Buddy (1997 film)
Buddy | |
---|---|
Directed by | Caroline Thompson |
Screenplay by | Caroline Thompson |
Story by | William Joyce Caroline Thompson |
Based on | Animals Are My Hobby by Gertrude Davies Lintz |
Produced by | Fred Fuchs Steve Nicolaides Francis Ford Coppola (uncredited) |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Steve Mason |
Edited by | Jonathan Shaw |
Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Sony Pictures Releasing |
Release date |
|
Running time | 84 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $19 million |
Box office | $10.1 million |
Buddy is a 1997 American family comedy film written and directed by Caroline Thompson and produced by Columbia Pictures and 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 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.
The gorilla suit used for Buddy was created by Jim Henson's Creature Shop.
Plot[]
This article needs an improved plot summary. (August 2018) |
Millionaire animal lover and overall spoiled rich girl Trudy (Rene Russo) adds Buddy, a gorilla, to her family. 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, a cheeky talking green parrot, 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.
Cast[]
- Rene Russo as Gertrude "Trudy" Lintz
- Robbie Coltrane as Dr. Bill Lintz
- Alan Cumming as Dick Croner
- Paul Reubens as Professor Spatz
- Dane Cook as Fair Cop
- Peter Elliott as Buddy the Gorilla
- Jerry Nelson as Ape 1, Raccoon, Goose 1
- Steve Whitmire as Ape 2, Porcupine, Dog, Goose 2
- Frank Oz as Horse, Ape 3, Goose 3
- Dave Goelz as Parrot, Goose 4, Turtle
Dane Cook cameos as a cop at the Chicago World's fair. Buddy operated by Peter Elliott (adult Buddy), Lynn Robertson Bruce (juvenile Buddy), Peter Hurst, Mark Sealey (toddler Buddy), Michelan Sisti, Leif Tilden, Star Townsend, Robert Tygner, and Mak Wilson (facial controls). Buddy's vocal effects provided by Hector C. Gika, Gary A. Hecker, and Frank Welker.
Production notes[]
Rene Russo began rehearsals with the chimpanzees a month before principal photography even started.
The story is loosely based on a real life socialite from the 1920s who raised animals in her mansion to protest inhumane zoo conditions.[1]
Reception[]
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 25% based on reviews from 20 critics.[2]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave it 2 out of 4, and wrote: "One of the peculiarities of the film is the vast distance between the movie they've made and the movie they think they've made."[3] Entertainment Weekly gave it a grade C+.[4]
The film was criticized for its unrealistic animatronics, especially when compared to the real ape performers.[5]
In spite of the film's message, animal rights activists objected to the depiction of chimpanzees as docile pets, happily carrying on wearing human clothes. Among their concerns, was the perpetuation of the idea of chimps as acceptable pets.[citation needed]
References[]
- ^ Steve Persall (October 1, 2005). "HOLLYWOOD SAYS grow up!". Tampa Bay Times.
- ^ "Buddy (1997)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (June 6, 1997). "Buddy movie review & film summary (1997)". Chicago Sun-Times.
- ^ Owen Gleiberman (June 6, 1997). "BUDDY". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ "BUDDY". Entertainment Weekly.
External links[]
- Buddy at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Buddy at IMDb
- Buddy at AllMovie
- Buddy at Box Office Mojo
- 1997 films
- English-language films
- American films
- New Zealand films
- 1990s comedy-drama films
- American biographical films
- American children's comedy films
- American comedy-drama films
- American Zoetrope films
- Columbia Pictures films
- Docudrama films
- Fictional gorillas
- Films about apes
- Films about orphans
- Films directed by Caroline Thompson
- Films scored by Elmer Bernstein
- Films set in the 1930s
- The Jim Henson Company films
- New Zealand fantasy films
- Films with screenplays by Caroline Thompson
- 1997 comedy films
- 1997 drama films