Beethoven (1992)
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A suburban family's life is turned upside down when they adopt a large, mischievous St. Bernard puppy.
The story
Two thieves steal a group of puppies from a pet store, but a St. Bernard puppy escapes and sneaks into the home of the Newton family. Although the patriarch, George, is a workaholic who does not want a dog, his wife Alice and their three children convince him to adopt the puppy. They name the dog "Beethoven" after the famous composer. As the puppy grows into a large, slobbery, and mischievous animal, George struggles to manage the dog's antics while the children find the new pet to be an important and helpful member of the family.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a St. Bernard puppy named Beethoven joins the Newton family, the dog becomes a beloved companion to the children despite the father George's initial reluctance. However, the family's routine is disrupted when they take Beethoven to a veterinarian, Dr. Herman Varnick. Unbeknownst to them, Varnick is conducting unethical animal experiments. Varnick manipulates George into believing Beethoven is violent and must be euthanized. After a tense confrontation where Emily realizes Varnick is lying, George initially agrees to the euthanasia but later discovers the truth. The family follows Varnick to his warehouse, where they find Beethoven and other captive dogs. In a climactic rescue, the family frees the dogs and defeats the villains. Dr. Varnick, Harvey, and Vernon are arrested for animal abuse, and George finally accepts Beethoven as a true member of the family.
- First release year
- 1992
- Runtime (minutes)
- 87
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Brian Levant
- Writers
- John Hughes · writer; Amy Holden Jones · writer
- Cast and characters
- Charles Grodin · George; Bonnie Hunt · Alice; Dean Jones · Dr. Herman Varnick; Oliver Platt · Mark; Stanley Tucci · Brad; Stanley Tucci · Brie
- Genres
- family; comedy; children's; American
- Themes
- Family dynamics; Animal companionship; Suburban life
- Tone and mood
- Waggish; Uproarious; Sentimental; Goofy; Sweet
- Premise and plot tags
- Family Comedy; Animal Movie; Mad Scientist; Animal Rights
- Franchise connections
- Beethoven
- Content notes
- Animal cruelty
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics but was a box office success, earning $147.2 million worldwide. It was praised for its animal handling and performances but criticized for its formulaic plot and darker elements.
- Reported review scores
- CinemaScore · score: A
- Production trivia
- The dogs were owned and trained by Eleanor Keaton, the wife of Buster Keaton.; Beethoven was played by a canine actor named Chris who had 12 doubles.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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