Annie (1999 film)

"Annie" is a 1999 television film which first aired on ABC on November 7, 1999. Like both the original Broadway musical, which this is based off, and the 1982 Columbia theatrical film version, also based off it, this is based on the cartoon, Little Orphan Annie by Harold Gray. The main idea is that the principal character, Annie, intends to find her parents who had left a note to the orphanage 11 years ago when she was a baby.

Plot
In Depression-era New York City, Annie (Morton), reads aloud a note to Molly, the youngest orphan, along with the others. As the others are sleeping ("Maybe"), she sneaks out, in hopes that she'll find her parents, afraid that they have never found her. Just as she is about to get outside, Miss Hannigan (Bates) stops her, and brings her back. She then turns on the light and wakes the other orphans. "As a little welcome home party", she has Annie and the orphans scrub the floors and strip their beds for Mr. Bundles ("It's the Hard-Knock Life".) As Mr. Bundles enters, Annie gets in the laundry basket (with help from the other orphans in order to try again to find her folks) and hides as he takes the dirty laundry out. It is during roll call (in which each orphan has to respond usually, "I love you, Miss Hannigan.") that Miss Hannigan finds out that Annie is not here anymore, and how so. She runs out to try and stop them.

Cast

 * Alicia Morton as Annie Bennett-Warbucks, the protagonist of the film. She is biologically the daughter of David and Margaret Bennett. This is Morton's first film role ever. She also played Annie in a school play when she was 6, approximately five years prior to this film.
 * Kathy Bates as Miss Hannigan, the main antagonist of the film. She is the caretaker of the orphanage. She loves her job, but abhors children.
 * Victor Garber as Oliver Warbucks, the deuteragonist of the film.
 * Audrea McDonald as Grace Farrell, the tritagonist of the film. McDonald was the first African-American actress to play that part.
 * Alan Cumming as Rooster Hannigan, one of the secondary antagonists of the film. He is Miss Hannigan's brother.
 * Kristin Chenoweth as Lily St. Regis, another secondary antagonist of the film. She is Rooster's girlfriend, named after a hotel.
 * Ernie Sabella as Mr. Bundles, the laundry man who inadvertently rolls Annie out with the dirty laundry (unaware that she was hiding).
 * Chester and Chip as Sandy, a stray dog that befriends Annie.