BEETHOVEN (1992) REVIEW!!!

Initial release date: April 3, 1992

Studios: Universal Pictures/Northern Lights Entertainment

Tagline: He’ll grow on you.

Big heart. Big appetite. Big trouble.

Plot: When the family of George Newton decides to adopt a cute St. Bernard puppy, the patriarch soon feels displaced by the dog. Before long, the adorable canine, named Beethoven, has grown leading to household mishaps. While George’s wife and kids dote on Beethoven, it takes time for him to see the pooch’s finer qualities. However, Beethoven’s life with the Newton family is jeopardized when a scheming vet tries to nab the dog.

Cast

Charles Grodin (The Ex; Beethoven’s 2nd) - George Newton

Bonnie Hunt (Disney Plus’ Monsters at Work) - Alice Newton

Dean Jones (That Darn Cat) - Dr. Varnick

Nicholle Tom - Ryce

Christopher Castile - Ted

Sarah Rose Karr - Emily

Oliver Platt (Rules Don’t Apply) - Harvey

Stanley Tucci (The Witches; Supernova) - Vernon

David Duchovney (The Craft: Legacy) - Brad

Patricia Heaton (Smallfoot; The Star) - Brie

Writer(s): John Hughes (credited as Edmond Dantes)

Amy Holden Jones (TVs The Resident)

Director: Brian Levant (A Christmas Story 2; The Spy Next Door; Are We There Yet?)

Rated PG (87 min)

‘Beethoven’ is definitely a great family feature that the whole family will really love. It’s also hard to believe that critics actually gave this family movie really mixed reviews when it first came out in 1992.

This family classic is loaded with some very good laughs and some really adorable pet moments. The movie also features quite a few nice moments seeing the family enjoying the company of the lovable St. Bernard. It's definitely an old 90s favorite!!!

I’ve watched this family classic a lot since I was little and it is still very entertaining. No matter how many times you see this, families will always enjoy ‘Beethoven.’ If you missed Beethoven at the Dietrich, you can rent in from numerous PVOD services!

Here a few interesting tidbits for ‘Beethoven’:

• Steve Martin was the first choice to play George Newton. John Candy, Danny DeVito, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroy, Jeff Goldblum, Rick Moranis and Bill Murray were later considered for the part.

• Dean Jones was cast against type as the villain of this movie, he was previously best known for playing nice guy leading roles in live-action Disney films during the 60s and 70s.

• Great care was taken to make sure the animals used in filming weren’t harmed. Measures taken included many trick shots, multiple cuts, and even a mechanical dog/dog suit in order to achieve scenes.

• Screenwriter John Hughes is credited as “Edmond Dantes.” The pseudonym is an homage to a character in ‘The Count of Monte Cristo.’ This movie is one of only a few written by Hughes that takes place outside of Illinois.

• Although it received mixed reviews, ‘Beethoven’ received acclaim by audiences.

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

• The movie was followed by four sequels and three stand alone movies using the Beethoven name and the premise of a St. Bernard but not mentioning previous characters such as the Newton family.

https://youtu.be/ki8wHMR-yOI