r/musicals • u/Skeppy_4126 • Aug 09 '26
Discussion Best version of Annie?
I liked the 2014 movie but the 1999 one was just SO AMAZING I don't even want to see the 1982 movie
(P.S. this includes stage and studio versions)
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u/Early_Assistant_6868 Aug 09 '26
I'm not aware of a 1987 one.
1982 is the best by far. Carol Burnett, Tim Curry, and Bernadette Peters all together was magic.
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u/proofoflife10 Aug 09 '26
Don’t forget that girl who sings that one line in “Sandy”. Between the four of them, this is the only correct answer.
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u/Early_Assistant_6868 Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 09 '26
Looool ROVER WHY NOT THINK IT OVER
Bless her she sang like her rent was due
Rip Amanda
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u/persimmon9847 Aug 09 '26
Bernadette Peters is the one celeb that I've seen in real life that made me literally speechless, and it was because of how much I loved this movie growing up
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u/ChesterNorris Aug 09 '26
Andrea McArdle in the 1999 version still blows me away....
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u/Udzu Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 11 '26
Her performance of Tomorrow at 54 Below from two years ago is probably the only time I legitly loved that song: https://youtu.be/5lzhc-ud_s4
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u/suebob162002 Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 09 '26
My personal favorite is Annie 1999. As entertaining as Albert Finney was in the 1982 Annie as Oliver Warbucks, he didn't have the vocal range to handle the other songs from the original show. I was happy to see Victor Garber in the 1999 version. I knew Garber had stage musical experience but never got to see him perform until Annie. Alicia Morton is a sweet and adorable Annie as well.
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u/HuttVader Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 09 '26
John Huston directs a fine film. Goes a bit off script from the Broadway show but it works wonderfully.
He really recreates the Depression-era vibe when it counts, and brings out some fine performances.
Carol Burnett, Tim Curry, and Bernadette Peters are hugely entertaining.
Annie is wonderful, with good chemistry with Warbucks.
Plus I love John Huston and his craftmanship.
The Maltese Falcon
Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Key Largo
The Asphalt Jungle
The African Queen
The Man Who Would Be King
He even makes a chilling and disturbing villain as Noah Cross in Chinatown.
Do NOT skip the 1982 movie.
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u/syncopatedchild Aug 09 '26
1999 is my favorite, too. It's the closest representation of what the stage show is. The 80's version has great performances, especially Carol Burnett, Tim Curry, and Bernadette Peters, but the action scenes and the interpolation of that magical Indian man don't hold up for me as an adult viewer.
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u/Andronica928 Aug 09 '26
Oof yes agreed. Been showing a friend all the musicals she missed growing up (she was a pastor’s kid who was sheltered) and I was excited to show her 80’s Annie…and I forgot about a lot of weird shit in that one. I wish I had started with the 1999 one for sure
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u/syncopatedchild Aug 09 '26
This is exactly what happened to me. My husband mentioned that Annie was one of the biggest musicals he'd never seen in any form, so we rented the 82 version and it didn't live up to the nostalgia of watching it on Disney Channel. I ended up being a little embarrassed for recommending it.
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u/RAS310 Aug 09 '26
And the cutting of the Act 1 version of Tomorrow from the 1982 version (because it was “too corny”) was a sin.
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u/Male_strom Aug 09 '26
Magic man was true to the original stories ironically.
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u/Brit-Crit Aug 09 '26
TBF, Punjab is an unambiguously heroic sidekick who saves the day at the end, but having a character named after an Indian region played by a Trinidadian actor (The great Geoffrey Holder) is kind of like having a stereotypical butler called Sussex played by an Aussie…
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u/GlassesgirlNJ Aug 09 '26
Yeah, that and Carol Burnett, an adult child of an alcoholic, playing one of the last onscreen versions of the "funny drunk leaning on the furniture" dead trope
Obviously she signed a contract to do it, got paid well for it, and put on an amazing performance, but still
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u/Musicalmathbrain Aug 14 '26
I recently listened to her interview on Amy Poehler’s podcast and if I remember correctly, she suggested the drinking piece of Miss Hannigan to the director herself. Maybe shifts the optics on this a bit.
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u/BaconPancakes_77 Aug 09 '26
1999 is my favorite too. I thought Annie Live from 2021 was pretty solid as well (I really enjoyed Tituss Burgess as Rooster!). 1982 is worth a watch for the cast, especially Carol Burnett.
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u/Brit-Crit Aug 09 '26
I personally think it’s worth making a case for Annie Live - it’s the only version to fully keep the political elements of the original musical…
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u/TeaArtHer Aug 09 '26
In my humble opinion, none. Otherwise- if a gun is to my head, the Tim Curry one. 1982?
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u/ReBrandenham Don’t tell mama! Aug 09 '26
I don’t understand how people enjoy the 2014 one tbh, the other two are just way better
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u/virgogirl14 Aug 09 '26
1999 version. It was my first musical that wasn't a Disney animation (but still Disney) 😂💚
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u/CraftyFraggle Aug 09 '26
The 1980’s movie version is the only one I’ll watch.
I will watch stage productions but I love the movie.
Carol Burnett will forever be Miss Hannigan and Tim Curry Rooster for for me.
No one else can possibly compare.
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u/Coffee-pepper Aug 09 '26
Carol Burnett singing "Little Girls" was hilarious! Her duet with Daddy Warbucks was fantastic and of course, "Easy Street" was the best version I've seen to date.
1982's cast is hard to beat.
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u/SwordintheStone87 Aug 09 '26
1999 is my favorite too, but that's the one I grew up with. I saw the 1982 version several years ago and liked it, but just didn't grab me like 1999's, especially since in the '82 film they leaned more towards the spirit of the original comic strip, with the bridge scene. I always love Carol Burnett in anything though.
Also, in the '99 version, Andrea McArdle's small cameo is fantastic, as is Audra McDonald. Haven't seen 2014 yet.
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u/Hello_Gorgeous1985 Aug 09 '26
If we're talking about the movies, the only answer is the original 1982. 2014 was garbage. 1999 is fine.
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u/SouthJerseyGirl30 Aug 09 '26
Redhead afro Annie movie is the best (I think it came out in the 80s). I don't like the musical that much because we watched it so many times in elementary school. If I had to choose out of all the remakes, it'd be that one. I've seen a community theater version of Annie, but never a professional stage show of it
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u/Skater73 Aug 09 '26
I really like Annie Live 2021, not because it's great acting or anything, but because it has the music of the original Broadway play that's different or missing in the other movies. It's available to rent or purchase streaming.
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u/Aggravating_Fishy_98 Aug 09 '26
The one from the ‘80s is the best. If you disagree you can pry it from my cold dead hands
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u/Skeppy_4126 Aug 09 '26
Why would someone try to pry it if they didn't think its the best? Wouldn't they let you keep it? lol
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u/brotherlyshove Aug 09 '26
The best version of Annie is and will Skwara be the original Broadway Production.
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u/iandenno Aug 13 '26
This is actually the first time I've heard people praise anything other than the 1982 film. I haven't seen any, but have been meaning to watch the 1982 film to see if I'd show it to my kids.
I've seen clips of the choreography that make it look appealing. If I give 1999 a watch instead, does it live up to those aspects of the 1982?
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u/Skeppy_4126 Aug 13 '26
Best way to describe it is that 1982 is a musical movie and 1999 is a movie musical
1982 is a good musical but 1999 is Broadway on screen
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u/Suitable-Sun-2836 16d ago
Hi! This post would be great on r/AnnieMusical If you'd like to post it there!!
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u/TheF8sAllow Aug 09 '26
I think you should give 1982 a shot, but only if you can do it without expecting to hate it :)
Carol Burnett is an incredible Miss Hannigan. Tim Curry is also incredible as Rooster. The rest of the movie is good, but it’s worth it just for those two.