Anya (Anastasia)

The New York Times describes her thus: "Anastasia stops just short of making its title character a blonde. (She, like many of the other characters has auburn hair.) Otherwise, she has the slender curving body and peachy complexion of a small-town Miss America contestant dreaming of conquest in Atlantic City. Meg Ryan's voice gives her the slightly combative tone of a snippy, know-it-all cheerleader. In a beauty contest, she would definitely be docked points for lack of charm."[1]

Anya first appears in the film Anastasia as a girl at an orphanage who has vague recollections about life before she arrived. She goes on a quest to find out about her past. In St. Petersberg she meets con-men Dimitri and Vladimir who try to dress her up to turn her into the Princess Anastasia, because her grandmother Maria Feodorovna (Empress Marie) is offering a reward to anyone who reunites her with her granddaughter (who became lost after the palace was stormed and the royal family was killed). However, Dimitri and Vladimir are unaware that Anya actually is Anastasia. Unfortunately, the evil Rasputin knows the truth about Anya and tries to kill her. However, he ultimately fails. Anya is reunited with her grandmother near the end of the film, and is offered the chance to be a princess. Anya eventually elopes with Dimitri and leaves a note for her grandmother promising to return after their honeymoon.

Anya has a slender frame and slightly tanned skin, along with long flowing auburn hair and blue eyes. Unlike most animated heroines, she wears many outfits throughout the movie. She starts off the movie clad in a ragged yellow tunic and black tights under a green overcoat. Once she is en route to Paris, however, she wears a short-sleeved blue dress given to her by Dimitri. After showcasing a series of flapper-inspired outfits, Anya wears a strapless navy blue evening dress with her hair up. At the end, when Anya is now known to be the Princess Anastasia, she wears an elaborate gold court dress, complete with a glittering diamond kokoshnik.

ReelViews wrote that Anya is "easily the strongest, most independent animated female to grace the screen, surpassing even Belle for spunk. Meg Ryan is perfect for this role."[2] SFGate said "it's worth noting Ryan's stunning job -- she sounds pert, feisty, fun. Everything audiences liked about Ryan in, say, "Sleepless in Seattle," they'll like about her here."[3] CNN says the character is "perkily voiced by Meg Ryan," though adds "much of the drawing for Anya and Dimitri is flat."[4] Philly.com says the character is "strongly voiced in a jarringly contemporary American accent by Meg Ryan."[5]

ScreenIt argues "The plot also has a few inexplicable, but key elements. It's never fully or convincingly explained why Anya can't remember her childhood (she was eight-years-old, after all, when the revolution took place), beyond what we assume was an amnesia inducing fall at a train station. Likewise, it seems odd that Rasputin would assume that Anastasia died during the revolution when his last glimpse of her was as he slid underwater to his death."[6] Entertainment Weekly argues "The story's somber emotional hook — Anastasia's thwarted desire for home — is asserted rather than dramatized. (This may have something to do with the fact that she's cast out of the palace before we've had a chance to enjoy her being there.)"[7]

• Journey to the Past
• Once Upon a December
• Learn to Do It