| Buddy | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Caroline Thompson |
| Produced by | Fred Fuchs Steve Nicolaides |
| Written by | Gertrude Davies Lintz (book) William Joyce & Caroline Thompson (screenplay) |
| Starring | Rene Russo Robbie Coltrane Alan Cumming Irma P. Hall Paul Reubens |
| Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
| Cinematography | Steve Mason |
| Editing by | Jonathan Shaw |
| Studio | Jim Henson Pictures American Zoetrope |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | June 6, 1997 |
| Running time | 84 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Buddy is a 1997 film directed by Caroline Thompson and produced by Columbia Pictures with help from Jim Henson Pictures. It starred Rene Russo as Mrs. Gertrude 'Trudy' Lintz and Robbie Coltrane as her husband.
The film was based on the life of a gorilla called Massa[1] with elements of Gertrude Lintz's other gorilla Gargantua (who was called "Buddy" at the time). In real life, Massa became the oldest gorilla on record until 2008, while Buddy/Gargantua died young as a circus attraction and his remains are now on display in a museum.
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Millionaire animal lover and overall spoiled rich girl Trudy (Rene Russo) adds the title animal, a gorilla, to her family. The ape named Buddy finds life in the city very difficult to deal with. Although Trudy raises him as her own son in her mansion (which also houses a few comical chimpanzees, a kitten, a horse, her prize-winning champion pack of Briards, a raccoon and a flock of geese), he becomes hard to control due to his strength. A particularly bad experience in the Chicago World's Fair makes things even harder for Buddy. After he goes on an aggressive rampage and nearly destroys Trudy's home, Buddy is taken to an ape sanctuary to live among his own kind in peace.
Dane Cook cameos as a cop at the Chicago World's Fair.
Buddy operated by Peter Elliott, Lynn Robertson Bruce, Peter Hurst, Mark Sealey, Michelan Sisti, Leif Tilden, Star Townsend, Robert Tygner, and Mak Wilson
Buddy's vocal effects provided by Hector C. Gika, Gary A. Hecker, and Frank Welker.
Rene Russo began rehearsals with the chimpanzees a month before principal photography even started.
In spite of the film's message, animal activists still objected over the depiction of chimpanzees as docile pets, happily carrying on wearing human clothes. Among their concerns, the perpetuation of the idea of chimps as acceptable pets is often cited.
The film has been criticised for its unrealistic animatronics, especially when compared to the real ape performers. But as of today, the film is still considered a cult classic.