Annie (2014)

Today the J-Ms went to see the new Annie movie. I had posted to Facebook: “We will see how this goes for this adoptive family…”

Well… this adoptive family really liked the movie!

I *LOVED* Annie as a kid… first the play, then the first movie. And I’m not ashamed to admit that I can still sing every line of every song (both soundtracks: the play, and the movie). Our family had gone to see Annie on Broadway a couple years ago. And our kids have watched the first movie several times over the past couple of years. We’ve used it as a conversation point for discussing adoption in lots of different ways over time. I was very anxiously anticipating this 2014 version — especially once the lead actress was announced (I love Quvenzhane Wallis!). But I was nervous too, given that the movie has had some pretty harsh reviews, particularly from the adoptive families community. So, today was a big movie outing for our little family.

I really enjoyed the movie, and was also trying to view it through a critical lens (not negative, but critique/analytical). But I was really reserving judgement until I heard what Kyle and Owen thought. We had talked quite a bit about it before going — letting K & O know that it might bring up a lot of thoughts and feelings, etc., etc., etc.  I sat between them during the movie. Kyle was silent and deeply thoughtful throughout. Owen was absolutely laughing out loud throughout the entire thing. Afterward they both enthusiastically gave it two thumbs up.

Kyle had one critique: that he wished they had probed further into the challenges/concerns/problems inherent with the current U.S. foster care system. Specifically, he picked up on the character Pepper’s statement (right before they sing ‘Maybe’), about “teenagers having no chance of getting adopted,” and he really wanted to see that fleshed out more; he also wished it had been made more clear that if Annie wasn’t so “young and cute” –his own words — her chances wouldn’t have been so good either.

Owen’s only critique was that he did not like it that in the opening scene (the school scene) it seems like the “white Annie” (his words) was “the #1 Annie, or the ‘A’ Annie” while “the black Annie” (all his words) was “the #2 Annie, or the ‘B’ Annie.” We wondered if “B” stood for her last name — Bennet — but Owen still felt it was a “diss” to have her referred to as “Annie B” because he took that to mean second-best (and took offense to that). It wasn’t a big huge thing for him, just a small criticism — and he’s entitled to his own opinion.

Braydon and I both liked the movie a lot and think they did a nice job with attempting to update it with some sensitivity. The concerns that foster families have — about the movie reifying stereotypes about foster parents who are only in it for the money — are absolutely understandable. At the same time, this is legitimately one big concern with our current foster system. So, I can see both sides of it.

My own major concern about the movie is the triggers it can charge for adopted kids, or kids in the system. The storyline about Annie longing for her biological parents, fantasizing about them, etc….. (same storyline of the original play/movie)…. is heart-wrenching for adoptive/foster families to watch. It brings up raw emotions for all involved. That should not be discounted. It is just plain hard to watch when you’re intimately involved with adoption in one way or another.

But the ultimate essence of the story– hopefulness for tomorrow & maximizing opportunity — those are great, empowering ideas for kids and inspiring for all. 

I really loved that they brought poor-education/illiteracy into this movie! And I love that in the end we see Grace and Mr. Sparks as an obvious inter-racial couple. Kudos for those nice additions to the new film.

Interestingly enough — as usual — things never play out as we expect. As it turns out, the person in our family for whom the 2014 Annie raised the most thoughts and feelings was…. Meera! She saw it last week before any of the rest of us did (she saw it in New Hampshire during Christmas week with MorMor and MorFar while the other four of us were skiing). For the past few days since coming home, Meera has been asking profound and poignant questions about her brothers’ early history, orphanages, foster kids, child neglect, adoption, biological families, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc. It seems that developmentally this movie hit right at a time when Meera is really starting to “get it” a little bit and the movie has helped raise for Meera a lot of intense questions. Seeing the movie for the 2nd time today was helpful — it helped clarify some confusing things for Meera and will surely allow even more probing questions in the days to come. This is all good, as far as we are concerned.

So, all in all. 10 thumbs up from the J-Ms. But with a head’s up for adoptive/foster families that this movie does, for sure, trigger lots of raw emotion.