Anastasia (1997)

Directors:

Don Bluth
Gary Goldman

Writers:

Susan Gauthier (screenplay) &
Bruce Graham (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

21 November 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Drama | Family | Fantasy | Musical

Tagline:

Discover the Adventure Behind the Greatest Mystery of Our Time

Plot:

The only surviving child of the Russian Royal Family hooks up with two con men while the undead Rasputin seeks her death.

Plot Keywords:

Train Explosion | Ball | Russian Revolution | Paris France | Russia

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

Meg Ryan	...	Anastasia (voice)
John Cusack	...	Dimitri (voice)
Kelsey Grammer	...	Vladimir (voice)
Christopher Lloyd	...	Rasputin (voice)
Hank Azaria	...	Bartok (voice)
Bernadette Peters	...	Sophie (voice)
Kirsten Dunst	...	Young Anastasia (voice)
Angela Lansbury	...	The Dowager Empress Marie (voice)
Rick Jones	...	Czar Nicholas / Servant / Revolutionary Soldier / Ticket Agent (voice)
Andrea Martin	...	Phlegmenkoff / Old Woman (voice)
Glenn Walker Harris Jr.	...	Young Dimitri (voice) (as Glenn Walker Harris, Jr.)
Debra Mooney	...	Actress (voice)
Arthur Malet	...	Travelling Man / Major Domo (voice)
Charity James	...	Anastasia Impostor (voice)
Liz Callaway	...	Anastasia (singing voice)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Netherlands:6 (re-rating) | South Korea:All | Malaysia:U | New Zealand:PG | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:K-8/5 | France:U | Germany:o.Al. (w) | Hong Kong:I | Iceland:LH (video rating) | Iceland:L (original rating) | Mexico:A | Netherlands:AL | Portugal:M/6 | Singapore:G | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:U | USA:G (certificate #35550)

Filming Locations:

Fox Animation Studios - 2747 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The real Anastasia once wore a dress almost exactly like the one Anya wears in the last scenes of the movie. This same dress was seen in Anastasia (1956).

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Anya asks where the old Palace is, she says, "I'm looking for the Catherine Palace." The real Romanovs lived in the smaller palace, the Alexander Palace.

Quotes:

Dowager Empress Marie: You'll stop at nothing, will you?
Dimitri: I'm probably about as stubborn as you are.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Aaliyah: Making of 'Journey to the Past' (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Learn to Do It

Suspend any disbelief, and the movie is *outstanding*

The best way to watch a movie is with suspension of disbelief - Just trust what the producers present you with and don't question it. With that, "Anastasia" is one of the most delightful movies I've seen in some time. It's like an old musical, with people spontaneously erupting into choreographed dance, but with modern dialog (And funny, at that!), an enjoyable romance, and action sequences to keep things moving. The music, while nothing to remember to the point of distraction, was perfect for humming, and even worked to advance the plot - Unlike so many animated songs put in for the sake of having a song. So it wasn't historically perfect - if it were, there'd be no story. Go ahead and feel smug that you know what really happened, but don't turn to comment to your neighbor, lest you miss one minute of the wonderfully unfolding plot.