Anastasia

Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova is the protagonist of 1997's Anastasia. She is based off of the real daughter of Tsar Nicholas II and his wife, Alexandra; the youngest sister of Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana and Maria; and the older sister of Tsarevich/Grand Duke Alexei. The real Anastasia was killed in 1918 during the execution of the Romanov family.

Anastasia's speaking voice is provided by Meg Ryan, while her singing voice is provided by Liz Callaway. As a child, Kirsten Dunst provides her speaking voice, while Lacey Chabert does her singing.

Physical appearance
As an eight-year-old child, Anastasia possessed flawless fair skin, long flowing auburn hair (naturally curled at the ends), and light blue eyes with naturally groomed eyelashes and thick eyebrows.

Ten years later, at eighteen years of age, Anastasia has blossomed into a beautiful and attractive young woman. Despite her obvious increase in height, slimmed-down appearance, hair length, and physical development, her overall appearance remained generally the same.

Anastasia shares some physical resemblance with her father, Nicholas II. Although Anastasia's mother, Alexandra, is seen only briefly throughout the entire film, and we are unable visually compare the two, but if you watch Alexandra closely she shares a great physical resemblance with the adult Anastasia, her grandmother, the Dowager Empress Marie, states that she inherited the beauty of her mother and the laughter of her father. According to Dimitri and Vladimir, Anastasia inherited Empress Alexandra's chin, Empress Marie's hand, and the seemingly renowned blue eyes of the Romanovs.

In the beginning, as a teenager, she wore a black Russian cap, a gold tunic, and an olive-green jacket, black pants, and brown boots. Aboard the ship, she wears a blue dress with a bent at white sleeves. For the opera, she wore a navy-blue opera gown, with white opera gloves, a silver choker around her neck, diamond earrings hanging from her ears, and her hair was tied into a bun with a silver hairband. Before she entered the opera theater, she was also seen wearing a teal coat with a white frilly collar on the rims and white frilly cuffs on the sleeves.

Personality
From quite early in the film, Anastasia is portrayed as bright, spunky, stubborn, serious-minded, tough, artistic, but very kind, affectionate, nice, altruistic, sweet-tempered, tidy, accountable, sympathetic, intellectual, astute and caring. She doesn't behave like royalty even though it runs in her blood. She also is a tomboy and a fighter.

She was always naturally independent, and had no problem speaking her mind or standing up for herself. However, she can appear to be insecure and shy at times, such as when Dimitri reveals that she would have to prove to Sophie and Marie that she is the Grand Duchess. According to Vladimir, she was quite notorious for her mischief among the palace staff during the Romanov reign.

One of Anastasia's most obvious personality traits is her high level of determination. As seen in the film, once Anastasia sets a goal for herself, she sticks to that goal until she is satisfied with her success, despite her frequent displays of insecurity. In this case, she was determined to find her family in Paris, and refused to stop until she succeeded.

She is also physically very strong; when she makes her deal with Dimitri she grabs his hand and shakes it with an iron grip, making him jump and make a foul face. Afterwards he massages his mistreated hand.

The Real Anastasia's Appearance & Personality
Like the character that was based on the cartoon Anastasia, the real Grand Duchess also had blue eyes, and a thin, delicate nose like her mother's, but in real life, she has strawberry-blonde hair. People close to the family thought she could have become a real beauty when she grew up. As a child she was small and impish. As she grew into her teens she put on weight and become rather round and pudgy in Siberia. Alexandra dispared of her weight and hoped it was baby fat to be naturally lost as she grew older. Her weight was a constant source of affectionate harassment in the family.

Alexei and Anastasia had a close relationship, they seemed to communicate without speaking using some sort of sixth sense. She was always running to his rooms to entertain him with her antics - or steal food from his buffet tables.

When the Tsarevich was ill, Anastasia seemed to 'feel' his illness herself. She knew how to distract him, how to make him forget his pain. Maria and Anastasia were close as well. They had a phonograph player in their room, with a large collection of records. They liked playing them as loud as possible while dancing about their room, pounding on the floor with their feet. They knew the noise could be plainly heard below in their mother's rooms. They thought it great fun to make a big racket for Mama and her guests below. Anastasia played the balalaika and the guitar very well. She and Alexei liked performing duets or accompany their sisters on piano.

Anastasia was extremely intelligent, but prone to be lazy and inattentive. Her teachers found she learned much faster than her sisters. On the other hand she was easily bored and had trouble focusing on her lessons. She was a cut-up, freely dispensing her own kind of dead-pan, sarcastic humour at the expense of others. The whole family would crack up at her jokes. Nobody was safe from her tongue and brutal observations of other foibles. She had a cutting wit and knew it, it was one of her chief ways of getting attention. Painting was one of her passions, dogs were another.

She had one dog named Shibivik, who died of a brain disorder, which left Anastasia inconsolable. She and her canine companion had been inseparable and his death was a great shock to her. For a while after she lost him Anastasia became humourless, quiet and pensive. Little Shibivik was buried on the Children's Island near the other family dog graves, surrounded by lily-of-the-valley. The children had a special service for him with special hymns and prayers.

Later, to help her get over the loss and because she already had another dog named Ortino her older sister Tatiana gave Anastasia one of her dogs, Jimmy, who had originally been a gift to Tatiana from Anna Vyrubova. Jimmy died in the Grand Duchess' arms in Yekaterinburg.

Anastasia
Eight-year-old Grand Duchess Anastasia is separated from her family during the Romanov execution led by Rasputin. Anastasia narrowly escapes Rasputin with her grandmother, the Dowager Empress Marie, with the help of an eleven-year-old servant boy named Dimitri. But, Anastasia is later attacked by Rasputin as she and her grandmother attempt to cross a seemingly frozen river under the Alexander bridge. Waiting afoot he bridge and thrusting himself as far as he could ontop of the girl, Rasputin violently grasps ahold of her right foot, nearly missing her altogether. When all seems lost, the ice suddenly cracks beneath Rasputin's weight, sending him plummeting to his "death" beneath the freezing water. However, Anastasia gets separated from her grandmother at the train station while attempting to board a moving train, and the two never see each other again.

Ten years later, Anastasia, now eighteen, suffering from severe amnesia and going by the alias "Anya", is sent away from a cruel orphanage by its inconsiderate and repulsive matron. With no memory of her past and her only clue being the necklace her grandmother gave her ten years before (of which she is unaware), Anya hopes to somehow find her family in Paris, accompanied by a stray dog named Pooka.

Seeking assistance, Anya confronts a young con-man named Dimitri, and his partner, Vladimir, who are looking for an Anastasia look-a-like to present to the Dowager Empress in return for ten million rubles. Determined to find her family, Anya agrees to go with Dimitri and Vladimir to Paris and "pretend" to be Anastasia, not knowing that she is, in fact, the real Anastasia. However, they are unaware of the vindictive corpse of Rasputin who lies ahead, still determined to see that his curse is fullfilled.

After narrowly escaping several of Rasputin's attempts to kill her (including a forced railroad accident from Rasputin's minions pursuing the train and overheating an engine and seperated it and a baggage car from the rest of the train, and possession by sleep on a ship), Anya is taken by Dimitri and Vladimir to see Sophie, Empress Marie's cousin, who will interview her before she is allowed to meet with the Dowager Empress herself. Anya answers all the questions correctly, and although Sophie is obviously impressed by this, she sadly reveals to her guests that the Dowager Empress refuses to see any more "Anastasias". But, with some persuasion from Vladimir, Sophie agrees to introduce Anya to Empress Marie at the Russian Ballet.

During the dancers' portrayal of Cinderella, Anya sees the Dowager Empress for the first time. Following the performance, Dimitri, behind---what was supposed to be closed doors---attempts to persuade Empress Marie to meet Anya. However, the Empress, quickly recognizing Dimitri as the man who was holding "auditions" to find an Anastasia doppleganger for the ten million rubles, throws him out of the room, where he meets Anya who overheard everything. Up until this point, Anya was kept unaware of the reward money and Dimitri's initial intentions. Heartbroken and betrayed, an angered Anya slaps Dimitri hard across the cheek and furiously storms off, not wanting to hear anything Dimitri has to say for himself.

While packing in her bedroom, Anya hears a knocking on her door. Thinking the visitor is Dimitri, Anya orders him to go away. The Dowager Empress Marie enters the room and Anya apologizes for her rudeness. After recalling several events from her past, the Dowager Empress Marie finally realizes that Anya is the real Anastasia and they are reunited at last.

The Dowager Empress Marie calls for Dimitri the next day, who refuses the reward money. Dimitri bumps into Anya while going down the steps. Anya mistakes that Dimitri took the reward money, and acts unforgiving to Dimitri, who is forced to address her as "Your Highness". He then says goodbye to Pooka and Vlad and leaves to buy a ticket for Saint Petersburg.

At the celebration of her return, the Dowager Empress confronts Anya that Dimitri did not take the reward money and asks if this is what she really wants and if it is enough. Anya replies a wholehearted "of course" but is left wondering if she wants more. Anya then wanders out to the garden and to the bridge, where Rasputin attacks her. Dimitri comes to save Anya and is knocked onto the ground by Rasputin, and Anya assumes that he is dead.

Anya survives and filled with hatred Anya lunges at Rasputin, butting him head-on and both fight to death. Anastasia tries to kill Rasputin but he pushes her. But Pooka throws the reliquary Any and she crushes Rasputin's reliquary "for Dimitri, for her family, and for him; Rasputin ." The minions then destroy Rasputin's body and he turns to dust, his remains blown away by the cold wind.

Anya accidentally slaps Dimitri when he gets up and Dimitri admits that men are babies. Anya and Dimitri begin to start and finish each other's sentences and are about to kiss until Pooka barks. Anya has to decide whether to elope with Dimitri or take the crown and attend the celebration. Anya then decides to elope with Dimitri and leaves a note for her Grandmama, stating that they'll be back together in Paris soon. Anya and Dimitri then kiss on a boat, enjoying their time spent together, with Bartok imitating their dance steps from above and receiving a kiss from a pink female bat. It is implied that Anastasia and Dimitri get married soon after.

Songs
Anastasia's vocals are heard on the following songs, courtesy of Liz Callaway.


 * Journey to the Past
 * Once Upon a December
 * Learn to Do It - Alongside Vladimir (Kelsey Grammer) and Dimitri (Jonathan Dokuchitz).

Trivia

 * According to Vladimir, the name "Anastasia" means "she will rise again" or "resurrection". In real life, or during the early 20th century, it meant "breaker of chains".
 * The historical Anastasia was 17 rather than 8 at the time of the revolution.
 * At the time of the film's creation, the mass grave near Ekaterinburg still lacked the bodies of Alexei Nikolaevich and one of his sisters; however, in 2007, a group of amateur archaeologists discovered the missing remains, thus confirming that the entire family did indeed die on the night of July 17, 1918.
 * Anastasia is an animated remake of 20th Century Fox's earlier live-action film of the same name. The original film was loosely based on the story of a woman named Anna Anderson, who claimed to be Anastasia from the 1920s until her death in the 1980s. The personal and physical similarities between Anderson and Anastasia convinced many that she was indeed the youngest daughter of Nicholas II, but a series of DNA tests performed during the 1990s and the subsequent discovery of the bodies of the tsarevich and one of the grand duchesses in the 2000s disproved her claims.
 * Although the historical Anastasia never owned a dog named Pooka, she did own a dog named Jimmy, who was murdered alongside Anastasia and her family.
 * Contrary to popular opinion, Anastasia's hair is auburn rather than red. Nevertheless, one shade can at times appear to be more prominent than the other. However, the real Anastasia had strawberry blonde hair.
 * Anastasia's wardrobe totals to over ten dresses, which constitutes the greatest amount of attire of any character in the film.
 * Contrary to what many still believe Lenin and the Bolsheviks were not responsible of the fall of tsardom in Russia. Tsardom was toppled by a spontaneous popular uprising that no political party had anything to do with already in February 1917 (February Revolution). What Lenin and the Bolsheviks did topple in the coup d'état known as the October Revolution was the democratic republic that came after the February Revolution. That the Bolsheviks did not have popular support showed itself clearly at the elections held shortly afterwards. Lenin did respond by keeping the power with military and other force.
 * If the Tercentenary Ball at the start of the movie happened on the same day as in real live (February 21st) then Anastasia would have actually been 7 rather than 8 as her birthday was not until June.
 * Nicholas was contemplating changing the succession to include females in real life with boys not being moved up the succession line to replace older sisters. Olga's outfit mirroring her father's in the family portrait could have portrayed that, meaning she would have been heir rather than her sickly younger brother. As Olga, Tatiana and Maria died in the Revolution, Anastasia would have been first in line instead. Vlad's comment 'we have found the heir to the Russian throne' would have been true if this was the case.
 * In Anastasia's nightmare her father calls her 'Sunshine'. This was a nickname given to the real life Anastasia by several members of the Imperial suite because 'she was so lively, and her gaiety so infectious' according to her French teacher, Pierre Gilliard.