All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)
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A charmingly gritty tale of a con-artist dog who must choose between his own survival and the safety of a young girl.
The story
In 1939 New Orleans, Charlie B. Barkin, a charming but dishonest German Shepherd, finds himself in a predicament after being betrayed by his greedy business partner, Carface Carruthers. After a fatal confrontation, Charlie finds himself in the afterlife but manages to cheat death to return to Earth. He reunites with his best friend, Itchy, and discovers that Carface has kidnapped a young girl named Anne-Marie who possesses the unique ability to talk to animals. Charlie and Itchy decide to rescue the girl, leading them into a dangerous game of survival against Carface's thuggery in the heart of the bayou.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1939 New Orleans, Charlie B. Barkin is betrayed and killed by his greedy partner, Carface Carruthers. After being sent to Heaven, Charlie cheats death by stealing a pocket watch to return to Earth. He reunites with his friend Itchy and discovers that Carface has kidnapped a girl named Anne-Marie, who can talk to animals. Charlie rescues her and they form a bond, though they are forced into a life of crime to survive. After a series of adventures involving a giant alligator named King Gator and a series of dangerous escapes, a final confrontation occurs at Carface's casino. During a massive fire, Charlie must make a final choice: save the girl or save his own life. He chooses to save Anne-Marie, and his watch stops, sending him back to Heaven. Anne-Marie is adopted by a kind couple, and Charlie is reunited with her in spirit. In a post-credits scene, Carface arrives in the afterlife, vowing revenge against King Gator.
- First release year
- 1989
- Runtime (minutes)
- 85
- Production countries
- Ireland; United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Don Bluth
- Writers
- David N. Weiss · screenplay; Don Bluth · story; Ken Cromar · story; Gary Goldman · story; Larry Leker · story; Linda Miller · story; Monica Parker · story; John Pomeroy · story; Guy Schulman · story; David J. Steinberg · story
- Cast and characters
- Loni Anderson · Flo; Judith Barsi · Anne-Marie; Dom DeLuise · Itchy Itchiford; Melba Moore · Annabelle; Charles Nelson Reilly · Killer; Burt Reynolds · Charlie B. Barkin; Vic Tayback · Carface Carruthers
- Genres
- animated; musical; fantasy; comedy; drama
- Themes
- kindness; friendship; love; sacrifice
- Tone and mood
- fantasy; dark; vibrant
- Premise and plot tags
- talking animals; afterlife; buddy film; orphan
- Content notes
- violence; gambling
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics and was moderately successful at the box office, though it became a major success on home video.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 50 · scale: 100 · review count: 8
- Awards and nominations
- Youth in Film Awards · Best Family Motion Picture: Adventure or Cartoon · 11th Annual · nomination; Film Advisory Board · Award of Excellence · win
- Production trivia
- The film was the last animated film to be theatrically released by United Artists until 2019.; The title was inspired by a book read to Don Bluth's fourth-grade class.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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