If you were to describe your perfect movie, how would you describe it? Mine would be animated — hand-drawn — with charming characters, maybe an iconic soundtrack, and I can’t go without some romance. To me, that movie is 20th Century Fox’s Anastasia. Next to my parents’ wedding video, Anastasia was my blockbuster as a kid. You would think the infinite number of times I’ve watched this film would’ve rendered it stale by now, but it’s never once lost its luster. This classic is so etched into my soul that I thought it dutiful to sing its praises 27 years into its legacy. Let’s take a journey to the past and indulge in what makes Anastasia such a staple for fans like me.
The Music
As evidenced by my previous pun, the most memorable part about this movie is undoubtedly its soundtrack. From start to finish, the score is immersive and the songs are catchy. The standouts of the bunch are, of course, Anya’s Journey to the Past and Once Upon a December, but let’s not forget Rasputin’s fantastic villain anthem, In the Dark of the Night. It doesn’t end there. Numbers like Rumor in St. Petersburg, Learn To Do It, and Paris Holds the Key to Your Heart are all earworms in their own right.
I had the actual Anastasia soundtrack and I remember the immediate movie magic atmosphere that would set in whenever my mom played it in the car. That thrilling orchestral strum at the end of the finale’s instrumental was always a favorite of ours. Then came the effortless transition into the soundtrack’s pop section with the sensational At the Beginning. This song is the end-credits song to end all end-credits songs; the weddingest of wedding themes (aside from Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now), and the ’90s-est of power ballads, too.
And I’d be remiss not to shout out Aaliyah’s R&B rendition of Journey to the Past — my favorite song to sing ever — and Thalía’s Spanish version, Viaje tiempo atrás. Let me stop myself before I break out into song. In sum, if there’s one thing that left a lasting impression on me from this movie, it was the music. So much so, I could probably still sing it in my sleep.
The Visuals
I will never forget watching a DVD feature of Don Bluth explaining how he used actual glitter to produce the shimmering effects in his films — and boy was this movie sparkly. “Don Bluth Shimmer” is in fact a legitimate, searchable term. It’s a signature touch in his work: apparent in Cornelius’ wings in Thumbelina (1994), all over the Don’t Walk Away music video for Olivia Newton-John’s Xanadu (1980), and of course, Anastasia’s gowns and jewels.
Who can forget the shot of her in that blue opera dress? I personally have always been partial to the yellow gown she wears in the finale, inspired by an actual dress donned by the real-life duchess.
In another part of Bluth’s director’s commentary, he reveals how pressed for time the production team was during some of the animation for the movie. For amateur spectators like me, though, the visuals in this movie still stun almost 30 years later. Be it the glitter, the clothes, or hand-painted backgrounds, they just don’t make them like this anymore.
The Characters
I came across this meme on Pinterest a while back joking about Bluth’s “same face syndrome” when it comes to his character designs — particularly with his male leads. Now, whether or not you agree with that take, one thing’s for sure, like with “Don Bluth Shimmer,” his art style is easily identifiable. As a kid, I might not have known Bluth or Gary Goldman by name, but their projects always had a familiar aesthetic that immediately piqued my interest.
What was appealing about the characters specifically was how lifelike they felt. Rewatching Anastasia now, I noticed how often in a scene a character would stay in a shot long after delivering their dialogue and you could still see them “reacting,” as though they were real actors on a stage. For a movie that was made in the ‘90s, the movement and character mannerisms are incredibly fluid and almost human — another testament to its timeless animation.
During my rewatch, a character that caught my attention in this regard was the Dowager Empress, voiced by the revered Angela Lansbury. You would think the Empress was after Lansbury’s acting accolades herself with how much she emotes in her scenes. One that comes to mind is toward the end of the movie when the Empress presses Dimitri on why he won’t take the award money for finding her granddaughter. After he exits, the lens stays on her as she expresses a knowing look.
A few scenes later, Dimitri’s in line to board a train back to St. Petersburg and pulls out a rose that reminds him of Anya. It’s a very short scene with no dialogue, just Dimitri pulling out this rose with an enamored look on his face, while the train station is bustling with nameless patrons engaged in their own worlds. These ambitious shots are peppered all throughout the film, where one character takes center stage, but you still get a clear view of all the moving parts in the background, further delivering that lifelike quality of the animation. Add in dialogue that’s quick, sometimes stuttered, sometimes muttered, and everyone feels less like caricatures and more like real people.
The Romance
Anya: “You think you’ll miss it?”
Dimitri: “Miss what? Your talking?”
Speaking of dialogue, we’ve got to talk about the banter between Anya and Dimitri. I’m a sucker for snarky back and forths, and the chemistry between these two is beautiful to watch. Theirs is such a classic kind of love story. “Princesses don’t marry kitchen boys,” says Dimitri — now that’s a tagline that would hook me into any romantic arc. If I had to choose what my favorite part about this movie is, it’s them, and not just because the romance is always my favorite in anything. As simple as it is, Anya and Dimitri tick all the boxes for a compelling love story.
Don Bluth has stated that all his movies are about finding your home, so it’s nice to see how the romantic subplot in Anastasia ties back into that theme. Yes, Anya’s journey is, verbatim, her trying to find her literal home, and the one to help her in that endeavor is Dimitri. However, even after reuniting with her family, the princess chooses the kitchen boy. They start off from different worlds, but ultimately, they’re two lonely kids who find home in each other. Home, love, family — it’s the whole trifecta!
It’s true that the movies and shows we watch as kids end up being the most significant. While it may in large part be due to nostalgia, there are some gems we’re just lucky to come across sooner rather than later. Cheers to 27 years of Anastasia! Here’s to 27 more.
Want more cozy movies to rewatch this season? Check out these Top 3 Sweet-as-Milkshake Fall Movies to Watch Before Winter.
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