Buddy (1997)

An eccentric socialite raises a gorilla as her son.

Director:

Caroline Thompson

Writers:

Gertrude Davies Lintz (book), William Joyce (screen story),

Stars:

Rene Russo, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Cumming

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rene Russo	...	Mrs. Gertrude 'Trudy' Lintz
Robbie Coltrane	...	Dr. Bill Lintz
Alan Cumming	...	Dick Croner, Trudy's Assistant
Irma P. Hall	...	Emma, Lintz's Maid
Peter Elliott	...	Buddy
Mak Wilson	...	Buddy
Lynn Robertson Bruce	...	Buddy
Mark Sealey	...	Buddy
Robert Tygner	...	Buddy (as Rob Tygner)
Michelan Sisti	...	Buddy
Peter Hurst	...	Buddy
Leif Tilden	...	Buddy
Star Townsend	...	Buddy (as Star Townshend)
Paul Reubens	...	Professor Spatz
John Aylward	...	Mr. Joe Bowman

Storyline

This is a fact based story about a socialite and her husband who live in a mansion with a brood of animals including chimpanzees who are raised as her children. When she discovers an ailing baby gorilla, she decides to care for it as well. Years later, the gorilla is fully grown and its strength is sometimes out of control. However, the gorilla shows love for his mistress and obeys her commands. That all changes when she is invited to display the gorilla and chimps at the Chicago World's Fair. Accidentally freed by one of the chimps, the gorilla terrorizes the Fair. From that point on, he becomes moody and more uncontrollable until he attacks his mistress in a bestial rage.

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Plot Keywords:

gorilla | socialite | chimpanzee | animal | eccentric | 

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Taglines:

Welcome to a family that will make yours seem tame.

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some threatening animal action

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 June 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Buddy - Mein haariger Freund

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles Zoo, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$3,504,671 (USA) (6 June 1997)

Gross:

$10,005,081 (USA) (15 August 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Zoetrope, Columbia Pictures Corporation, Jim Henson Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Rene Russo came out a month before principal photography started to work to rehearse with each individual chimp.

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Quotes

Emma: It's enough to drive you to the nut house. Of course this place probably already is the nut house.

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Connections

Features The Play House (1921)

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Soundtracks

"My Buddy"
Written by Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn

User Reviews

An entertaining family film

Buddy is an entertaining family film set in a time when "humanizing" animals, and making them cute was an accepted way to get people to be interested in them.

Based on a true story, Buddy shows the great love that the main characters have for animals and for each other, and that they will do anything for each other.

While not a perfect movie, the animated gorilla is quite lifelike most of the time and the mayhem that occurs within the home is usually amusing for children.

This film misses an opportunity to address the mistake of bringing wild animals into the home as pets, but does show the difficulties.

A recommended film which was the first for Jim Henson Productions.