watched it, but now I not only have a deeper level of appreciation, but I view the characters differently. First and foremost, Miss Hannigan is now my favorite character and I have to say I she is greatly misunderstood. Dealing with small children all day all by yourself? That song "Little Girls"? I feel ya' sister. Makes me feel a little better about my nightly glass of wine and I only have three kids. Multiply that by thirty and I'd become a booze hound too. Miss Hannigan is also a little fabulous. Despite being a raging drunk she still gets herself together in the morning with a full face of makeup and amazing jewelry. Even in the scenes where she is undressed she's wearing some fancy silk undies and fantastic robe. The guys in the neighborhood clearly dig her as evidenced by her torrid affair with the laundry man Mr. Bundles.
The movie is actually full of independent women all employed and fending for themselves. Miss Hannigan, obviously, but even if she's not a great role model we have the smart and sassy Grace Farrell. Do you remember that hat and suit she wears when she shows up at the orphanage? Fabulous! She's intelligent and has it together and gives Daddy Warbucks a run for his money. Bit of a May-December romance, but I can see the appeal.
Sadly, Disney tried to be a bunch of smart-asses and put out a cleaned-up remake a few years back. Please. They took everything that was funny or exciting out of the movie. First of all, Kathy Bates plays Miss Hannigan. Kathy Bates!!! I don't see the neighborhood stiffs trying to get up her skirt anytime soon. And - I could not believe this - SHE DOESN'T DRINK! What is the good of a sober Miss Hannigan? In addition, there's no Punjab or The Asp, apparently the PC police found them offensive (didn't you just love the Seven-Up guy in that role?) even though in the original movie they basically run Warbucks' life and are bad-ass bodyguards. The final straw though is the omission of the kidnapping. You no longer get to see a scene involving a full-grown man in an Annie wig and dress scaling the heights of the Brooklyn bridge. No "new-fangled" helicopter. No Punjab unrolling his turban to save her. No, no the kids of today are spared all the apparently, brain-warping, drama and the plot is foiled before it happens in the new version. Meh.
If you have the opportunity, watch this one (the original!) with your kids. There's nothing like seeing it through their eyes for the first time. I do have to confess I have dodged the whole "orphan" discussion and my oldest doesn't really grasp what the song "Maybe" is about - she will be a quivering puddle when she does so sensitive is my first-born - but other than the unwanted kids thing it's a pretty good time. I still can't hit the high notes in "Tomorrow", but that doesn't stop me from trying.
2 comments:
Oh God! Oh God!
Grace is so amazing! That hat with the little, like, stand out trim. sigh....
I remember ever single word to every single song in that movie (INCLUDING let's go to the Movies AND Dumb Dog). I hereby rate them by order of awesomeness:
Maybe
This song may have single handedly made me love emo music as an adult. Remember how you said you hate songs in minor key, Mary?! I direct your attention to this song. It is ALL IN A MINOR KEY!
Tomorrow
So good.
Hard Knock Life
Stands firm DESPITE that hideous “sample” (read: rip off) by Jay Z. Watching this again I marvel at the athleticism of all the girls that played in this movie.
Little Girls
You pretty much summed it up in your blog. Ms. Hannigan rocks and deserves way more love. Of course her name is “Hannigan.” Those whorish drunken Irish….
I Think I’m Gonna Like it Here
Grace’s tie rocks!
We got Annie
This song was ALMOST relegated to the bottom of the list, except for the fact that Grace is involved.
Dumb dog
This song always just made me gloomy. Dirty little orphan rejecting dirty ownerless dog. The sad never ends.
Sandy
Just kind of an extension of dumb dog, really.
You’re never fully dressed without a smile
"Do I hear haaappiness in here?" Great line. But even so. Totally boring number.
Sign
These lyrics are actually quite amazing. But I need to stay true to the opinions I held as a youngster, and this number was not super interesting for a tot.
Let’s go to the movies
Even Grace can’t save this one. You said it all. I know this is supposed to be all kinds of busby Berkeley awesome, but serious thumbs down on this one. There is also this other problem where sometimes Annie looks like a cancer patient, and this is one of those instances.
As an aside, here is a VERY young and awkward Sarah Jessica Parker performing a song from Annie. YIKES! http://youtube.com/watch?v=e28DLl49vFQ. Really crap stuff comes up on youtube if you search for “Annie”
The move Annie ROCKED my world as a girl as well. One of my childhood highlights was going to the Darien Dinner Theater (but for brunch) to watch the musical Annie with 100 hundred other little girls.
Hey Mare, want to take "Annie" to a whole 'nother level? Do as I did as a pre-teen. I played the "Annie game" with my sisters. I pretended I was Miss Hannigan and they had to clean up my half of the bedroom, as well as their own, like they were orphans. I'd encourage my sisters to sing the "Hard Knock Life" song as they'd make my bed and fold the laundry and you know what, they totally loved it!
Next time your girls' room is a sty, you should try it. Although you do have to pop your head in every once and awhile and give a Hannigan line from the movie to keep them motivated, it's totally worth it.
Post a Comment