Beethoven

This was another film from my childhood. Of course now years later, it is obvious that it is targeted at young children. Thanks to John Hughes' involvement (he uses a pseudonym for this movie) the film has comedy and family excitement. Just like "Uncle Buck" and "Home Alone", "Beethoven" is Hughes' classic story about a good family that needs to become better.

This film introduced me to the two lead actors, Charles Grodin and Bonnie Hunt. Both have great comedic timing and have chemistry togther on screen. Grodin's funniest moment is when his suggestion for the dog's name comes out of the hat. The child actors that were chosen for this movie did their job well in entertaining the kids in the audience. "Beethoven" was also the first time I saw both Oliver Platt and Stanley Tucci. I didn't take full recognition of either actor however until "Frost/Nixon" and "The Terminal". They obviously do better in dramatic roles, especially Platt. It was weird seeing David Duchovny in a family comedy and by the way, one of the boys that gets on the school bus at the start of the movie is Joseph Gordon-Levitt. As an adult, I am entertained by the change that happens to the character of George. He starts out as a workaholic but still a reasonably good father. It is obvious that he doesn't like dogs but it isn't until later in the movie that we come to understand exactly why. This is some smart drama in this film. Unfortunately, Beethoven is getting more affection from his family than he is. To Beethoven's credit, he is making the family's life better. He helps the two oldest children and saves Emily's life anonymously. He even saves George's business without George even realizing it. Even though Dr. Varnick puts doubt in George's head about Beethoven being safe for his kids, it doesn't cause him to act until Dr. Varnick is "bitten". This is where George reveals that he had a bad childhood experience when his dog was put down. George doesn't blame Beethoven for what supposedly happened to the vet but Varnick's manipulation is enough to fool George. Varnick would probably have gotten away with it if he had been more meticulous in covering his tracks. Because the veterinarian secretary treated incident like any other euphemism, George could smell foul play when Varnick lies about Beethoven being dead ahead of schedule. The unbitten arm confirms his suspicions. The punch that George lays on Varnick has a story purpose because it redeems George in the eyes of his the family. It is also a really funny moment because of the family's reaction. Another funny characteristic about the climax is the family tracking Varnick in the station wagon. A typical American family in a cliché vehicle is going to take down a criminal. The filmmakers know the ridiculousness of the situation but because of how appealing Beethoven is, the filmmakers can get away with it. Another funny moment is when Ted drives the car. I also love the quick fight between George and Alice after the car crash and how fast they make up. That is really funny because of the acting. Another great gag that I am sure that Hughes thought up was Harvey and Vernon all bandaged up on the news.

It is interesting to see Ivan Reitman as the executive producer. Universal doesn't know how to handle successful family films in my opinion. Another studio would make an original film using the same filmmakers or at least make only one or two sequels. Instead, as with "The Land Before Time", Universal goes too far with direct-to-video sequels. I still like this movie but it has lost must of its appeal now that I am older.

3 Stars