101 Dalmatians (1996)

An evil high-fashion designer plots to steal Dalmatian puppies in order to make an extravagant fur coat, but instead creates an extravagant mess.

Director:

Stephen Herek

Writers:

Dodie Smith (novel), John Hughes (screenplay)

Stars:

Glenn Close, Jeff Daniels, Joely Richardson

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Glenn Close	...	Cruella DeVil
Jeff Daniels	...	Roger
Joely Richardson	...	Anita
Joan Plowright	...	Nanny
Hugh Laurie	...	Jasper
Mark Williams	...	Horace
John Shrapnel	...	Skinner
Tim McInnerny	...	Alonzo
Hugh Fraser	...	Frederick
Zohren Weiss	...	Herbert
Mark Haddigan	...	Alan
Michael Percival	...	Police Inspector
Neville Phillips	...	Minister
John Evans	...	Pensioner with Bulldog
Hilda Braid	...	Woman On Park Bench

Storyline

After a wild chase in the bustling streets of London, the struggling computer game author, Roger, and his male Dalmatian pet, Pongo--by a welcome twist of fate--are dragged into St. James Park and meet with the charming fashion designer, Anita, and her female Dalmatian companion, Perdita. Soon, one thing will lead to another, and before they know it, Roger and Anita will get married and the adorable Perdita, pregnant. However, their short-lived joy is disrupted when Anita's glamorous but horrible boss, Cruella DeVil, dognaps the innocent puppies with the intention of making a luxurious coat with the dogs' fabulously spotted fur. Eventually, along with Perdita's 15 pups, Cruella will manage to bring the total to the staggering number of 99 Dalmatians; nevertheless, are the cute little puppies as helpless as they look?

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Plot Keywords:

dalmatian | live action remake | dog actor | car set on fire | cruella de vil character | 

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Taglines:

Spot Remover.

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Family

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Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

27 November 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

101 Dalmatians

Filming Locations:

Burlington Arcade, Piccadilly, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$75,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$33,504,025, 1 December 1996

Gross USA:

$136,189,294

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$320,689,294

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures, Wizzer Productions, Great Oaks Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

While Joely Richardson stars in this Disney remake, her older sister, Natasha Richardson, starred in another Disney remake The Parent Trap (1998).

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Goofs

During the movie, Anita never has a baby bump. Both she and Perdy find they are pregnant at the same time. Dogs are pregnant for about two months. The puppies we see during the majority of the film would be about three months old. This means that by the time the puppies are stolen, Anita would be at least five months pregnant and have a noticeable bump.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Television News Reporter: [on TV] We're all familiar with the illegal poaching of endangered animals in the wild, but never before has an animal in captivity been slaughtered for its pelt. Animal protection groups that monitor the international trade in game contraband have further told us that a white Siberian tiger is so rare that the offer of a pelt would surely draw the attention of law enforcement agencies.
[Perdy whimpers]
Television News Reporter: Shortly before dawn this morning security staff at London Zoo discovered the ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

After the end credits, Cruella's laugh can be heard as the Walt Disney logo appears.

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Alternate Versions

UK theatrical version had some dialogue substituted to secure a 'U' rating.

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Connections

Features One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)

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Soundtracks

Daisy Bell (A Bicycle Built for Two)
(uncredited)
Composed by Harry Dacre
[Roger and Anita ride their bicycles around a gazebo where a band plays this song]

User Reviews

Colorful, Cute & Clichéd

This is one of those movies that truly is - and I don't mean to use the cliché - entertaining whether you are a kid or an adult. The dalmatians and other animals are a lot of fun to watch.

Glenn Close must have had a lot of fun making this film, playing the evil "Cruela De Vil." Just as much fun, maybe more, were the two bumbling dog-nappers - Hugh Laurie and Mark Williams, I believe - idiots who were genuinely funny in their stupidity. Their dialog was hilarious.

There are nice colors in here, too, so a widescreen DVD is good to have if you enjoy this movie. I didn't find the surround sound to be much.

Speaking of clichés and such, there are some drawbacks here that were a little annoying to me, like overdoing the intelligence of the dogs, making them almost human-like with their abilities to understand English. In fact, it's taken to the absurd level level of some of the animals being smarter than humans. Please....give me a break! Also, you get the quick "film romance" in which two people (Jeff Daniels and Joely Richardson) barely meet and already they are in love, getting married in no time. Please....give me a break!

Still, recommended if you want a want 103 minutes of a "cute" story and don't take any of it the least bit seriously as if anything in here could really happen.