Annie Dvd

Annie is a 2014 American musical comedy film directed by Will Gluck, produced by Village Roadshow Pictures and James Lassiter’s Overbrook Entertainment and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing’s Columbia Pictures. A film adaptation of the 1977 Broadway musical of the same name (which in turn is based on the comic strip Little Orphan Annie by Harold Gray), the film stars Quvenzhané Wallis in the title role, Jamie Foxx, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale and Cameron Diaz (in her final film role before her subsequent retirement from acting). Annie began production in August 2013 and was released theatrically on December 19, 2014.

Plot

In Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, Annie Bennett lives in foster care with several other girls under the care of Colleen Hannigan, a bitter former singer who spends her days drinking and trying to snag a sweetheart. Annie spends Fridays waiting outside Domani’s restaurant, believing her parents will come for her because a note written on a receipt from Domani’s says they will return. When a city inspector checks on Miss Hannigan’s treatment of the girls, Annie takes advantage of the situation; she manages to copy her social security number from his clipboard and heads off to get her information. Annie learns that there is nothing more about her than what she already knows.

While attempting to save a Shiba Inu from bullies, Annie is nearly run over but is saved by Will Stacks, a germaphobe cellphone mogul running for Mayor of New York City. Annie’s rescue goes viral on the internet, boosting Stacks popularity; per suggestion of Will’s campaign manager Guy Danlily, Annie moves in with Will to boost his popularity further. Annie enjoys her new surroundings, befriending Will’s assistant Grace Farrell. Annie also gets to adopt the stray dog from before, naming her Sandy. Bonding with Annie, Will reveals that he had humble beginnings in Queens; he never really knew his father due to his work hours, but believed he could understand him if he worked just as hard. Annie also helps Grace and Will realize that they like each other romantically.

Per Annie’s request, Will takes her and her friends in Miss Hannigan’s foster care to see the premiere of MoonQuake Lake. Stacks is uninterested in the movie at first, but soon becomes a major fan along with Grace. Per Annie and Grace’s insistence, Stacks joins the after-movie party. After returning her friends home, Annie shows Grace her Friday routine of waiting to see if her parents will return; Grace sympathizes, agreeing to keep this a secret from Will. At Miss Hannigan’s, the girls accidentally wake her; Miss Hannigan snaps at them, saying rich people are selfish and will ditch anyone they do not like any more; recalling her own past. Slightly hungover, she laments about her situation of foster kids and her desire to reclaim stardom.

When Annie is asked to read a speech during a charity event, she runs out and reveals that she does not know how to read despite being 10 years old and attending school. Will decides to get her a special-ed teacher, but Guy decides that Annie will only hinder Will’s campaign as his popularity is not improving any more. Teaming up with Miss Hannigan, Guy plans to have impostors claim Annie as their daughter to boost Will’s popularity to the point where he wins; Guy will then share his payment with Miss Hannigan. However, Guy plans to dump Annie back into the system after the election, uncaring about her well-being. By the time Miss Hannigan has second thoughts, Annie has already been kidnapped by the imposters; Miss Hannigan tells Will about the plan, getting Guy fired. Will, Grace, Miss Hannigan and the girls board Will’s helicopter; aided by the police, they chase the getaway car into the park. Thinking Will arranged this, due to the kidnappers believing Will, not Guy, paid them, an upset Annie chastises Will, who tells her he didn’t know about the scheme. To prove his innocence, Will announces to the press that he quits the mayoral race, to which Annie helps Grace and Will admit their love for each other. Will cheers Annie up when he decides to adopt her, then all three dance and sing happily.

Annie announces the opening of the “Stacks Literacy Centre”, to help children like herself, who can’t read. Everyone sings Annie’s Tomorrow; humorously, Miss Hannigan attempts to continue singing after the song is done, only to receive stares that cue her to stop.

Cast

Rose Byrne as Grace Farrell, Stacks’ faithful personal assistant and Annie’s mother figure.
Cameron Diaz as Miss Colleen Hannigan, the cruel and drunk control freak who runs the foster home where Annie resides. A slight modification of Aggy Hannigan, she was a big singing star back in the 1990s but ended her career due to having gone insane after drinking alcohol. Hannigan’s character is softened from her prior appearances, to the point of experiencing guilt over her part in separating Stacks and Annie and even helping to rescue Annie from her false parents in the film’s finale. Miss Hannigan’s first name is also changed to Colleen, instead of her previous film name Aggy.
Bobby Cannavale as Guy Danlily, a “bulldog political adviser” to Stacks. He convinces Stacks to let Annie live with him for the press at first, but later proves that he doesn’t care for her well-being. His motives are partly based on Denis J. Dimple.
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Nash, “the tough but lovable bodyguard and driver for Will and a good friend of Annie.” He evokes the traits of Punjab and The Asp.
David Zayas as Lou, the local bodega owner who is a friend of Annie and has a crush on Mrs. Hannigan and sees some good in her and finds out she isn’t mean as she thinks she is. He evokes the traits of the laundryman Mr. Bundles.
Stephanie Kurtzuba as Mrs. Kovacevic, the New York Family Services worker who becomes close with Annie’s case.
Amanda Troya as Pepper Ulster, the bossiest and oldest foster girl. She says that she is about to turn thirteen and no one wants teenagers.
Eden Duncan-Smith as Isabella Sullivan, the second oldest of Annie’s foster sisters. She is based on Duffy.
Zoe Margaret Colletti as Tessie Marcus, one of Annie’s foster sisters, who is the second youngest and is in the same grade as her.
Nicolette Pierini as Mia Putnam, the youngest of Annie’s foster sisters. Mia is based on Molly.