Anastasia (Film)
Directors/Producers: | Don Bluth and Gary Goldman |
Writers: | Susan Gauthier, Bruce Graham, Bob Tzudiker and Noni White |
Lyrics: | Lynn Ahrens |
Music: | Stephen Flaherty |
Production Designer: | Mike Peraza |
Twentieth Century Fox; G; 90 minutes | |
Release: | 11/97 |
Voices of: | Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Christopher Lloyd, Kirsten Dunst, Angela Lansbury, Liz Callaway, Lacey Chabert, Jim Cummings and Jonathan Dokuchitz |
Clearly trying to invade Disney territory, Twentieth Century Fox goes head-to-head with the musical-animation giant with Anastasia. But Fox hasn't broken any new ground, and Anastasia looks much like, well, a Disney product. There is one major difference: While Disney has traditionally kept its fare fairy tale-like, Fox has gone the historical route, with the Russian Revolution no less! Without a doubt, the downfall of imperial Russia is watered down and sugar coated. Anastasia Romanov's (voice of Ryan) royal childhood comes to an abrupt end when the curse that evil sorcerer Rasputin (Lloyd) puts on the Romanov family provokes the Russian Revolution. Anastasia escapes execution, but ends up in an orphanage with few memories of her childhood. As an 18 year old, she meets a charming con man named Dmitri (Cusack), who convinces her she can pass for the lost princess. She travels with him to Paris to find her grandmother (voice of Lansbury) and hopefully collect a healthy sum of rubles.