Will Sacks, in Annie, learns to face a problem he has. As he does, he’s edging towards a new direction.

Maybe people don’t like to face problems. It’s more comfortable and easy to avoid. I’d rather listen to a song then perhaps realize I better look into something. Sometimes, problems take years to confront, especially if the playlist of songs is long. One may really need to take five and face a problem.

Annie is the 2014 remake of the family movie musical and stage play. It’s about orphan Annie (Quvenzhané Wallis) in the main.

It also features Will Sacks (Jamie Foxx) who for quite a bit of this movie is avoiding his problem through work.

Will is busy. He is a New York mayoral candidate on the campaign trail.

Father figure

Will Sacks is immersed in work because of his father.

Says Will: His Dad worked 20 hours a day. He had barely seen Dad, who worked too much. Dad died when the young lad was 12 years-old.

Will’s been searching for Dad ever since.

People may compensate for something lacking in their lives and become immersed in some other activity.

Real heart

Annie happens to provide a political opportunity…but spending time with the young orphan girl is also an opportunity for Will to see there is the chance to be the father he never had. And sure enough, Annie wants a father. They click. Being with Annie, he starts to see that there must be more to life than work.

Which was better? Somehow searching for that father by immersing one’s self in work (quite unrealistic, though),  or being the father he never had to someone who needs a father?

It wasn’t easy for Will to change down a gear, but go up one. Facing father issues, letting the issue go, and embracing the new stuff takes a lot of courage.