VanPick of the Week: Annie (1982)

Back in the day, movie musicals were gaudy but good. People spontaneously broke out in choreographed, catchy songs, but not in an annoying Glee way. Van Pelt is a little–known gold mine for these Broadway adaptations, so where better to start than the classic tale of everyone’s favorite ginger orphan? You may have seen it when you were Annie’s age, but it’s worth it to rediscover the “Hard Knock Life” the orphans lead in New York during the Great Depression (FDR’s in it!) under the reign of Miss Hannigan (a hilarious, boozy Carol Burnett). Hannigan’s scheming, along with Rooster and Lily (Tim Curry and Bernadette Peters), is as entertaining as ever and Daddy Warbucks’ Fifth Avenue mansion is still awe–inspiring. So let the nostalgia take over as you hum along -— maybe the sun’ll come out tomorrow.