In this updated version of the film, Annie is no longer in an orphanage, but rather in a foster home. There is a horrible foster house mom presiding over Annie and her unhappy pals and this woman is played - eyeball-bulgingly and without a single ounce of charm - by Cameron Diaz. It's supposed to be a comedic role, though her performance is about as funny as watching a puppy get thrown in a river. Any decent director would have taken one look at the dailies and told Diaz to take the brashness down about ten notches and to stop twisting up her features and shrieking her lines like a madwoman. Diaz can indeed be a wonderful comedian. If shed played the role in the spirit of her sexy Bad Teacher she possibly could have made it work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ5KTJSuUrI#t=128 Also, the filmmakers inexplicably decided to beef up the role (compared to the original film). So now the obligatory (unfunny) comic foil has even more screen time in which to cause groans of despair and boredom. The urge to give her character more dimensions dilutes the comedic tension between her and the good guys. In effect, something very simple has been made needlessly complicated, lessening the end result.
Jesse Gumbarge is editor and chief blogger at JarvisCity.com - He loves old-school horror films and starting pointless debates. You can reach out at: JesseGumbarge@JarvisCity.com
