Beethoven

Remember Beethoven

Movie Review

Synopsis of Movie

A depressing tale of jealousy and revenge, set to the immortal composer’s music, and directed with visual flourish by Academy Award winner Milos Forman... No, wait... That’s Amadeus. This is the one with the big dog and Charles Grodin.

In no way affiliated with composer Ludwig von (or Milos Forman, for that matter), this Beethoven was a gigantic St. Bernard with a soft spot for kids and a knack for making messes.

At the start of the film, Beethoven is merely a pup, an escapee from a nasty vet’s experimental lab who ends up at the home of suburbanites George and Alice Newton. George doesn’t want to keep him, but children Ryce, Ted and Emily insist. Beethoven grows into a hulking beast of a dog, constantly irritating George with his slobbering lips and muddy paws.

When Alice joins George in the workplace, Beethoven takes over child care duties, with the inevitable mess-ups. Things get worse when the evil vet and his cronies show up to kidnap Beethoven, leading to a slapstick, Home Alone-style finale.

Frequent Disney good guy Dean Jones switched over to the dark side as the veterinarian, and then-unknown David Duchovny played a scheming yuppie neighbor of the Newtons. The picture drew crowds of dog lovers in theaters, spawning a 1993 sequel, Beethoven’s 2nd, and an animated series a year later.

Movie Release History

1992 - Beethoven
1993 - Beethoven's 2nd

Movie Sub Categories

live-action
comedy

Movie Studio

MCA-Universal, Northern Lights Ent.

Cast

George Newton Charles Grodin
Alice Newton Bonnie Hunt
Doctor Varnick Dean Jones
Ryce Nicholle Tom
Ted Christopher Castile
Emily Sarah Rose Karr
Harvey Oliver Platt
Vernon Stanley Tucci
Brad David Duchovny
Brie Patricia Heaton
Mark Robi Davidson
Devonia Pest Laurel Cronin
Biker Woman O-Lan Jones
Miss Grundel Nancy Fish
Homeless Man Craig Pinkard

Other Movie Links

The Bad News Bears (series) The Barefoot Executive Babe Bambi Back to the Future Back to the Future Part II Back to the Future Part III Batman Batman & Robin Batman Forever Batman Returns Batman: The Movie Babes in Toyland Bedknobs and Broomsticks The Beastmaster Beetlejuice Benji Benji the Hunted Beauty and the Beast Beethoven Beethoven's 2nd Beach Party (series) Big Big Top Pee-Wee Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey The Blob The Black Hole The Black Cauldron The Black Stallion The Black Stallion Returns Black Beauty Blackbeard's Ghost Boys Town Boatniks Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (And Don't Come Back!) A Boy Named Charlie Brown The Boy with Green Hair The Boy and the Pirates The Brave Little Toaster The Breakfast Club Breakin' The Brave One A Bug's Life Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Buck Rogers (serials) The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie Bugsy Malone

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