Annie (1999 film)

Plot

In 1933, during the Great Depression, 11-year-old Annie Bennett has lived at the NYC Municipal Orphanage Girls Annex since infancy. She possesses half a heart-shaped locket with a keyhole and a note from her parents promising to return. The orphanage is run by the tyrannical Miss Agatha "Aggie" Hannigan, who starves the orphans and forces them into child labor until they reach adulthood. After growing tired of waiting, Annie attempts to escape but is caught; she eventually hides in a laundry bin and succeeds.

On her own, she befriends a dog named Sandy, but police officer L.T. Ward returns her to the orphanage, where Aggie gives her extra chores. Billionaire Oliver Warbucks decides to take in an orphan for Christmas, and his secretary Grace Farrell chooses Annie. Annie and Sandy move into his estate. Warbucks grows fond of Annie and wants to adopt her, but she still seeks her real parents, so he announces a $50,000 reward on the radio.

The orphans accidentally tell Aggie, who hires her con artist brother Rooster and his girlfriend Lily to pose as Annie's parents and claim the reward; Rooster plans to kill Annie afterward.

Cast

Alicia Morton portrays Annie Bennett-Warbucks, an optimistic 11-year-old orphan who is later adopted by Warbucks and Grace. Kathy Bates plays Miss Agatha "Aggie" Hannigan, the cruel orphanage owner and Rooster's sister. Victor Garber appears as Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks, a lonely billionaire who becomes Annie's adoptive father. Alan Cumming plays Daniel Francis "Rooster" Hannigan, a con artist and Aggie's brother.

Audra McDonald portrays Grace Farrell, Warbucks's personal secretary who becomes his wife and Annie's adoptive mother. Kristin Chenoweth plays Lily St. Regis, Rooster's girlfriend. The orphans include Erin Adams as Tessie, Sarah Hyland as Molly, Lalaine as Katherine "Kate", Nanea Miyata as July, Marissa Rago as Pepper, and Danielle Wilson as Duffy.

Andrea McArdle, who originated the role of Annie on Broadway, appears as Star-To-Be. Dennis Howard plays President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Chester and Chip portray Sandy, the stray dog Annie adopts.

Musical numbers

The soundtrack was released on November 2, 1999, by Sony Classical. The songs reflect the original 1977 production but omit "We'd Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover", "Tomorrow (Cabinet Reprise)", "Annie", and "New Deal for Christmas". It includes reprises of "N.Y.C." and "Little Girls" at the film's end. Musical numbers include "Overture", "Maybe" (Annie), "It's the Hard Knock Life" (Annie and Orphans), "Tomorrow" (Annie), "Little Girls" (Miss Hannigan), "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here" (Grace, Annie, and Staff), "N.Y.C." (Warbucks, Grace, Annie, and Star-to-Be), "Easy Street" (Rooster, Miss Hannigan, and Lily), "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" (Bert Healy and the Boylan Sisters), "Something Was Missing" (Warbucks), "I Don't Need Anything But You" (Warbucks and Annie), and a finale reprise of "I Don't Need Anything But You".

Production

ABC began work on the film following the success of Cinderella. They enlisted Cinderella's choreographer Rob Marshall to direct and made the orphans ethnically diverse. Marshall initially declined, saying he was not a director, but after long discussions he agreed. Disney executives opposed giving the project to a first-time director, but Zadan and Meron insisted, threatening not to produce the film.

Disney eventually conceded. Filming began in June 1999 and took place entirely on location in Los Angeles. For the role of Lily St. Regis, the network wanted Ginger Spice, but Marshall successfully fought for Kristin Chenoweth. Audra McDonald recalled in a 2017 interview that a reshoot of the final scene showed her character, a black woman, getting engaged to Daddy Warbucks; she suggested the reason was that Disney and ABC were uncomfortable with a black woman engaged to a white man.

Other cast and crew were unhappy with the reshoot, and Victor Garber intentionally performed the scene badly so it could not be used. The dancers' costumes and stage set in the Broadway section of "N.Y.C." are taken from the "Broadway Melody" ballet in Singin' in the Rain.