Review of Place For Annie, A

Introduction

When nurse Susan Lansing (Sissy Spacek) sees little Annie, an HIV-positive baby, abandoned in her hospital, she takes pity and decides to look after her. After fostering her for two years, she is ready to legally adopt her – when her biological mother Linda shows up out of nowhere, with the legal right to her child. This leads to a face-off between Susan and Linda, which must be resolved with priority given to Annie’s wellbeing.

Video

The film is presented in its original 4:3 aspect ratio – being made for TV (presumably) there was no need for widescreen here. The picture is adequate, with little grain or artifacts, but the colours are dull and there is a lack of sharpness and detail. Just what could be expected from a TV movie, and nothing more.

Audio

The stereo soundtrack does its job, producing clear dialogue free from hiss. The film is completely dialogue-based, so I doubt anyone will be disappointed with the lack of a surround track.

Features

Nothing here to get excited about – a trailer, biographies, a two-page piece of text on the film, and trailers for some more straight-to-video films with an unknown cast.

Conclusion

Although there are strong performances by Sissy Spacek and Mary Louise Parker – especially when they face off against each other – A Place for Annie does not rise above the usual average stuff you would find on Channel 5. The DVD is unspectacular in the extreme, although it does sell at the lower price point of £9.99. You’d be better off watching an episode of ER instead.