News that Willow Smith (of "Whip My Hair" fame and spawn of Will and Jada) may be reprising the role of orphan Annie brings to mind another updated, made-for-TV favorite — 1997's Cinderella, starring Brandy, Whoopi Goldberg, Jason Alexander, Victor Garber, Bernadette Peters and Whitney Houston. (If that cast list makes you curious, you'll have to rent it. I can't possibly reveal who's who, because the family units are just too random to spoil.)
In keeping with that theme, in which a married couple comprised of Whoopi Goldberg and Victor Garber can produce a strapping Asian son, we imagine the new cast of Annie as follows:
Kanye West as Daddy Warbucks, because he seems similarly hard to love but with lots of love to give; Margaret Cho as the oft-drunk orphan-wrangler Miss Hannigan; Sarah Jessica Parker as loyal Warbucks executive assistant-turned-love interest Grace Farrell, because it's no weirder than Whoopie and Vic; the brothers Beckham as Annie's band of merry orphans; Don Cheadle as Franklin Delano Roosevelt and an umbrella cockatoo as Annie's animal companion, Sandy, because they'd likely have matching coifs.
Tell us, who would you like to see cast with Willow Smith in the reboot?
Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, and Edward Norton in The Invite.
Once upon a time, well before scandal embroiled him, Woody Allen made great comedies aimed at adults. That type of film — which is different from the raunchy, R-rated comedies of the 21st century — has fallen out of favor in Hollywood, but as the new film The Invite proves, when done well it can be as funny as anything else out there.
Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Olivia Wilde) are an unhappily married couple living in San Francisco. As we meet them, Joe has arrived home to Angela preparing for a visit from their upstairs neighbors, Hawk (Edward Norton) and Piña (Penélope Cruz), who have moved in relatively recently. Their impending arrival starts a new round of arguing between Joe and Angela, something they can barely contain once the other couple comes to their door.
What proceeds is a getting-to-know-you process that is mostly awkward as Joe and Angela continue sniping at each other while Hawk and Piña put in their two cents in a much calmer manner. A sticking point between the two couples — the loud sex Hawk and Piña have on an almost nightly basis — turns the film on its head with an unexpected invitation.
Directed by Wilde and written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, the film is a fast-paced chamber piece that takes place almost entirely in Joe and Angela’s apartment. Wilde, the writers, and the actors speed the story along not with action but through almost non-stop dialogue that often has the characters overlapping each other’s lines. The rapidity of the speech fuels the humor of the situation and establishes the differing personalities of each person.
Sex is very much top of mind for each of the characters for most of the film, but the filmmakers approach the topic in such a way that it never feels salacious. Each of the characters is a rational adult who can talk about sex in a mature manner while also acknowledging their unique feelings on the matter. And it’s the discoveries each of them makes along the way that brings about the most comedy.
But, like any comedy for adults, the film also has a dramatic tilt to it, and Wilde edges the story back-and-forth between the two tones extremely well. Joe and Angela fighting is played for laughs at times, but the sadness of their relationship comes through loud and clear. Hawk and Piña are much more intimate with each other, but the funniness of their openness is juxtaposed with a depth that arises through their conversations.
In the 2020s, Rogen has managed to make the transition from goofy stoner to stoner with real acting chops. In a stacked cast, he is the one who sells every moment the best. That’s not to say that Wilde, Norton, and Cruz don’t measure up, though; each of them inhabits their respective roles magnificently. The four actors play off each other as if they had been working together for years.
While The Invite will likely play better to those who have experience with long term relationships, its insights — and occasional bawdiness — make it a comedy that can be appreciated universally. With four actors at the top of their games and a razor-sharp script made even better by some well-done improv, it proves that you don’t need to go low to get great laughs.
Willow Smith in "Whip My Hair"
Kayne West
Margaret ChoPhoto courtesy of Margaret Cho
Sarah Jessica Parker
