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

"Anchors Aweigh"
(1906) (uncredited)
Music by Charles A. Zimmerman
Lyrics by Alfred Hart Miles and R. Lovell
Played for the chimp act in the Chicago Century of Progress Exhibition of 1933

User Reviews

I loved it.

I just watched Buddy for the first time on TV. I thought it was great! I am a big animal lover and yes, I too treat them more like my children than animals.

Buddy is a movie that will delight animal lovers. I really felt that Rene Russo portrayed the bond between her and the gorilla. The loved each other.

When Buddy ran free at the fair, it was the frightened screams he was met with that frightened him. It was just cruel when people threw things at him. It very much saddened me when the inevitable happened. I cried and cried. I do not understand anyone who does not love this movie. The only thing I can think of, is that if you don't like this movie, you don't like animals.