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27 best movie musicals of all-time: Hamilton, Wizard of Oz and more

By Kimberley Spinney

Lin-Manuel Miranda is Alexander Hamilton and Phillipa Soo is Eliza Hamilton in HAMILTON, the filmed version of the original Broadway production.
Lin-Manuel Miranda is Alexander Hamilton and Phillipa Soo is Eliza Hamilton in HAMILTON, the filmed version of the original Broadway production. /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JANUARY 26: The cast of the Broadway musical “Annie” performed prior to the Washington Redskins taking on the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVI at the Metrodome on January 26, 1992 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Redskins defeated the Bills 37-24. (Photo by Gin Ellis/Getty Images) /

Best movie musicals: Annie

Since it first hit the stage, the story of Annie, a young orphan girl who ends up being adopted by a New York billionaire, the story has been told more than once. And yet, for me, it is the very first movie adaptation from 1982 that has been the most enduring.

Considering that film featured a cast that includes Tim Curry, Bernadette Peters, Carol Burnett, and Albert Finney, you had to know you were getting something brilliant. From the story itself, which touches the heartstrings to the songs that seem to stick with you, Annie knows how to deliver a brilliant musical with drama and comedy.

If you didn’t sing “It’s a Hard Knock Life” or “Tomorrow” at least once, are you even living? Seriously, these might be two of the most iconic songs from the stage.

Maybe the thing that really stood out for me with this story is the fact that this is a story about orphans and their struggles to find a home and a family. Even if you aren’t an orphan, there is something relatable about finding the love of family.

Honestly, if Annie didn’t tug at your heart at least a little, we might have to talk. But really, there is something about the redemption arc of this musical and Annie herself that is charming and engaging and leaves you almost wanting more. (And yes, there have been more remakes and even a sequel of sorts, but nothing is quite as magical as this first adaptation of the original stage play.)

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