Anastasia

Anastasia is a 1997 American animated musical drama film produced and directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman in association with Fox Animation Studios, distributed by 20th Century Fox, and starring the voices of Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Hank Azaria, Christopher Lloyd, Bernadette Peters, Kirsten Dunst, and Angela Lansbury. The film is a loose adaptation of the legend of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, which claims that she escaped the execution of her family. Its basic plot centers around an eighteen-year-old amnesiac orphan named Anya who, in hopes of finding some trace of her family, sides with con men who wish to take advantage of her likeness to the Grand Duchess; thus the film shares its plot with Fox's prior film from 1956, which, in turn, was based on the 1954 play of the same name by Marcelle Maurette.

Though it enjoyed a positive reception from many critics and audiences by praising the animation, themes, characters, voice performances, and the soundtrack, the film was met with criticism by some historians for its fantastical retelling of the life of the Grand Duchess. From a $50 million budget, Anastasia grossed over $139 million worldwide, making it the most profitable film from Bluth and Fox Animation Studios. It received nominations for several awards, including for Best Original Song ("Journey to the Past") and Best Original Musical or Comedy Score at the 70th Academy Awards. The success of Anastasia spawned various adaptations of the film into other media, including a direct-to-video spin-off film, a computer game, books, toys and a stage musical, which premiered in 2016.

Due to the creation of Fox Animation Studios, Anastasia was the first 20th Century Fox animated feature to be produced by its own animation division 20th Century Fox Animation.

Plot
In 1916 Saint Petersburg, Russia, at a ball celebrating the Romanov tricentennial, Dowager Empress Marie gives a music box and a necklace inscribed with the words "Together in Paris" as parting gifts to her youngest granddaughter, 8-year-old Grand Duchess Anastasia. The ball is suddenly interrupted by Grigori Rasputin, a sorcerer and the former royal adviser until he was exiled for treason. Seeking revenge, Rasputin sells his soul in exchange for an unholy reliquary, which he uses to curse the Romanovs, sparking the Russian Revolution. As revolutionaries siege the palace, Marie and Anastasia escape through a secret passageway with the aid of 10-year-old servant boy Dimitri. Rasputin confronts the two royals outside on a frozen river, only to fall through the ice and drown. The pair manage to reach a moving train, but as Marie climbs aboard, Anastasia falls and hits her head on the platform, subsequently suffering amnesia.

Ten years later, Russia is under communist rule and Marie has publicly offered 10 million rubles for the safe return of her granddaughter. 20-year-old conman Dimitri and his friend/partner-in-crime, Vlad, search for an Anastasia look-alike to bring to Paris so they can collect the reward. Elsewhere, an 18-year-old Anastasia (now called "Anya") leaves the rural orphanage where she grew up. Accompanied by a stray puppy she names Pooka, she decides to head to Paris, inspired by the inscription on her necklace, but finds she is unable to leave Russia without an exit visa. An old woman advises her to see Dimitri at the abandoned palace; there, the two men are impressed by Anya's resemblance to the "real" Anastasia, and decide to take her with them to Paris.

Rasputin's albino bat minion, Bartok, is nearby and notices his master's dormant reliquary suddenly revived by Anya's presence; it drags him to limbo, where he finds Rasputin has survived. Enraged to hear that Anastasia escaped the curse, Rasputin sends his demonic minions from the reliquary to kill her, who sabotage the trio's train as they leave St. Petersburg, and later try to lure Anya into sleepwalking off their ship to France. The trio unwittingly foil both attempts, forcing Rasputin and Bartok to travel back to the surface to kill Anya personally. During their journey, as Dimitri and Vlad teach Anya court etiquette and her family's history, Dimitri and Anya begin to fall in love.

The trio eventually reaches Paris and goes to see Marie, who has given up the search after meeting numerous impostors. Despite this, Marie's cousin Sophie quizzes Anya to confirm her identity. Though Anya offers every answer taught to her, Dimitri finally realizes she is the real Anastasia when she (without being taught) vaguely recalls how he helped her escape the palace siege. Sophie, also convinced, arranges a meeting with Marie at the Paris Opera House. There, Dimitri tries to establish an introduction but Marie refuses, having already heard of Dimitri's initial scheme to con her. Anya overhears the conversation and angrily leaves. Dimitri later abducts Marie in her car to force her to see Anya, finally convincing her when he presents the music box Anastasia dropped during their escape. As Marie and Anya converse, Anya regains her memories, and the two sing the lullaby the music box plays after Anya unlocks it with her necklace. Marie recognizes Anya as Anastasia, and the two are joyfully reunited.

Marie offers Dimitri the reward money the next day, recognizing him as the servant boy who saved them, but to her surprise he refuses it and leaves for Russia. At Anastasia's return celebration, Marie informs her of Dimitri's gesture, leaving Anastasia torn between staying or going with him. Anastasia walks off to the Pont Alexandre III, where she is trapped and attacked by Rasputin. Dimitri returns to save her, but is soon injured and knocked unconscious. In the struggle, Anastasia manages to get hold of Rasputin's reliquary and crushes it under her foot, avenging her family as Rasputin disintegrates and dies.

In the aftermath, Anastasia and Dimitri reconcile; they elope, and Anastasia sends a farewell letter to Marie and Sophie, promising to return one day. Bartok shares a kiss with a female bat before bidding the audience farewell.

Cast

 * Meg Ryan as Anastasia "Anya" Romanova: Raised as an orphan, sets out on a journey to discover her true heritage. Liz Callaway provides the singing voice for Anastasia.
 * Kirsten Dunst provided the speaking voice for young Anastasia.
 * Lacey Chabert provides the singing voice for young Anastasia.
 * John Cusack as Dimitri: A young con-man, a former servant of the Romanovs, and Anastasia's love interest. Jonathan Dokuchitz provides the singing voice for Dimitri.
 * Glenn Walker Harris Jr. provided the speaking voice for young Dimitri.
 * Kelsey Grammer as Vladimir "Vlad" Vanya Voinitsky Vasilovich: A former nobleman turned con-artist, and a friend of Dimitri.
 * Christopher Lloyd as Grigori Rasputin: An evil sorcerer, who cast a curse upon the Romanov family. Jim Cummings provides the singing voice of Rasputin.
 * Hank Azaria as Bartok: Rasputin's butler and mild-mannered, talking, albino bat, whom he treats as a pet.
 * Angela Lansbury as Marie Feodorovna Romanov: The Dowager Empress, mother of Nicholas II, and Anastasia's grandmother.
 * Bernadette Peters as Sophie Stanislovskievna Somorkov-Smirnoff, Marie's first cousin, and lady-in-waiting.
 * Andrea Martin as "Comrade" Phlegmenkoff, the orphanage's inconsiderate and evil owner.
 * Rick Jones as Nicholas II Romanov, the last Tsar of Imperial Russia and Anastasia's father.
 * Jones also provided voice-over work for the voices of a revolutionary soldier, a servant, and a ticket agent.
 * Charity James as Anastasia impostor
 * Debra Mooney as an Actress
 * Arthur Malet as Traveling Man Majordomo

J. K. Simmons, Victoria Clark, Billy Porter, and Lillias White were among the ensemble and character voices.