MVP: Most Valuable Primate (2000)

Jack is a three-year-old chimpanzee who has been the subject of a long-term experiment by Dr. Kendall, a researcher who been teaching Jack to communicate through sign language. Jack, ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Vince

Writers:

Anne Vince, Robert Vince

Stars:

Bernie, Louie, Mac

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bernie	...	Jack
Louie	...	Jack
Mac	...	Jack
Russell Ferrier	...	Darren
Lomax Study	...	Dr. Kendall
Kevin Zegers	...	Steven Westover
Jamie Renée Smith	...	Tara Westover
Alexa Fox	...	Jane (as Alexa Benette Fox)
Jane Sowerby	...	Julie Beston
Ingrid Tesch	...	Susie Westover
Philip Granger	...	Mark Westover
Rick Ducommun	...	Coach Marlowe
Aaron Smolinski	...	Pete
Shane Vajda	...	Moose
Trevor Roberts	...	Larry

Storyline

Jack is a three-year-old chimpanzee who has been the subject of a long-term experiment by Dr. Kendall, a researcher who been teaching Jack to communicate through sign language. Jack, however, has not been making progress fast enough for Dr. Kendall's sponsor, Dr. Peabody, who has cut off his funding and sold Jack to a medical research lab. Afraid of what could happen to his simian friend, Dr. Kendall sneaks Jack out of his home in the lab; however, Jack is accidentally sent to Canada, where he gets loose and is discovered by Tara, a deaf girl who recognizes Jack's sign language. Jack has an even bigger surprise for Tara's older brother Steven; Jack scrambles onto the ice in the midst of practice for Steven's junior league hockey team, and he and his teammates discover the monkey has a natural talent for the game. With Jack on the team, Steven's team is on their way to a league championship, but Jack's notoriety attracts the unfortunate attention of Dr. Peabody, who are determined to ...

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Plot Keywords:

league | sign language | canada | funding | hockey | 

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Taglines:

Jack skates a little faster... Shoots a little harder... And is driving everyone bananas.

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some mild language

Details

Official Sites:

Keystone Entertainment

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 August 2000 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Snapshot

Filming Locations:

Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$4,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$27,237 (USA) (29 September 2000)

Gross:

$1,246,237 (USA) (10 November 2000)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Keystone Family Pictures, Film Incentive B.C., Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Moose: [to Steven, after slips and falls against the boards] Y'all right there, Yankee boy?
[Steven proceeds to defend himself, and leaps over the bench at him]

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Crazy Credits

(Closing dedication) In Memory of Elizabeth Anne Harland (Vince)

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Connections

Featured in The Chimp's a Champ: The Making of a Star Hockey Player (2001)

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Soundtracks

"Whoa, Don't Go There"
Performed by Jimmy Z.
Music & Lyrics by Brahm Wenger & Martin Gerschwitz
Published by Malvan Productions Music (BMI)

User Reviews

Distracted by wretched casting, depiction

As a future ASL interpreter and general Deaf culture enthusiast, I watch any movie I can find with sign language or Deaf characters. Imagine my shock when, not only was the character of Tara not played by a Deaf actress, she was not portrayed very well by the hearing one! I understand that this was a subplot, and probably not a very important one to most people (after all, there was an animal on screen! Doing human-y things!), but some accuracy could have been striven for. Of all the Deaf and hearing impaired children I have worked with and been friends with, not one of them signs with their mouth shut. In fact, ASL has a very strong facial element, involving mouth movement and some sounds. And any family that knew how to sign would hopefully not force their child to lipread at home. Even the best lipreader only gets about 70% of the words spoken compared to 100% of the words signed in the beautiful and eloquent language called ASL. If a movie-making team can't spend the time and effort to get a Deaf character right, they shouldn't include one at all. I appreciate they had to have someone who could communicate with the chimp, but they could have made up something much more believable than a semi-famous hearing actress trying to convince me she's Deaf. Like the chimp learning to talk for the role.