| Beethoven | |
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Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Brian Levant |
| Produced by | Joe Medjuck Michael C. Gross Ivan Reitman |
| Written by | John Hughes Amy Holden Jones |
| Starring | Charles Grodin Bonnie Hunt Dean Jones |
| Music by | Randy Edelman Michael Tavera |
| Cinematography | Victor J. Kemper |
| Editing by | William D. Gordean Sheldon Kahn |
| Studio | Northern Lights Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Universal Studios |
| Release date(s) | April 3, 1992 (US) July 24, 1992 (UK) |
| Running time | 87 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $18 million |
| Box office | $147,214,049 (worldwide) |
Beethoven is a 1992 American family comedy film, directed by Brian Levant and starring Charles Grodin and Bonnie Hunt. The film is the first in the Beethoven film series.
It was written by John Hughes (under the pseudonym Edmond Dantès) and Amy Holden Jones. The story centers on a St. Bernard dog named after the composer Ludwig van Beethoven owned by the Newton family and co-stars Nicholle Tom, Christopher Castile, Sarah Rose Karr, Stanley Tucci, Oliver Platt and Dean Jones.
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When the film opens, a St. Bernard puppy and a large group of other puppies are stolen from a pet store by two thieves. After meeting a Jack Russell Terrier during his escape from the thieves, the St. Bernard sneaks into the home of the Newton family. The father, George Newton, doesn't want the responsibility of owning a dog, but his wife, Alice, and their children convince him otherwise. While trying to name their new-found dog, the youngest daughter, Emily, plays a portion of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and the puppy barks along; the family thus names him "Beethoven."
While George focuses on Beethoven's negative qualities, the rest of the family grows attached to Beethoven. He helps the children overcome their problems in various ways; he frightens bullies that are bothering Ted, helps the eldest girl, Ryce, talk to her crush, and saves Emily's life when she falls in the irresponsible babysitter's swimming pool. However, George becomes increasingly jealous of the affection Beethoven receives, feeling as though he is being neglected as the family fawns over Beethoven. His frustration comes to a head when Beethoven's antics ruin a barbecue George is hosting for Brad and Brie, venture capitalists looking to invest in his car freshener firm.
The family takes Beethoven to a local veterinarian, Herman Varnick, for a routine medical examination and immunizations. The family is unaware that Varnick is involved in unethical and deadly animal experimentation and hired the two thieves seen in the opening sequence. He urges the family to leave him overnight at the clinic, but they refuse. Varnick speaks to George alone and tells him of a supposed mental instability among St. Bernard dogs making them potentially dangerous to humans and advises George to watch Beethoven closely for any sign of viciousness. In truth, Varnick requires large-skulled dogs such as St. Bernards for an ammunition test.
Varnick later visits the Newton home under the guise of doing a follow-up exam on Beethoven. He stages an "attack" by Beethoven using fake blood, claiming that Beethoven bit his arm. Varnick tells George that Beethoven has to get put to sleep or he will press charges. Emily, who saw Varnick hit Beethoven, protests that the attack was fake, but George, fearing for his family's safety, takes Beethoven to Varnick's office. It is on the way to Dr. Varnick's office that George discovers his own affections for Beethoven; he remembers when he was a child his father took their family dog to the vet to be euthanized and he "hated him for that." He fears that his own children will hate him now for taking Beethoven to be destroyed. Sure enough, when he returns home with the empty leash and collar his children all look at him and leave the dinner table rather than remain with him, Emily calling him "dog-killer."
Later, after recognizing the children's sadness and having a conversation with Alice in which she suggests that they believe their own daughter, who they know to be truthful over a man they've only met twice, George reluctantly agrees to speak to Dr. Varnick again. The family goes to his office to investigate the incident further. Varnick claims that Beethoven has already been euthanized. The children are distraught, but George is upset and reminds Varnick that he had been told that this wouldn't happen until the next day. When Ryce pushes her way past Dr. Varnick to get into the office he grabs her to prevent her entrance, and George grabs him while telling him to get his hands off his daughter. In the ensuing struggle it is revealed that Varnick has no bite marks (he had claimed to receive 37 stitches after Beethoven bit him) and that the attack was faked. Following a lack of police intervention, the family decides to follow Varnick, George tailing Varnick's Porsche while Alice calls the police. Varnick leads them to his secret animal-testing facility. As George closes in, Beethoven breaks free but is recaptured by the thieves. George crashes through the facility skylight just as Varnick prepares to shoot Beethoven. While George and Beethoven battle Varnick's two henchman, Ted drives the car into the building, launching numerous syringes into Varnick, sedating him. As the Newtons free all the captive dogs, Ted notices Varnick's two dog-thieves trying to escape, and he sends the herd of angry dogs after them. The thieves escape into a junkyard, only to be viciously maimed by a pack of Dobermans guarding the yard.
Dr. Varnick and his accomplices are arrested and Varnick is indicted for his crimes. The Newtons are praised as heroes by the news and George takes a new liking to Beethoven. Ryce also gets a phone call from her crush Mark, much to her excitement. The Newtons then go to sleep, saying good night to Beethoven and all of the dogs they rescued.
Numerous critics pointed out the satisfying irony in the casting of Dean Jones as the evil Dr. Varnick, as Mr. Jones had become famous playing likable characters in numerous Disney films, including That Darn Cat!, The Ugly Dachshund, The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit and especially as race car driver "Jim Douglas" in the successful The Love Bug series, which encompassed two theatrical films and a short-lived television series.
The film grossed $57,114,049 in North America and $90,100,000 in other territories, to a total of $147.2 million worldwide.[1][2][3] Based on 24 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an overall approval rating from critics of 33%, with an average score of 4.8/10.[4]
The film was followed by five sequels. 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), and the upcoming Beethoven's Christmas Adventure (2011)[5]. An animated TV series was also created around the films that debuted in 1993. Dean Jones voiced the role of George Newton in this series after playing the villain in the film & Nicholle Tom reprised her role as the voice of Ryce Newton.
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