Beethoven

"The head of the family is the one with the tail."

1992 1h 27m EN

😐

5.8

MID

★5.8TMDB · 2,312

FamilyComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The Newton family live in their comfortable home, but there seems to something missing. This "hole" is filled by a small puppy, who walks into their home and their lives. Beethoven, as he is named, grows into a giant of a dog... a St Bernard. Doctor Varnick, the local vet has a secret and horrible sideline, which requires lots of dogs for experiments. Beethoven is on the bad doctor's list.

“The head of the family is the one with the tail.”

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Cast

Chris the Dog
Beethoven
Charles Grodin
George Newton
Bonnie Hunt
Alice Newton
Dean Jones
Dr. Varnick
Nicholle Tom
Ryce Newton
Christopher Castile
Ted Newton
Sarah Rose Karr
Emily Newton
Oliver Platt
Harvey

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Brian Levant
Writers: Amy Holden Jones, John Hughes
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

87 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

34 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Beethoven Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Brian Levant, shot by Victor J. Kemper. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Randy Edelman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor William D. Gordean shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Chris the Dog and Charles Grodin and Bonnie Hunt carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The head of the family is the one with the tail.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Brian Levant directs. Victor J. Kemper behind the camera. Randy Edelman scores. William D. Gordean cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

187 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
234 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Part of the "Beethoven Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Brian Levant, shot by Victor J. Kemper. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Randy Edelman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor William D. Gordean shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Chris the Dog and Charles Grodin and Bonnie Hunt carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The head of the family is the one with the tail.".
9IMDB entry: tt0103786 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.