Mousehunt (1997)

Director:

Gore Verbinski

Writer (WGA):

Adam Rifkin (written by)

Release Date:

19 December 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Family

Tagline:

The funniest movie of the year!

Plot:

Two stumblebum inheritors are determined to rid their antique house of a mouse who is equally determined to stay where he is.

Plot Keywords:

Mouse | Factory | String Factory | Auction | Jacuzzi

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Nathan Lane	...	Ernest "Ernie" Smuntz
Lee Evans	...	Lars Smuntz
Vicki Lewis	...	April Smuntz
Maury Chaykin	...	Alexander Falko
Eric Christmas	...	Ernie and Lars' Lawyer
Michael Jeter	...	Quincy Thorpe
Debra Christofferson	...	Ingrid
Camilla Søeberg	...	Hilde, the Bench Lady (as Camilla Soeberg)
Ian Abercrombie	...	Auctioneer
Annabelle Gurwitch	...	Roxanne Atkins
Eric Poppick	...	The Banker
Ernie Sabella	...	Maury, the Cat Care Society Owner
William Hickey	...	Rudolph Smuntz
Christopher Walken	...	Caeser, the Exterminator
Cliff Emmich	...	Mayor McKrinle

Also Known As:

Mouse Hunt (International: English title) (alternative spelling)
Mouse Trap (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for language, comic sensuality and mayhem.

Runtime:

98 min | Germany:93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Brazil:Livre | Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Philippines:G | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G (TV rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Belgium:KT | Chile:TE | Finland:K-8/5 | France:U | Germany:6 (w) | Netherlands:AL | Norway:7 | Portugal:M/6 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:7 | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Bass Lake, California, USA

Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Trivia:

Ernie Smuntz bows to a sheik who is seeking to bid for his home. In doing so, he greets him with "Hakuna Matata," which is the song he sings in The Lion King (1994).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the shot when Ernie and Lars head to the factory and we see the striking workers outside the building, a cargo container and a palm tree that are off-set are clearly visible to the left of the screen.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Lars: [at their father's funeral, they carry his coffin down the steps of a cathedral] Hold your end up higher, you're not holding it.
Ernie: I am too.
Lars: You are not.
Ernie: Don't worry about me. Hey, isn't that suit charcoal?
Lars: No.
Ernie: Looks charcoal gray to me, some gray polyester blend. Couldn't even find a black suit for your own father's funeral.
Lars: It's black.
Ernie: No, I'm sure it's gray.
Lars: It's black.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Soundtrack:

We're In The Money

Hilarious!

This is one of those movies that catches you off-guard. As campy and seemingly silly as it is...it's still all around fun. From the first opening minutes you'll see some of the humor is a bit on the dark-side, which is what holds it's appeal. The brothers both seem dim witted, yet lovable. You see their just as fumbling and off as many of us have felt attimes, which helps us relate to the characters. The way the CGI andmouse was done gives a real sense of interaction, and a surprise cameo by a notable Hollywood HEavyweight is a nice surprise. Yet in the end, without giving too much away, it's about tolerance and someone trying to find a balance to everything and their surroundings. This falls along the ways of Babys Day Out. So if you enjoy prop driven humor and gag setups or just need a break from the stamped out Hollywood flicks, this is a MUST see and you'll find yourself laughing uncontrollably. :)