Morgan Kiryakoza

In this novel we find the protagonist, Nan, working as a nanny as she finishes college. Her mother is not happy about Nan’s occupation. “Then, for the love of god, be a makeup girl at Bloomingdale’s” (Mclaughlin 25). She suggests other easy occupations, but only briefly. Once Nan finds a high-paying job nannying, her mother does not protest her job. Nan briefly mentions other occupations throughout the book, and does not feel pushed in a certain direction. She feels free to live as she pleases and takes the nanny job without many comments from her mom. She is pretty certain in her dreams of working with children, and has a pretty good grasp on the person she wants to be in the future.

In the film, Annie has a much different background. Her mother, a hardworking nurse, obsesses over Annie’s future, pushing her to be a CEO and constantly reminding Annie how bright her future is. When Annie brings up other low-paying jobs, her mother immediately protests and almost refuses to allow her daughter to take a low- paying job. “Maybe I’m not CFO material, maybe I’m better suited for something else” says Annie. “Like what? Anthropology? Honey how are you going to make a living at that” her mother retorts. Annie’s mother puts so much pressure on her to be a perfect business woman, and to do whatever is high-paying, that it ultimately leads to Annie lying about her job as a nanny. Towards the end of the film her mother finds out, and is extremely displeased. Her mother wants Annie to have a better life than she did, and is trying to live out her dreams through her daughter. Unlike the novel, Annie is not pleased with herself and is drowning trying to discover who she is. Between her mother’s image of herself, and her own dreams to be successful, Annie is quickly losing herself.

From the novel to the film Annie develops into a stressed out woman who feels the need to please her mother and the people around her. The main difference portrayed is the fact that in the novel, Nan’s mother easily accepts her job and in the film, Annie’s mother does anything in her power to keep Annie from working as a nanny. It’s a huge change.

It is very common to feel the pressure that Annie feels in her young adulthood, the pressure to be a certain image, or to follow in past family members’ footsteps. For young adults, society, friends, and family are constantly suppressing them from being an individual. There is an image, and many strive to attain that. A lot of times, this journey to attain the image can cause one to lose themselves, and lose sight of who they truly are. They get so caught up in being what other people imagine that they no longer do anything solely for themselves. In addition, parents play huge part. In the film, Annie’s mom is almost living her life through her daughter, pushing Annie to be something that she never was. It is so common to feel the need to please everyone. The director herself may have made this change to portray her life growing up, and how she felt the need to fit society’s image of “success”. Growing up, she may have been in the same position as Annie, lost, confused, hoping to do some “soul-searching”. Her parents may have had heavy involvement in her future, and could have pushed her to do things she did not want. However, this change from novel to film may have been the directors wish to impact the audience in some way the book did not. She could have been wanting to send a message that she hopes to pass on to others.

The impact of the director’s change is huge. As mentioned before, it is very common to feel pressures to juggle it all: grades, a social life, work. This change shows how common, even through adulthood, the pressure to be perfect is on everyone. However, the message that the director is trying to send is that it is okay to break this mold. Personal happiness is a vital aspect to life. Annie was afraid to veer off from her mom’s chosen journey for her, but once she did in the end, she gained more knowledge about herself than she ever thought. In order to understand oneself there needs to be risks, and one needs to drift off course. In the end, Annie ended up content with her life, and full of freedom. The movie is more powerful in that it shows the consequences of stepping away from society’s vision of perfect.