Anna to the Infinite Power (1984) Reviews

A bratty but brilliant preteen girl discovers that she's the clone of a long-dead scientist in this story of self-discovery and adventure, which appeared on HBO in the early '80s. Anna Hart (Martha Byrne) gets top grades at her elite private school, but she lies, steals, and bad-mouths her parents, much to the consternation of her father, Graham (Jack Ryland). Anna's mother, Sarah (Dina Merrill), is more indulgent of her daughter, for she knows that the girl is one of a series of clones created to uncover the scientific secrets of Anna Zimmerman, who was close to conquering world hunger when she died in an accident years ago. Although Anna is unaware of her origins, she is plagued by dreams of the years the original Anna spent in a concentration camp, and she suffers from severe headaches whenever she sees flashing lights. Memories of a haunting melody called "Reverie" also plague the girl's imagination. Although Anna's brother, Rowann (Mark Patton), seems smitten by the family's new neighbor, Michaela Dupont (Donna Mitchell), the woman creeps Anna out with her quiet intensity. Nevertheless, Graham forces his daughter to accept piano lessons from Michaela in hopes of unlocking Anna's artistic side and her less offensive personality traits. Soon, though, Anna accidentally sees one of her sister clones on a TV newscast, leading to revelations that threaten to destroy her family and possibly the youngster's very life. Anna to the Infinite Power is based on the novel by Mildred Aimes. Patton's brief movie career would also encompass the lead role in Nightmare on Elm Street 2, while Byrne, who previously appeared on Broadway in Annie, would go on to star for many years as Lily on the perennial CBS soap As the World Turns. Loretta Devine, who would go on to star in the TV series Boston Public, made her film debut here playing Anna's schoolteacher. The song "Anna's Reverie" was written by composer Paul Baillargeon, who also portrays Rowann's music instructor. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi