Annie

I have never been so upset about liking a movie as much as I was with Annie. I know, that sounds kind of strange. After all, why would anyone be upset about liking a movie? Well, here’s the thing; ever since I heard they were doing a new version of Annie, I was sure it just wasn’t going to be any good. I mean, come on, a remake of Annie? That’s a terrible idea. Why do it? So there I was, sitting in a darkened theater certain I wouldn’t like this new Annie. In fact, secretly hoping it would be terrible so I could have the fun of writing a scathing “I told you so” review, and about halfway through I found myself admitting, rather reluctantly and grumbly, “I think I actually like this movie.” And I do. In fact, Annie is a delightful, light-hearted, heart-warming, just plain fun film that will leave you feeling good. It’s campy, silly, saccharine, and emotional in all the right ways. It’s charming. The songs are as memorable and enjoyable as always, and it’s just hard not to like Annie. So there you go, I didn’t want to like it, but I couldn’t help liking it.

I think a lot of that has to do with the inherent charm of the story of Annie. It’s an interesting story because just about every character in it has some sort of redemptive arc, which makes it very uplifting and enjoyable. This was highlighted by the addition of a new song called “Start Again,” which was a surprisingly poignant song amid the rest of the light-hearted, fun tunes. The song talks about (or is it sings about?) how various characters had experienced life one way in their past, but despite setbacks and dissatisfactions, they weren’t going to let the past define the future. Instead, they would start again. I guess I found that song particularly moving because that’s exactly what Jesus provides; a way for us to truly start again, to be someone new. His death and resurrection cleared a way for us to move past who we used to be, to move past our sins and mistakes, and instead, enjoy new life as a new creation through starting again with him (2 Corinthians 5:17). Many start thinking about what they’d like to change during the Christmas/New Year’s holiday season, and one of the great gifts God has given to us all the chance is not to just start over in a new year, but to start over with a new life through Jesus Christ.

It’s often been said if you’re going to do a remake of anything popular, either the new version needs to be much better or it needs to be different.  While I can’t say that this new Annie attains the first criteria – I’m hard pressed to say that it’s at all better than the version most are familiar with – it is definitely different, and reluctantly, I found that difference to be kind of fun. No, this isn’t the Carol Burnett version of Ms. Hannigan, but then, nothing could be. Cameron Diaz wisely goes in a different direction, one that’s campily over-the-top and makes the role her own. At first, I didn’t like it, but much like the rest of the film, it grew on me, and I came to realize it was the right choice. Plus, she plays Ms. Hannigan’s change of heart so pitch perfect that it’s actually quite touching. No, this isn’t the Albert Finney version of “Daddy” Warbucks, and in fact, Jamie Foxx doesn’t even play that character. However, his Mr. Stacks provides some of the better laughs and has a charm all his own so that I soon didn’t mind that he wasn’t actually “Daddy” Warbucks. And as for Quvenzhane Wallis’ Annie, well, it’s definitely a different Annie but no less endearing.

On top of a solid cast that’s clearly having fun with what is often intentionally meant to be silly and campy material, the film does a good job of updating the classic Annie songs. No, they don’t have the same impact and punch as the classic versions, but they’re still fun, catchy, and light-hearted. In fact, that could pretty much sum up the whole movie. It’s fun, light-hearted, charming, and infectious. No, it’s not the greatest musical every made. In fact, it can be pretty goofy and silly at times, but that turns out to be part of what makes it fun. It’s just nice to have a movie that isn’t afraid to have some good, clean fun, which could make Annie one of the go-to-movies of choice for families looking for some holiday fun this season.