Beethoven (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beethoven |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Brian Levant |
| Produced by | Joe Medjuck Michael C. Gross Ivan Reitman |
| Written by | Edmond Dantès Amy Holden Jones |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Randy Edelman |
| Cinematography | Victor J. Kemper |
| Editing by | William D. Gordean Sheldon Kahn |
| Studio | Northern Lights Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | April 3, 1992 (United States) July 24, 1992 (United Kingdom) |
| Running time | 87 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $18 million |
| Money made | $147.2 million |
Beethoven is a fun family comedy movie from 1992. It was directed by Brian Levant. The main stars are Charles Grodin and Bonnie Hunt, who play George and Alice Newton. This movie is the first one in the Beethoven film series.
The story was written by John Hughes (who used the pen name Edmond Dantès) and Amy Holden Jones. It's all about a big, lovable St. Bernard dog named Beethoven. He gets his name from the famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven. The Newton family owns him. The movie also features Nicholle Tom as Ryce, Christopher Castile as Ted, Sarah Rose Karr as Emily, Stanley Tucci as Vernon, Oliver Platt as Harvey, and Dean Jones as Dr. Herman Varnick.
Contents
The Story of Beethoven
The movie begins with some puppies being taken from a pet store. But one smart St. Bernard puppy gets away! He sneaks into the home of the Newton family. The dad, George Newton, is a busy man and doesn't want a dog. But his wife, Alice, and their kids, Ryce, Ted, and Emily, convince him.
They name the puppy "Beethoven." This happens when Emily plays a part of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony on the piano. The puppy barks along to the music!
Beethoven grows into a huge, adult dog. He helps the Newton children with their problems. He helps Ryce talk to her crush. He scares away bullies who bother Ted. He even saves Emily's life when she falls into a swimming pool because her babysitter wasn't paying attention. George, the dad, starts to feel a bit left out. He gets jealous because his family loves Beethoven so much. The dog's playful actions also mess up a barbecue George is hosting. This barbecue is for some business people who want to trick him out of his car freshener company.
The Newtons take Beethoven to a veterinarian named Dr. Herman Varnick for a check-up and shots. They don't know that Dr. Varnick is doing bad experiments on animals. He tells George that St. Bernards can sometimes be dangerous. He says George should watch Beethoven closely for any signs of being mean. But Dr. Varnick actually needs large-headed dogs like St. Bernards for his experiments.
Dr. Varnick visits the Newton home. He pretends to be checking on Beethoven. He puts fake blood on his arm and hits Beethoven. This makes Beethoven jump on him. Dr. Varnick then acts like he's in terrible pain. He warns George that Beethoven might be dangerous. He says Beethoven must be "put to sleep" or he will call the police. Emily saw Dr. Varnick hit the dog. She says the attack was fake. But George is scared for his family. He sadly takes Beethoven to Dr. Varnick's office.
On the way, George realizes how much he cares for Beethoven. He remembers his own dad had to take their dog to be put to sleep. George never forgave him. He worries his family will hate him now. When he comes home with just Beethoven's empty leash, his family is very upset. They leave the dinner table, just as George feared.
After seeing how sad his family is, George and the Newtons go back to Dr. Varnick's office. But Dr. Varnick says Beethoven has already been "put to sleep." George remembers that the receptionist said Beethoven wouldn't be "put to sleep" until the next day. George then sees that Dr. Varnick has no bite marks on his arm. George confronts him. The Newtons follow Dr. Varnick to his warehouse.
Beethoven breaks free but is caught again by Dr. Varnick's helpers, Harvey and Vernon. Alice calls the police. George crashes through the skylight just as Dr. Varnick is about to shoot Beethoven. But before he can, a small Jack Russell Terrier bites Dr. Varnick in a painful spot. This makes him fire the shot into the air. After hearing the gunshot, Ted drives the car through the door. He crashes it into a cart, sending many syringes flying. They hit Dr. Varnick and make him fall asleep.
The Newtons reunite with Beethoven and free all the other dogs. They see Harvey and Vernon trying to run away. The Newtons send the rescued dogs after them! Harvey and Vernon escape into a junkyard. But then a pack of Dobermans guarding the yard attacks them.
Dr. Varnick, Harvey, and Vernon are arrested for being cruel to animals. The news praises the Newtons as heroes. George now really loves Beethoven. Ryce also gets a phone call from her crush. The Newtons then go to sleep, saying good night to Beethoven and all the dogs they rescued. All the dogs are sleeping in their bedroom!
Who's Who in the Movie
- Charles Grodin as George Newton
- Bonnie Hunt as Alice Newton
- Dean Jones as Dr. Herman Varnick
- Nicholle Tom as Ryce Newton
- Christopher Castile as Ted Newton
- Sarah Rose Karr as Emily Newton
- Oliver Platt as Harvey
- Stanley Tucci as Vernon
- David Duchovny as Brad Wilson
- Patricia Heaton as Brie Wilson
- Laurel Cronin as Devonia Peet
- Nancy Fish as Miss Grundel
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Student #1
- Richard Portnow as Ammo Gun Salesman (uncredited)
Movie Music
The music for the Beethoven movie was released on December 15, 1992. The music was mostly composed by Randy Edelman.
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
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| 1. | "Opening" | Randy Edelman | 4:20 |
| 2. | "Discovering the Neighborhood" | Randy Edelman | 2:24 |
| 3. | "Ciao, Baby" | Randy Edelman | 0:40 |
| 4. | "Ted and the Bullies" | Randy Edelman | 2:36 |
| 5. | "Beethoven to the Rescue" | Randy Edelman | 2:10 |
| 6. | "A Stroll Through Town" | Randy Edelman | 1:41 |
| 7. | "Puppy Snatchers" | Randy Edelman | 3:01 |
| 8. | "The Dog Has to Go" | Randy Edelman | 2:03 |
| 9. | "Table Spin" | Randy Edelman | 0:49 |
| 10. | "Sparkie's Chase" | Randy Edelman | 1:53 |
| 11. | "George Gets Turned On" | Randy Edelman | 1:29 |
| 12. | "Family In Pursuit" | Randy Edelman | 1:38 |
| 13. | "The Break-In" | Randy Edelman | 1:51 |
| 14. | "Our Heroes" | Randy Edelman | 2:19 |
| 15. | "The Dogs Let Loose" | Randy Edelman | 1:25 |
| 16. | "A Sad Return" | Randy Edelman | 2:19 |
| 17. | "Ryce's Theme" | Randy Edelman | 1:30 |
| 18. | "Roll Over Beethoven (written by Chuck Berry)" | Paul Shaffer and The World's Most Dangerous Band | 4:43 |
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Total length:
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38:51 | ||
More Beethoven Movies and Shows
After the first Beethoven movie, there were many more! A sequel is a movie that continues the story. There were four direct sequels that followed the original story. Then there were three other movies that used the "Beethoven" name and the idea of a St. Bernard, but they didn't feature the Newton family.
- Beethoven's 2nd came out in theaters in 1993.
- The next movies were released directly to video:
- Beethoven's 3rd (2000)
- Beethoven's 4th (2001)
- Beethoven's 5th (2003)
- Beethoven's Big Break (2008)
- Beethoven's Christmas Adventure (2011)
- Beethoven's Treasure Tail (2014)
An animated TV show based on the films also started in 1994. In the TV show, Dean Jones (who played Dr. Herman Varnick in the movie) voiced George Newton. Nicholle Tom also voiced Ryce Newton again.
See also
In Spanish: Beethoven (película) para niños
