Cameron Diazis returning to our screens in Netflix’sBack in Action, having not appeared on-screenin over 10 years.Her last role was playingone of the most recognizable musical roles of all time,Miss Hannigan, in 2014’s remake ofAnnie. Incidentally, the movie also starred herBack in Actionco-starJamie Foxx. Despiteless than favorable reviews,Anniesuccessfully modernizes the musical, and Diaz’s Miss Hannigan is the clearest example of this.She brings nuance to a rolethat hasoften been seen as an exaggerated villain to contrast the innocence of Annie.Diaz’s iteration is still self-interested and ambitious, but there is a humility behind her, showing she is just as trapped in a vicious system as everyone else.
Cameron Diaz Gives Miss Hannigan Depth in ‘Annie’
Miss Hannigan isone of the most iconic villains in theater;her caricatural evil is the perfect contrast to the sweet naivety of the children in her care. However, her usual motivations are foggy, and her bitterness feels viciously unwarranted.Cameron Diaz' modern version of Miss Hanniganloses this aspect,which makes the character more palatable.Gone is the archaic orphanage with old-fashioned wooden furniture. In its place, a high-rise flat that feels much more insular and contemporary. This change in exteriorreflects the change to Miss Hannigan’s character—she is still a matriarch to the girls, but her interactions with them feel less malicious and nasty.
Diaz’s line delivery is sharp and more sarcasticin tone, which feels much more playful rather thanprevious iterations that feel cruel and resentful.There is thisunspoken mutual understanding that both Miss Hannigan and the girls are trapped. This foreshadows her character growth in the 2014 remake; Diaz shows that Miss Hannigan doesn’t hold a grudge against the girls individually; it is justlife that she has become disassociated with.Therefore, it is through Diaz’s performance that her change of heart is believable, something that would never have been achievable in previous adaptations of the story.Diaz brings Miss Hannigan into the 21st century—there is still a fierce lack of sympathy, butshe feels more multifaceted and human.
“Little Girls” Is the Highlight of Cameron Diaz’s Miss Hannigan
The biggest change in Miss Hannigancomes in the musical performances,since she has a new backstory that she was once a singer, and her drinking appears as a coping mechanism as she laments her former performance days. This is evidenced in the musical numbers, whereMiss Hannigan is more stylized and choreographed.Her big solo, “Little Girls," islyrically altered to show this deviation from the original.Rather than describing her hatred for the girls, the focus is on her desire to escape and perform, denouncing that she’s “ready for stardom after all these years."
Diaz’s vocal tone when singing is rounded and clean compared to the 1982 movie, whereCarol Burnett’s Miss Hannigan vocal styleis spoken and evokes her repulsion.Additionally, Diaz glides around the set, interacting as though she is in a music video, exaggeratedly falling to her knees and reaching for the sky. Similarly,“Easy Street” has been changed into a much more glamorized dance numberas Diaz is guided round the floor by political advisor Guy Danlily (Bobby Cannavale). He convinces her of his plan to get Annie back through the allure of performance, as that is the crux of her personal motivation and drive.
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“Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.”
Diaz’s Miss Hannigan is not devoid of joy, and this allows her to have a lot of fun with the roleand become the comic relief of the movie.The audience laughs with her, as she is not so villainous that the humor comes from her hatred, but instead comes from her personality. In the sequence where Miss Hannigan is interviewing potential candidates to play Annie’s parents, Diaz evidences thisfresh comedic flair she brings to the role.She shows genuine joy as she directs the auditionees,miming along to their singing. It strengthens Hannigan’s backstory and shows, at her core, she isn’t a bad person at all. Diaz is easily thefunniest and best part ofAnnie, bringing something new to a tired character andsingle handily making the remake worthwhile.
Annieis available to buy or rent on Prime Video in the U.S.
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