Very Annie Mary (2001)

After her father suffers a stroke, his daughter is forced to take care of him.

Director:

Sara Sugarman

Writer:

Sara Sugarman

Stars:

Rachel Griffiths, Jonathan Pryce, Ioan Gruffudd

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rachel Griffiths	...	Annie Mary Pugh
Jonathan Pryce	...	Jack Pugh
Ioan Gruffudd	...	Hob
Matthew Rhys	...	Nob
Kenneth Griffith	...	Minister
Ruth Madoc	...	Mrs. Ifans
Radcliffe Grafton	...	The mayor
Jill Richards	...	Chapel woman
Josh Richards	...	Mr. Bevan
Joanna Page	...	Bethan Bevan
Gwenyth Petty	...	Chapel woman
Mary Hopkin	...	Chapel woman
Rhys Miles Thomas	...	Colin Thomas
Maureen Rees	...	Chapel woman
Stevie Parry	...	Chapel woman

Storyline

When Annie Mary was 16, she was offered a scholarship to sing in Milan, but was never allowed to go because her mother was dying. Now Annie Mary is 33 and no longer sings. She lives under the shadow of her chapel-strict father, known to all as The Voice of the Valleys, who sees himself as a budding Pavarotti. She wants to break free, but her father has a stroke and demands even more of her. When she finally rebels, the whole village becomes involved in a competition to raise money and get Annie's terminally ill best friend, 16-year-old, Bethan Bevan to Disneyland. Unfortunately Annie loses all the money they win betting on horses! She is now the most unpopular person in the village until she is asked to sing again... and Annie Mary realises that she can, at last, move on.

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Plot Keywords:

betting on horse | singing | lingerie slip | father daughter relationship | character name in title

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Taglines:

about to be very big in a very small town

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical

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Details

Country:

UK France

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 May 2001 (UK)

Also Known As:

Annie-Mary à la folie!

Filming Locations:

Blaengarw, Mid-Glamorgan, Wales, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arts Council of England, Arts Council of Wales, Canal+

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The last film role of Kenneth Griffth.

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Quotes

Nob: Don't ever stop being you.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Rachel Griffiths in Conversation (2012)

User Reviews

Although billed as a musical comedy there's so much more to the second film from emerging writer/director Sara Sugarman.

Very Annie-Mary (M), now showing at The Regent Theatre in Te Awamutu, is not only packed with laughs but takes the audience on a roller coaster ride of human emotions. Inspiring feelings of amusement, hope and joy the film also has moments of utter clarity, deepest despair and complete regret - it's guaranteed to break your heart before restoring your faith in humanity. Thirty-year-old Annie-Mary, played by Six Foot Under star Rachel Griffiths, has never left her Ogw home in the Welsh valleys and is under the thumb of her father. The dizzy girl, who won a prestigious Welsh singing competition in her teens, still dresses as though she were 16, secretly smokes and cannot cook – quite an irony as she works for her father. She secretly dreams of leaving home and setting up with her best friend, the terminally ill Bethan Bevan (Joanna Page), who is half her age, as well as marrying Colin Thomas (Rhys Miles Thomas), a candidate for the Baptist ministry and the only man in the valley under 60. When her music-loving father Jack Pugh (Jonathan Pryce) suffers a stroke during a charity recital Annie-Mary is forced to grow up and take on some responsibility – the only problem is she has no idea about life in the real world, keeping her money in a piggy bank. She's so clumsy that she walks into doors. The film delivers a believable portrayal of life in a Welsh village, something a frequent visitor to Wales like me is qualified to say. Hornblower star Ioan Gruffudd goes back to his Welsh roots to make an appearance as gay confectioner Hob while former Hi-de-hi star Ruth Maddoc plays Pugh's love interest, Mrs Ifans. While the film contains some sex scenes, which are far from graphic, there is also a smattering of offensive language. This aside, Very Annie-Mary is one of those films that sees you leaving the cinema riding on a cloud. The music is just great too.