Anastasia
In real life, Olga really did say that Anastasia's drawing looked like a pig riding a donkey. This was stated by Anastasia in a letter to her father, and the image used in the movie is a reproduction of the original picture.,Throughout the film, Anastasia is often referred to as a Princess, while her proper title was "Velikaya Knyaginya". However, while the literal translation of this title is "Grand Duchess", it is essentially equivalent to the British title of a Princess, so it is a reasonably accurate semantic translation to English, which is the language of the film after all. In any case, Anastasia is also called a Grand Duchess during the film, which means that the filmmakers were fully aware of the alternative translation.,Dowager Empress Marie: Young man, where did you get that music box? You were the boy, weren't you? The servant boy who got us out? You saved her life and mine and you restored her to me. Yet you want no reward.
Dimitri: Not anymore.
Dowager Empress Marie: Why the change of mind?
Dimitri: It was more a change of heart.,Clips of the characters are shown along with the names of their respective actors during the beginning of the second part of the initial credits.,The version shown on HBO and related channels contains extra credits for the Spanish-language version of the film. The song over those credits, a Spanish version of "Journey to the Past," was on the film's soundtrack album.,Featured in Siskel & Ebert: The Jackal/Anastasia/The Man Who Knew Too Little/One Night Stand/The Tango Lesson/Kiss or Kill (1997),Once Upon a December (Prologue)
Music by Stephen Flaherty
Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Performed by Angela Lansbury and Lacey Chabert,The last time I saw this, I thought there were maybe too many songs in it that distracted the feel from the movie. But now that I've seen it again, it's clear that the songs are well written, along with the storyline.

This is not based on a true story, only loosely on a few rumors that the real Anastasia survived the killing of her family. The heroine Anya is like a Disney princess who is desperate to find out who she is and where she belongs, after suffering from amnesia following the separation of her family. The villain is the brilliant Rasputin, back from the dead, intent on extracting revenge on the Romanovs, thus starting the Russian Revolution. Dimitri and Vladimir at first are looking to find the ideal Anastasia look alike in order to get the riches from her real mother in Paris.

A lot of Bluth's films revolve around a journey and a couple involving some history on Russia. I really enjoyed the songs that played over the end credits, "At the Beginning" and "Journey To The Past" sung in her own way by Aaliyah, the beautiful angelic voiced R&B singer who left way too soon.

Brilliantly animated for its time and enjoyable for adults, Anastasia remains a classic family film.,