In December last year I accompanied my daughter and her friend to the movies to see the newest version of Annie. We had been anticipating it’s release for months (my daughter VERY impressed with the fact the movie was released world wide on the same day instead of the film makers making Aussie viewers wait in suspense.) We’d seen the trailers, been caught up in remakes of old Annie songs and were prepared for the modern, very different take on the classic film.

Even so, I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical of this new version, and not just because the heroine was not a red-head. (How can you tell the story of Annie without a red-head?) I was also wondering how a modern remake would tackle Annie’s back story; the fact that she was an orphan, hoping to be reunited with her long gone parents. Would the new film belittle the many true stories of children who cannot live with their parents? Would it gloss over the hard truths these children live with every day? Would it glorify their independence, their resilience, without allowing the heart of their stories to reach the audience? These questions, and more, were tossing in my mind as I approached the film. Why? Because children in care are very much a part of my story. I’ve been a foster carer (not the Ms Hannigan type!) for more than 5 years. The real life stories of these amazing children has become part of my own story and I’m now not only a fierce protector of these stories but an advocate for them.

The Annie movie is a musical, so by definition not entirely true to life. It’s not gritty, hard hitting or documentary in style and neither should it be for its genre. But within the medium and tone of the film I felt it did gentle justice (allowing for some poetic licence) to the issues at stake. I found myself genuinely enjoying the story it told; from the opening scene – paying subtle tribute to the original 1982 lead – to the final songs. It didn’t down play the heartbreak, trivialize or glorify the issues at stake. So, although I wouldn’t recommend the film as a complete educational package on foster care, it’s certainly a conversation starter on a topic our communities need to think about. A topic that has always been close to God’s heart (Psalm 82:3).

So, whether you’ve seen the new Annie movie, loved the older ones, or avoided them altogether, let’s start and maintain the conversation about foster care this year.
Tomorrow I’ll share a little about my journey to being a foster carer, and then on the second Thursday of each month we’ll consider a different aspect of this important topic. If there is something you’d like to see us discuss on this topic please comment below and we’ll see what we can do.

Penny