The 1982 and 2014 film adaptations of Annie tell the same story but with some obvious differences in their representation of race, gender, and societal expectations. While the 1982 version of the movie follows the traditional look of Annie as a red-haired white girl, played by Aileen Quinn, the 2014 version features a black Annie, with natural curly hair and dark skin, played by Quvenzhané Wallis. This change sparked conversations on how people of colour are represented in media and how media shapes the racial perceptions of its viewers. This essay will examine how these two versions of Annie reflect evolving and progressing social attitudes.
The most significant difference between the two movies is the race of the main character, Annie. The 1982 Annie, played by Aileen Quinn, a white actress, aligns with the biased perspective of race and media at the time, and the 2014 film presents a progressive shift by casting a young black actress and, by doing so, acknowledging how important it is to include racial diversity in children’s entertainment. Research on racial representation in media displays how positive portrayals of minority characters can help reshape public attitudes and provide role models for underrepresented groups (Cassese et al., 2015).
The shift in racial representation also affects gender expectations. In older movies, the young white girls are often displayed as the ideal image of innocence and resilience, reinforcing societal norms (of those times). The casting of the young black actress for the 2014 version of Annie challenged these traditional expectations and norms by displaying that strength and perseverance are not exclusive to one racial group. Scholars argue that intersectionality plays a crucial role in shaping public perception, as black women and black girls face unique forms of discrimination compared to their white counterparts (Crenshaw, 1991). By casting a black actress in a traditionally white role, the 2014 version of Annie expanded the narrative of who can be seen as a hopeful, inspiring main character.
Both versions of Annie share the same theme of overcoming adversity, but they present their characters differently. The 1982 Annie fits the stereotype of an optimistic, scrappy orphan who comes from nothing and whose charm helps her find a better life. In contrast, the 2014 movie updates Annie’s character to be more independent and modern. She displays confidence in social situations, interacts well with technology, and portrays a more contemporary version of young girls in media.
Furthermore, the wealthy businessman whom Annie is living with in the 1982 version of Annie is called Daddy Warbucks, a rich, white man. In the 2014 version of Annie, the father figure/saviour is a black businessman named Will Stacks. The transformation between the two characters/actors moves away from the traditional image of wealthy white male saviours. This shift challenges long-standing racial power dynamics in Hollywood, aligning with studies that highlight the need for more positive and diverse portrayals of black success (Banks & Valentino, 2012).
The recasting for the characters in Annie (2014) led to mixed reactions. While some viewers appreciated the increased diversity and the inclusion of black actors in the film, others resisted the change, revealing stubborn racial biases in media consumption. The backlash from viewers suggests that resistance to the diverse racial casting of actors for movies and TV shows often comes from a perceived threat to cultural norms rather than an actual preference for historical accuracy. However, for many black children and even adults, seeing a character like Annie who looks like them was and is an empowering experience, reinforcing the idea that representation of race in media matters.
The 1982 and 2014 versions of Annie display how media influences social norms. The 2014 film challenges traditional racial and gender norms, offering a more inclusive and modern portrayal of the main character, Annie. While the changes faced some backlash, they also contributed to important conversations about diversity in film and media. By analyzing these two movie versions, we see how cultural shifts, such as the one seen in the 2014 movie, can have a significant impact on storytelling and the way audiences perceive race and gender in media.
Bibliography
“Annie (1982 Film).” Wikipedia, February 26, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_(1982_film).
“Annie (2014 Film).” Wikipedia, February 3, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_(2014_film).
Banks, Antoine J., and Nicholas A. Valentino. “Emotional Substrates of White Racial Attitudes.” American Journal of Political Science 56, no. 2 (January 23, 2012): 286–97. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5907.2011.00561.x.
Cassese, Erin C., Tiffany D. Barnes, and Regina P. Branton. “Racializing Gender: Public Opinion at the Intersection.” Politics & Gender 11, no. 1 (March 2015): 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1743923x14000567.
Crenshaw, Kimberle. “Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color.” Stanford Law Review 43, no. 6 (July 1991): 1241–99. https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039.
Karma Marzouk
The story of Annie follows a young orphan girl, who, with the help of a wealthy businessman, as well as her other foster roommates, is able to overcome adversity and progress forward, away from a life of poverty, under the power of her foster mom, who is treating Annie along with the other orphans in the foster home, as servants, making them do chores and such.
Although race has nothing to inherently do with this story, Diya does a good job at communicating how one simple switch of a character’s physical attribute can change the dynamic of an entire storyline, as well as an audience’s perceptions of it.
Diya goes into detail on how this change perhaps wasn’t received as intended, due to audience reactions “resisting change, revealing stubborn racial biases in media consumption”. But she also goes into great detail as to why this new adaptation of Annie was essential and crucial, as it was an empowering experience for both black children and adults that reinforced ideas of race representation.
She summarizes how the difference of the two characters was mainly in their race, and the people they were surrounded by, but they didn’t have any inherent differences, showcasing that a change in race was an extreme, that didn’t need additional developments.
Diya has an interesting take on these two characters, and I applaud how she went into detail more so on the race aspect and less on inherent aspects, which I’m sure she could have found and could have discussed, but focusing only on the race showcased the importance of it in the media in this century.