Beethoven (film)

Beethoven
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Brian Levant
Written by	Edmond Dantès Amy Holden Jones
Produced by	Joe Medjuck Michael C. Gross
Starring	Charles Grodin Bonnie Hunt Dean Jones Oliver Platt Stanley Tucci
Cinematography	Victor J. Kemper
Edited by	William D. Gordean Sheldon Kahn
Music by	Randy Edelman
Production company	Northern Lights Entertainment
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date	April 3, 1992
Running time	87 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$147.2 million

Beethoven is a 1992 American family comedy film, directed by Brian Levant and written by John Hughes (under the pseudonym "Edmond Dantès") and Amy Holden Jones. The film's story centers on a St. Bernard dog named after a German composer and owned by the Newton family. It is the first installment of the Beethoven film series.

Plot

A group of puppies are stolen from a pet store by two thieves. A St. Bernard puppy escapes and sneaks into the Newton family's home. The workaholic father, George, does not want the responsibility of owning a dog, but his wife, Alice, and their children, Ryce, Ted, and Emily, encourage him. They give him the name "Beethoven" when Emily plays a portion of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony on the piano and he barks along to it.

Beethoven grows into a fully grown young adult and helps Ryce, Ted, and Emily overcome their problems: he helps Ryce talk to a boy she has a crush on, scares off bullies for harming Ted, and saves Emily's life when she falls into an irresponsible babysitter's swimming pool. George, jealous of the affection Beethoven receives, feels neglected as his family fawns over him. His antics ruin a barbecue he is hosting for Brad and Brie Wilson, unpleasant venture capitalists looking to invest and swindle him out of his car air freshener firm.

The Newtons take Beethoven to a veterinarian named Dr. Herman Varnick for a routine medical examination and immunizations, unaware that he is actually involved in unethical and deadly animal experiments. Dr. Varnick tells George of a supposed mental instability among St. Bernards making them potentially dangerous and violent to humans and advises him to watch Beethoven closely for any sign of viciousness. However, Dr. Varnick actually requires large-skulled dogs such as St. Bernards for an ammunition test.

Dr. Varnick later visits the Newton home under the guise of doing a follow-up exam on Beethoven. To trick the Newtons into thinking Beethoven had attacked him, he puts fake blood on his arm and some of it on Beethoven's face, cuts and tears his shirt sleeve then abusively hits the dog, enraging Beethoven which prompts him to leap on Dr. Varnick and pin him to the ground, causing the Newtons to mistakenly believe that Beethoven is attacking Dr. Varnick when they witness this. Dr. Varnick pretends to be in pain, warning George that Beethoven may be turning aggressive and must be put to sleep or he will have no choice but to press charges. Emily, who had observed Dr. Varnick hit Beethoven, attempted to prove the dog's innocence by protesting that the attack was fake, but George, fearing for his family's safety, reluctantly takes him to Dr. Varnick's office. It is on the way there that George discovers his own affections for him: he remembers his father had to take their dog to the vet to be put down and he never forgave him for it. George fears that his family will hate him now for taking Beethoven to be put to sleep. When George returns home with the empty leash and collar, his heartbroken family leaves the dinner table rather than remain with him, proving his fears true.

After being devastated, the Newtons go to Dr. Varnick's office to confront him, but he lies to them that Beethoven has already been put down. However, George remembers that the receptionist told him that Beethoven will not be put to sleep until the next day. George then notices that Dr. Varnick has no bite marks on his arm and, realizing he lied to the Newtons that Beethoven attacked him, assaults him. The Newtons then follow him to his warehouse. Beethoven breaks free but is recaptured by Dr. Varnick's two associates, Harvey and Vernon, the same crooks who robbed the pet store in the beginning, while Alice calls the police. George crashes through the skylight just as Dr. Varnick prepares to shoot Beethoven. Before he can, however, Sparky, a captive Jack Russell Terrier that Beethoven befriended earlier, bites Dr. Varnick in the crotch, causing him to fire a shot in the air. After hearing it, Ted drives the car through the door and runs it into a cart, launching numerous syringes into Dr. Varnick and sedating him. As the Newtons reunite with Beethoven and free all the captive dogs, they notice Harvey and Vernon trying to escape, but Ted sends the dogs after them. They escape into a junkyard, only to be confronted and attacked by a pack of ferocious Dobermans guarding it.

Dr. Varnick, Harvey and Vernon are arrested for animal cruelty. Beethoven and the Newtons are praised as heroes by the news, George takes a new liking to the dog and Ryce gets a phone call from the boy she likes. The Newtons then go to sleep, saying good night to Beethoven and all of the dogs they rescued, who are sleeping in the master bedroom.

Cast

Production

The dogs featured in the film were owned and trained by Eleanor Keaton. Beethoven is played by canine actor Chris, who had 12 doubles. Principal photography began on May 1, 1991, in Los Angeles, California.

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 29%, based on reviews from 28 critics, with an average score of 4.6/10. The critical consensus reads: "Fluffy and incorrigible, Beethoven is a good boy who deserves a better movie". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave Beethoven a grade A.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four, writing in his review that "this is not the sort of entertainment I scour the movie pages for, hoping desperately for a new film about a cute dog. Nor did I find anything particularly new in Beethoven, although I concede that the filmmakers secured an admirable dog for the title role, and that Charles Grodin, who is almost always amusing, has what fun can be had playing the grumpy dad".

Box office

The film grossed $57,114,049 in North America and $90,100,000 in other territories, for a total of $147.2 million worldwide.

Accolades

Music

The soundtrack to the film was released on December 15, 1992.

Sequels and spin-offs

The film was followed by four sequels and three standalone films that use the Beethoven name and the premise of a St. Bernard, but the plots are less and less connected as the series goes on. Beethoven's 2nd was released to theaters in 1993. The remaining sequels were direct-to-video films: Beethoven's 3rd (2000), Beethoven's 4th (2001), Beethoven's 5th (2003), Beethoven's Big Break (2008), Beethoven's Christmas Adventure (2011), and Beethoven's Treasure Tail (2014). An animated TV series was also created around the films that debuted in 1994. Dean Jones voiced George Newton in it after playing Dr. Herman Varnick in the film and Nicholle Tom reprised her role, voicing Ryce Newton. None of the sequels or related media featured the involvement of Hughes.