Beethoven (1992)

A slobbering St Bernard dog becomes the center of attention for a loving family but its vet secretly wants to kill him.

Director:

Brian Levant

Writers:

John Hughes, Amy Holden Jones

Stars:

Charles Grodin, Bonnie Hunt, Dean Jones

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charles Grodin	...	George Newton
Bonnie Hunt	...	Alice Newton
Dean Jones	...	Herman Varnick, D.V.M.
Oliver Platt	...	Harvey
Stanley Tucci	...	Vernon
Nicholle Tom	...	Ryce Newton
Christopher Castile	...	Ted Newton
Sarah Rose Karr	...	Emily Newton
David Duchovny	...	Brad
Patricia Heaton	...	Brie
Robi Davidson	...	Mark
Laurel Cronin	...	Devonia Pest
O-Lan Jones	...	Biker Woman
Nancy Fish	...	Miss Grundel
Craig Pinkard	...	Homeless Man

Storyline

The Newton family live in their comfortable home, but there seems to something missing. This "hole" is filled by a small puppy, who walks into their home and their lives. Beethoven, as he is named, grows into a giant of a dog... a St Bernard. Doctor Varnick, the local vet has a secret and horrible sideline, which requires lots of dogs for experiments. Beethoven is on the bad doctor's list.

---

Plot Keywords:

dog | veterinarian | animal | animal urination | rescue | 

---

Taglines:

The head of the family is the one with the tail.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Family

---

Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 April 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ein Hund namens Beethoven

Filming Locations:

1405 Milan Avenue, South Pasadena, California, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$57,114,049 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Northern Lights Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

So incensed were the American Veterinary Association about the depiction of a vet as leader of a dog-napping ring, they fired off a letter of protest to Jack Valenti, head of the Motion Picture Association of America.

---

Goofs

When Ted and Rice are playing Super Mario Brothers 3, they are both mashing away on controllers, however, when it shows the close up of the screen, we see that they're only playing a one-player game at the time.

---

Quotes

George Newton: We're goldfish people, we're antfarm people. We're not dog people.

---

Connections

Referenced in The Nostalgia Teen: Buddy (2011)

---

Soundtracks

"Lady Marmelade"
Performed by Harry Garfield
Written by Kenny Nolan and Bob Crewe

User Reviews

5.1??? As bad as all that? I don't think so!

I really liked Beethoven. Of course it isn't perfect, it does have a silly ending, the plot does have its low points and the script was a tad weak in places. However, it is a charming, fun and entertaining family movie. I myself am mortified at the 5.1 IMDb rating. I seriously don't think it is as bad as all that. It isn't perfect, but it has a sense of fun. The cinematography is lush and very beautifully handled, and the direction was secure. Charles Grodin is an enormously talented actor, and I enjoyed his performance here, and Dean Jones seems to be having fun too. The child actors are appealing, and the music is lovely. I think the real star is Beethoven himself, whoever trained that dog should be told he/she did a wonderful job. With Beethoven, the film is fun, charming and very entertaining. And there are many memorable moments here. All in all, a very pleasant family film, I recommend it. It is not perfect, but it is one of the better family films out there. 7/10 Bethany Cox