Do you want to see ‘Annie’?

Annie (1981)

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Average Rating: 5/10
Reviews Counted: 24
Fresh: 12 | Rotten: 12

John Huston proves an odd choice to direct, miring Annie in a sluggish, stagebound mess of an adaptation, but the kids are cute and the songs are memorable.

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 4
Fresh: 2 | Rotten: 2

John Huston proves an odd choice to direct, miring Annie in a sluggish, stagebound mess of an adaptation, but the kids are cute and the songs are memorable.

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Movie Info

This family classic is adapted from the Broadway musical, which was based on the comic strip Little Orphan Annie. During the Great Depression in New York City, a plucky red-haired scrapper named Annie (Aileen Quinn) is the voice of hope for her fellow orphans who live under the supervision of drunken floozy Miss Hannigan (Carol Burnett). Annie's spirit is fueled by the belief that her real parents dropped her off at the orphanage with a half of a locket, promising to return for her with the

PG, 2 hr. 7 min.

Kids & Family, Musical & Performing Arts, Comedy

Directed By: John Huston

Written By: Thomas Meehan, Carol Sobieski

In Theaters: Jun 18, 1982 Wide

On DVD: Dec 12, 2000

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Annie Trailer & Photos

Cast

Albert Finney
Daddy Warbucks
Carol Burnett
Miss Hannigan
Aileen Quinn
Annie
Ann Reinking
Grace Farrell
Bernadette Peters
Lily
Tim Curry
Rooster Hannigan
Geoffrey Holder
Punjab
Roger Minami
Asp
Edward Herrmann
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Toni Ann Gisondi
Molly
Rosanne Sorrentino
Pepper
Lara Berk
Tessie
April Lerman
Kate
Lucie Stewart
Duffy
Robin Ignico
July
Lois De Banzie
Eleanor Roosevelt
Loni Ackerman
Boylan Sister
Larry Hankin
Pound Man
I.M. Hobson
Drake
Lu Leonard
Mrs. Pugh
Peter Marshall
Bert Healy
Irving Metzman
Bundles
Cherie Michan
Dancer
Amanda Peterson
Dancer
Sandy
Himself
Shawnee Smith
Dancer
Ken Swofford
Weasel
Robert Guerra
Murphy Cross
Boylan Sister
Jerome Collamore
Frick
Jon Richards
Frack
Kurtis Epper Sanders
Spike
Victor Griffin

Critic Reviews for Annie

All Critics (24) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (13) | Rotten (13) | DVD (10)

The movie offers an insulting 'let them eat cake' gesture toward the 1982 audience, but the pacing is so ragged and the characters so lifeless that few will be able to stay awake long enough to feel offended.

April 16, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader

| Comment

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

Many people said John Huston was an odd choice to direct Annie and he proves them right.

April 16, 2007 Full Review Source: Variety

| Comment

Variety

Top Critic

It's like some kind of dumb toy that doesn't do anything or go anywhere, but it is fun to watch as it spins mindlessly around and around.

October 23, 2004 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times

| Comment

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Top Critic

They don't build movies like this anymore.

August 30, 2004 Full Review Source: New York Times

| Comment

Vincent Canby

New York Times

Top Critic

John Huston is the wrong director, lacking appreciation for the musical genre

April 16, 2011 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

| Comment

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

Tale of cute orphan is great for the whole family.

January 2, 2011 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media

| Comment

Sarah Wenk

Common Sense Media

This charming musical based on the comic strip character Little Orphan Annie features many memorable songs and pleasant dance numbers.

April 16, 2007 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide

| Comment

TV Guide's Movie Guide

The songs never take off into anything very much, the whole atmosphere (apart from the climax) is distinctly stagebound, and Huston merely reveals why he had never before in his long career been hired to make a musical.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

| Comment

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Serviceable version of the Broadway show. Burnett shines as Miss Hannigan.

December 12, 2004 Comment

Michael A. Smith

Nolan's Pop Culture Review Source: Nolan's Pop Culture Review

Huston's biggest misfire; ponderous and sluggish.

October 19, 2004 Comment

Bob Bloom

Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

[O]verly long, uninspired, and frequently awful...

August 8, 2004 Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher

| Comment

MaryAnn Johanson

Flick Filosopher

Now, full screen is reprehensible enough on regular movies--but on a musical? With big dance numbers? It's downright ludicrous.

February 29, 2004 Full Review Source: Needcoffee.com

| Comment

Widgett Walls

Needcoffee.com

Annie is a happy--go lucky musical with a happy ending.

February 4, 2004 Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice

| Comment

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Spirituality and Practice

Whenever the kids are singing, you'll want to put their numbers on infinite loop.

January 13, 2004 Full Review Source: Internet Reviews

| Comment

Steve Rhodes

Internet Reviews

Most of the movie featured doe-eyed, orphaned girls either getting abused by a boozehound or doing manual labor

November 25, 2003 Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com

| Comment

Pete Croatto

Filmcritic.com

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Audience Reviews for Annie

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The 1982 adaptation of ANNIE was worse than I expected. It was truly an unfaithful, uneven production, despite the heart and emotion of it all. Once again, as we can see, Hollywood has ruined theater with its terrible transformation of so-called "sung-through musicals" into talkative productions with only 30% music.

July 21, 2011