Monkey Trouble facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Monkey Trouble |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Franco Amurri |
| Produced by | Mimi Polk Heidi Rufus Isaacs |
| Written by | Franco Amurri Stu Drieger |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Mark Mancina |
| Cinematography | Luciano Tovoli |
| Editing by | Ray Lovejoy |
| Studio | Percy Main Effe Productions Victor Company of Japan Ridley Scott Productions |
| Distributed by | New Line Cinema |
| Release date(s) | March 18, 1994 |
| Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | United States Japan |
| Language | English |
| Money made | $16,453,258 |
Monkey Trouble is a fun comedy-drama movie from 1994. It was directed by Franco Amurri and stars Thora Birch and Harvey Keitel. The story is about a young girl who secretly adopts a clever Capuchin monkey that used to be a pickpocket.
Contents
What the Movie is About
Eva Gregory (Thora Birch) lives in Los Angeles with her mom Amy (Mimi Rogers), her brother Jack, and her stepfather Tom (Christopher McDonald). Tom is a police officer. Eva really wants a dog, but her stepfather is allergic to fur. Her mom also thinks Eva isn't ready for a pet yet.
Meanwhile, a street performer named Azro (Harvey Keitel) lives with his smart monkey, Fingers. Azro uses Fingers to entertain people at Venice Beach. He has taught Fingers how to secretly take things from people's pockets. Some bad guys, Drake (Robert Miranda) and Charlie (Victor Argo), see Azro's act. They want Azro and Fingers to join their group to steal from fancy homes. They test Fingers at a random house, which turns out to be Eva's home. Fingers successfully steals some expensive items, and Azro agrees to join the criminals.
Dodger Finds a New Home
Later that night, Fingers feels bad about stealing and runs away from Azro. The next day, Eva is walking home from school when Fingers jumps out of a tree and lands on her. Eva instantly loves the monkey and names him "Dodger." She names him after her Dodgers baseball hat.
Eva decides to keep Dodger a secret. She hides him in her bedroom. Having Dodger makes Eva more responsible. She starts doing her chores and helps take care of her baby brother, Jack. She even shows Dodger to Jack! Eva also learns more about Dodger's type of monkey.
When Eva has to go to school, she takes Dodger to a pet shop nearby. The owner, Annie (Jo Champa), agrees to watch him. Eva tells Annie that the monkey is a surprise gift for her mom. At home, Tom, Eva's stepfather, starts sneezing a lot. He thinks he might have a cold or even a rat problem in the apartment. Azro, meanwhile, is desperately trying to find Fingers, and the bad guys keep bothering him about the missing monkey.
Hiding Dodger
Eva usually spends weekends with her dad, Peter (Kevin Scannell). She worries about how to hide Dodger there. But then, Peter leaves a message saying he's in Canada and can't have her over. Eva sees this as a chance to have a secret weekend with Dodger at her dad's empty house. She hides Peter's message from her mom and stepfather.
Eva asks her best friend Katie (Remy Ryan) and Katie's mom, Missy (Deborah White), to drive her to her dad's house. During the ride, Eva secretly shows Dodger to Katie. When they arrive, Eva realizes she doesn't have a key to the house. But Dodger, being super smart, manages to break in!
Once inside, Eva realizes they have no food and she has no money. She decides to perform with Dodger at Venice Beach boardwalk, just like Azro used to do. While Eva is riding her bike to the boardwalk, Dodger and Azro spot each other. Without Eva knowing, Dodger jumps off her bike. Azro tries to catch Dodger, but the bad guys grab Azro instead. Dodger then secretly sneaks back onto Eva's bike. They start their performance, and Dodger secretly pickpockets people, just like he did with Azro.
Learning Not to Steal
That evening, at a grocery store, Dodger is hidden in Eva's backpack. He secretly steals food without Eva knowing. The store manager thinks Eva is shoplifting, but lets her return the items without trouble. Eva is confused. She opens her backpack in an aisle and sees the stolen items. When she gets home, she scolds Dodger. Dodger then shows her all the other things he has stolen since they met. Eva realizes he was taught to pickpocket and break into places. She decides to teach him not to steal anymore.
Azro finds out about the supermarket incident. A store manager gives him Peter's address. Eva is getting ready to go home and calls a taxi when Azro shows up at her dad's house. Eva gets scared. She and Dodger run out and escape in the taxi.
When Eva gets home, Tom notices a stolen brooch near her foot. Eva says she doesn't know anything about it and goes to her room. Tom mentions a baseball game where the Dodgers are playing. The next day, Azro finds out Dodger is at Annie's pet shop. Azro attacks Annie and takes Dodger back. Azro is very angry when he finds out Dodger won't steal anymore during a meeting with the bad guys.
The Truth Comes Out
Meanwhile, Amy and Tom find more stolen items in Eva's room. They ask her about it, and she tries to explain that her secret monkey must be responsible. But they don't believe her. Things get worse when Peter stops by and says he was in Canada all weekend. This shows that Eva lied about her visit.
Eva is already sad that Dodger is gone and now upset that no one believes her. She runs away to find Dodger after Katie calls and says Dodger is at the park. Azro finds her there and is furious that she taught Dodger not to steal.
Back at home, baby Jack says his first word: "monkey!" This makes Amy, Peter, and Tom realize that Eva was telling the truth about a monkey being in the house. Dodger had escaped from Azro again and snuck back into Eva's room. They all go out, along with Tom's police friends, to look for Eva. Dodger saves Eva, and Azro is arrested by Tom. The bad guys try to escape but are soon arrested too. Eva is happy with Dodger. She shows her mom that she is responsible, and her stepfather finds out he is no longer allergic to Dodger's fur. Azro's son, Mark, tries to take Dodger back, but he fails. Dodger gets to stay with Eva and live at her home!
Cast
- Finster as Fingers/Dodger (the monkey)
- Frank Welker provides Dodger's vocal effects
- Thora Birch as Eva Gregory
- Mimi Rogers as Amy Gregory
- Adrian and Julian Johnson as Jack Gregory
- Christopher McDonald as Tom Gregory
- Harvey Keitel as Azro
- Alison Elliott as Tessa
- Remy Ryan as Katie
- Jo Champa as Annie
- Deborah White as Missy
- Adam LaVorgna as Mark
- Robert Miranda as Drake
- Victor Argo as Charlie
- Kevin Scannell as Peter
- Robert A. Perry as Echo-Man (himself)
Soundtrack
The movie features these songs:
- "Sold for Me" – The Aintree Boys
- "Posie" – The Aintree Boys
- "Who Gets the Loot" – Quo
- "VB Rap" – Gee Boyz
- "Girls" – Gee Boyz
- "Monkey Shines" – Robert J. Walsh
Box Office
The film didn't make a lot of money when it first came out. It started at number 3 in American theaters but quickly dropped to seventh place the next week.
