Perhaps it was low expectations and the sugary beverage I drank in the theater, but I found Will Gluck’s glossy, modernized film remake of the famous Broadway musical “Annie” to be perfectly decent.
This is a modern remake, something that Gluck and co-screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna really want you to know. Smartphones, Twitter, Instagram, “selfies,” sleek computer-controlled homes and the like are paraded front and center in just about every scene. That being said, however, subtle jabs at the modern commercial film industry — young adult franchises, product placement, etc. —provide some of the best, most amusing moments in the entire movie, showing self-awareness, and the modernity makes it so the film can easily stand on its own.
However, the greatest strength “Annie” yields is the casting. As the titular, optimistic orphan — I mean, foster child — 11-year-old Oscar nominee Quvenzhane Wallis (“Beasts of the Southern Wild”) does a fantastic job, making the character sweet and likable and proving, yet again, that she has the acting chops to carry an entire movie.
The two adult leads — Jamie Foxx as jaded billionaire Will, who initially uses Annie to boost his run for mayor of New York City, and Rose Byrne as Will’s vice president Grace — deliver funny performances that are funny in a spontaneous way and rarely feel forced. The only one who does feel forced is Cameron Diaz as the mean foster mother, Hannigan. Her portrayal is over-the-top and cartoon-y, to the point where she just isn’t funny. And, yet, thanks to the strength and authenticity of the other lead players, this weak link is tolerable. On top of that, the three manage to increase the quality of the more mushy, cliché sequences throughout the picture.
Thankfully, the movie doesn’t resort to easy, gross-out gags and physical humor, a crutch many recent PG family movies tend to lean on. The musical numbers look and sound somewhat overproduced — especially in regards to the vocals —but they’re well-placed, so you don’t feel overwhelmed by one musical number after another, and none overstay their welcome.
“Annie” is by no means a great movie. At two hours, it feels too long, especially for family fare. It’s certainly predictable: We all know that Annie’s upbeat attitude is going to mend Will’s cynical heart, and those who hold the original 1982 movie or show in a high regard most likely won’t care for it.
But, as someone who hasn’t seen any incarnations of the story and didn’t have much enthusiasm for the movie, I found it to be delightfully average. And I caught myself laughing throughout. It’s not a bad way for a family to spend an afternoon.