Anastasia (PG) PRESENTED IN 35MM FILM

Anastasia (PG, 1997) Presented in 35mm Film by The Revival House Perth in partnership with RAC

In 1916 Imperial Russia, the Romanov family faces revolution, but young Grand Duchess Anastasia (voiced by Kirsten Dunst/Meg Ryan) escapes the massacre that claims her family, suffering amnesia in the chaos. Ten years later, an orphaned young woman named Anya lives in a St. Petersburg orphanage with no memory of her past, only a necklace inscribed "Together in Paris." When con artists Dimitri (John Cusack) and Vladimir (Kelsey Grammer) seek a lookalike to claim the reward offered by Anastasia's grandmother, the Dowager Empress Marie (Angela Lansbury) living in exile in Paris, they find Anya—who may actually be the real princess. As the trio journeys across Europe, pursued by the undead Rasputin (Christopher Lloyd) seeking revenge on the Romanov line, Anya begins remembering fragments of her past while falling for the roguish Dimitri. In Paris, she must discover her true identity and whether she belongs to royalty or the new world she's built for herself.

Directors Don Bluth and Gary Goldman create a sweeping animated musical that blends historical tragedy with fantasy adventure. The 1997 film, produced by Fox Animation Studios, showcases lavish hand-drawn animation—particularly the ballroom sequence where ghostly memories dance across the abandoned palace. The character animation gives Anya genuine expressiveness and determination, making her more active heroine than passive princess. The voice cast brings depth to their roles, with Meg Ryan's spirited Anya and John Cusack's charming Dimitri creating genuine chemistry. David Newman's score and the film's musical numbers drive the emotional journey, though the songs vary in memorability. The film takes considerable liberties with history, treating the Romanov tragedy with fairy-tale fantasy, but succeeds as romantic adventure. Its combination of mystery, romance, and historical backdrop created an animated epic outside the Disney mold.

Original format and audio experience of this film faithfully reproduced by The Revival House. Presented in 35mm film unless noted otherwise.

When: Saturday, June 6th at 2:30PM
Where: The Revival House at the Como Theatre
Rating: PG (Low level violence)

Bluth and Goldman's lavish animated epic blends Russian history with romantic fantasy - experience this hand-drawn journey in 35mm film.

Presented by: The Revival House Perth and RAC