'Annie': Film Review (Toxic Mess)

Hollywood Reporter ^ | December 14, 2014 | David Rooney

[rabidralph]

:-)

[latina4dubya]

I remember growing up they tried to make a let us say an urban version of the Wizard of Oz and despite some great musical talent that movie bombed too.

The Wiz with Diana Ross, Michael Jackson and Nipsey Russell, Mabel King, Lena Horne and Richard Pryor... it was based on the Broadway musical--which was successful... it did not translate well to the big screen... as a 13-year old girl, i liked it... i only remember two of the songs: Ease on Down the Road and You Can't Win...

[Calvin Locke]

With Tawana Brawley and Bill Clinton in the roles?

[ozzymandus]

I think the patronizing white overlords of Hollywood really overestimate the public’s desire to see more black musicals.

[wally_bert]

I’m gonna get you sucka is funny.

[dfwgator]

I liked “Hollywood Shuffle”, especially the “Black Acting School” bit.

[Calvin Locke]

Not completely black, but there’s “The Brother from Another Planet”.

[trisham]

I avoid anything in which Jamie Foxx is involved. He’s despicable.

[Terry L Smith]

when I heard that, again, Hollywood was going to take a just fine movie, and make it a Negro movie, I knew two things:
1. it was going to be a flop.
2. I was not going to see it.

I have read the newspaper, and Sunday funnies version from the time when Eisenhower was President, with the comic characters having no ‘eyes’, and Annie having red curly hair.
It could be an Oriental Annie, or an E.T. Annie, and it would just not be ANNIE!

[dfwgator]

Only good thing Jamie Foxx ever did was “Wanda” in “In Living Color.”

[trisham]

Yes, 30 years ago. :)

[mdmathis6]

Movies made around all black actors are generally boring.

The Equalizer remake was intense fun! Denzel really made it work!

[Dr. Sivana]

Pundits were no less mystified once they saw the film, which suggested an agonized disconnect between director and material.

No, Huston was very connected with the material. He took a Broadway stage play that was supposed to be a paeon to FDR and FDR-ism and changed it into a family film. He dropped the big closing number ("There's Going to be a New Deal for Christmas (This Year)"), changing the date to the Fourth of July. He brought in elements from the Harold Gray comic strip, which is ultimately THE material. Bringing in a comic scene with a commie bomb throw, and adding Punjab to the mix.

The lead was no Andrea McArdle. But the kids don't care about singing range. This was still not a great movie, but my kids love it. He understood EXACTLY what he was doing.

[Perdogg]

ping

[Rides_A_Red_Horse]

Movies made around all black actors are generally boring. The jokes I don’t get - the references to something that only blacks would understand are lost on me.

---

The problem is they’ve set a goal of making a “black movie” instead of making a “good movie.”

If they simply attempted to make a “good movie” with black people they might have a success.

[fieldmarshaldj]

I had a terrible crush on Aileen Quinn at the time (minus the hideous red wig).

[hattend]

The Equalizer remake was intense fun! Denzel really made it work!

Just saw it last night. I may have to buy the DVD for my collection.

[combat_boots]

The kindness of Uncle Remus spoken by my father’s words as he read to me when I was just a kid instilled a big soft spot for adult blacks at that time in my life.

That was then.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Same here.

[combat_boots]

Yes, he is.

He forgets an entire part of his audience and co-workers.