Annette(2021)

Submitted by Evan B

Pooper:
After Ann dies on their yacht (being swept overboard while trying to get a drunken Henry to come inside out of the storm), Ann’s spirit gives Baby Annette her singing voice (wanting her singing voice to torture Henry for the rest of his life). Henry goes mad, eventually murdering the Accompanist after the Accompanist intimates he is Annette’s real father. Annette reveals Henry’s misdeeds at her final concert. Henry is arrested and sent to prison, with Annette’s future being uncertain.

Long Ending:
In this musical, Henry McHenry (Adam Driver) is a famous stand-up comic, and Ann Defrasnoux (Marion Cotillard) is a famous soprano opera singer. They fall deeply and passionately in love and become a power couple in the media. The two eventually have a baby named Annette (played through most of the film by a puppet). Henry sinks into depression and becomes unhinged, with his offensive antics onstage causing his shows to be cancelled. As Henry’s career sinks, Ann’s continues to flourish. Ann becomes worried about their marriage as Henry begins binge drinking.

The family go on a vacation on a yacht. One night, a major storm hits their yacht. After securing Baby Annette in the cabins below deck, Ann goes on deck to try and find Henry. She finds him drunk and belligerent, refusing to go below deck. As she struggles to pull Henry inside the cabin, a wave sweeps Ann overboard. She cries for help, but Henry sits down on the deck and covers his ears, singing there is very little he can do. The yacht sinks, but Henry rescues Baby Annette and the two get in a lifeboat. Henry rows them to a nearby island and radios for help. As he passes out, the starlight hits Baby Annette. The Baby begins to sing magnificently. Henry chalks it up to being a hallucination. But as he sleeps, a phantom of Ann crawls ashore and says that she will haunt Henry the rest of his days, and use Baby Annette’s singing voice to take her revenge.

After returning home, Henry finds that anytime Baby Annette is exposed to a certain kind of light she begins to sing in her magnificent voice. He calls the Accompanist (Simon Helberg), who used to play piano for Ann and is now a conductor, to witness this miracle. Henry convinces the Accompanist to help him take Baby Annette on tour, claiming that the money Baby Annette can earn is the only way to preserve their lavish lifestyle. The Accompanist reluctantly agrees. Every night, Henry is tortured by visions of Ann in his dreams.

Baby Annette’s notoriety grows and she even is able to float as she sings. She becomes a mega-star, going on a world tour. Henry drinks and parties while the Accompanist watches Baby Annette and bonds with her. After they return home, the Accompanist tells Henry that he was in a brief relationship with Ann just before Henry began dating her. He says he thinks that Baby Annette may in fact be his child. Henry says that they will talk about this some more after putting Baby Annette to bed. Henry then lures the Accompanist outside where he drowns the Accompanist in his pool. Baby Annette witnesses the murder.

Henry decides to do one last, televised show of Baby Annette singing (after which she will retire and they will go to live in Europe). Baby Annette takes the stage and refuses to sing. Henry begins chuckling, knowing what Baby Annette plans to do. Before a worldwide audience, she reveals that Henry has murdered people. Henry is later convicted, with the phantom of Ann promising to visit him every night in jail. Henry is visited years later by Annette (played by Devyn McDowell), who is now a young girl. It is seemingly revealed Annette is really his daughter as she engages in his type of dark humor. Annette then says she will never forgive him or Ann for exploiting her for their own ends (he to maintain his fame and wealth, she to get her revenge from beyond the grave). Annette says that she now lives wholly in darkness, refusing to let light touch her and activate her singing voice. A now sorrowful Henry pleads with his daughter not to get swallowed by darkness as he did and to forgive and forget he and Ann. Although the pair embrace, Annette says she is unsure if she will do as he advised. Henry asks if he is still allowed to love Annette, and she tells him he cannot. Annette leaves the visitation room and Henry stands in the corner while the puppet of Baby Annette lies in the cell with him.