Annie

In 1933, during the Great Depression, eleven-year-old Annie Bennett is left at the NYC Municipal Orphanage Girls Annex with almost nothing but a half heart-shaped locket and a note from her parents. The orphanage is run by Miss Hannigan, a tyrant who treats the girls as laborers and withholds kindness. Annie clings to hope that her parents will return someday.

Miss Hannigan rules the home with a cruel, controlling hand, starving the girls and forcing them into hard chores. The staff treats the orphans as commodities rather than children in need of care. Annie endures the harsh regime while dreaming of a real family.

One night, Annie grows tired of waiting and schemes to escape and find her parents. She is briefly caught by Miss Hannigan but slips away by hiding in the dirty laundry bin and disappears into the city. This escape marks the start of her search for belonging beyond the orphanage walls.

On her own, Annie befriends a stray dog she names Sandy and learns to navigate the streets. Police officer L.T. Ward catches her and returns her to the orphanage, where Hannigan punishes her with extra chores. Annie's resolve to find her family hardens despite the setback.

Billionaire Oliver Warbucks decides to host a Christmas-time charity program and invites an orphan to stay at his estate. Grace Farrell selects Annie, and Annie is whisked away from the city to a life of luxury she never imagined. Sandy accompanies her to the opulent residence.

At first, Annie feels out of place amid the wealth, but Warbucks grows fond of her courage and candor. He openly expresses a desire to adopt her, while Annie continues to search for her real parents. To boost the search, he announces on the radio a reward of $50,000 for anyone who can prove who she is.

Hearing about the reward, Miss Hannigan enlists her cunning brother Rooster and his ex-con partner Lily St. Regis to pose as Annie's rightful parents. They plan to exploit the reward and reclaim the girl, hoping to collect the money for themselves. The scheme reveals how far Hannigan will go for money.

Lily is left behind with the orphans after Hannigan and Rooster depart, and she accidentally reveals the scheme to the others. The orphans press Lily to tell the truth, realizing the danger of the plan. Lily understands Rooster could abandon her as he has done before.

The plan comes to a head at Warbucks' mansion when the orphans confront Hannigan and Rooster. The criminals flee but are confronted by the approaching President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his Secret Service. The building fills with tension as the authorities close in on the plot.

President Roosevelt reads the evidence that Hannigan, Rooster, and Lily orchestrated, and the trio is arrested by the Secret Service. Hannigan tries to pin the blame on Annie, but Annie refuses to lie, further humiliating her abuser. Hannigan ends up being carted off after her schemes collapse.

Roosevelt reveals to Annie that her real parents are David and Margaret Bennett, who died when she was an infant. Although Annie grieves for the lost parents, she is reassured that they loved her. Warbucks formally adopts Annie, solidifying the new family.

Warbucks and Grace become engaged, and Warbucks pledges to provide for all the orphans by finding them stable homes. Annie finally lives as part of a loving family with Warbucks and Sandy. The story closes on a hopeful note, with the orphans' futures secured.