Anya (Anastasia)

Anastasia is the title character from the 1997 Fox Animation Studios film of the same name, and a fictional version of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia. She is voiced by Kirsten Dunst (as a child talking), Lacey Chabert (as a child singing) Meg Ryan (as an adult talking), and Liz Callaway (as an adult singing). She is the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia ("Anya"), the youngest daughter and one of two surviving members of the Imperial family.

Physical features

The New York Times describes her thus: "Anastasia stops just short of making its title character a blonde. (She, like many of the other characters has auburn hair.) Otherwise, she has the slender curving body and peachy complexion of a small-town Miss America contestant dreaming of conquest in Atlantic City. Meg Ryan's voice gives her the slightly combative tone of a snippy, know-it-all cheerleader. In a beauty contest, she would definitely be docked points for lack of charm".^[1]

Appearances

Anya first appears in the film Anastasia as a girl at an orphanage who has vague recollections about life before she arrived. She goes on a quest to find out about her past. In St. Petersberg she meets con-men Dimitri and Vladimir who try to dress her up to turn her into the Princess Anastasia, because her grandmonther Maria Feodorovna (Empress Marie) is offering a reward to anyone who reunites her with her granddaughter (who became lost after the palace was stormed and the royal family was killed). However, Dimitri and Vladimir are unaware that Anya actually is Anastasia. Unfortunately, the evil Rasputin knows the truth about Anya and tries to kill her. However, he ultimately fails. Anya is reunited with her grandmother near the end of the film, and is offered the chance to be a princess, but instead decides to live with Dimitri (who she has grown fond of over the course of the movie) as a normal person.

Critical reception

ReelViews wrote that Anya is "easily the strongest, most independent animated female to grace the screen, surpassing even Belle for spunk. Meg Ryan is perfect for this role."^[2] SFGate said "it's worth noting Ryan's stunning job -- she sounds pert, feisty, fun. Everything audiences liked about Ryan in, say, "Sleepless in Seattle," they'll like about her here".^[3] CNN says the character is "perkily voiced by Meg Ryan", though adds "much of the drawing for Anya and Dimitri is flat".^[4] Philly.com says the character is "strongly voiced in a jarringly contemporary American accent by Meg Ryan".^[5]

ScreenIt argues "The plot also has a few inexplicable, but key elements. It's never fully or convincingly explained why Anya can't remember her childhood (she was eight-years-old, after all, when the revolution took place), beyond what we assume was an amnesia inducing fall at a train station. Likewise, it seems odd that Rasputin would assume that Anastasia died during the revolution when his last glimpse of her was as he slid underwater to his death."^[6] Entertainment Weekly argues "The story's somber emotional hook — Anastasia's thwarted desire for home — is asserted rather than dramatized. (This may have something to do with the fact that she's cast out of the palace before we've had a chance to enjoy her being there.)"^[7]

Songs

• Journey to the Past
• Once Upon a December
• Learn to do it

References